Toni Hobrecht
The next step in Elon Musk’s plan to make X a one-size-fits-all app is audio and video calling. The new owner of the former Twitter revealed that some users already have an early version of the feature. Audio and video calls are currently only available for iPhones. You can also limit the caller group to people in the address book and people you follow. In this case, the address book must of course be linked to the X account. There is also another feature that allows you to limit the circle of potential callers to verified users (those who pay $8 per month).
Some users, including verified ones with the blue tick, stated in the post that they still didn’t see the function even after an update. This indicates that the function is currently still in A/B testing. There’s also no button to make a call, meaning the feature doesn’t really work yet, practically speaking. X currently only seems to be establishing the technical basics.
The feature should be found under “Settings > Privacy & Safety > Direct Messages > Enable audio & video calling”. X’s support page states that only premium subscribers currently have this option. Musk commented in a user’s thread that the calls are still “a beta product, but it is promising”.
The provision of audio and video calls via X, formerly known as Twitter, is an attempt to lure users away from services such as Facebook Messenger, Instagram Direct or WhatsApp. There are also many other messaging platforms that offer audio and video calling. Therefore, Musk is likely to face an uphill battle as he tries to position himself in this particular market.
