Elon Musk, the new owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, announced a bold recent move this week: introducing X audio and video calling features. This addition marks a vital step toward Musk’s ambitious vision of transforming X into an ‘everything app’ capable of handling everything from social media posting to online payments and food delivery.
Availability and Accessibility
However, X has limited the availability of this feature for users who have premium subscriptions and are verified. They have not provided a specific timeline for the widespread release of this feature. Users often visit social media platforms like X to browse content, and creating an option to receive a call from any random verified user is somewhat annoying. Yet, Musk’s intention could be to generate stickiness within X, similar to China’s WeChat. This messaging app has become central for all digital transactions in China, whether shopping, news, or communication.
Idea Behind X Audio and Video Calling
X.com has been around since 1999, and Musk has always envisioned ‘X’ mainly as a financial services app. And though X audio and video calls don’t align directly with the vision, this feature could still be a step towards keeping users engaged with the app for as long as possible.
Success or Failure?
The success of X audio and video calling features is still being determined as Musk’s broader plan for ‘X’ faces challenges not only on the technical front but also by regulators. The U.S. regulators, unlike China, keep a close eye to prevent any single tech entity from monopolizing the internet.
In the ever-changing landscape of digital platforms, X’s experiment with audio and video calls presents a bold step toward innovation. Only time will tell if it makes X the go-to platform for information consumption, communication, online payment, and more.
