Elon Musk’s X officially rolling out audio, video calls, one step closer to becoming ‘the everything app’

In a groundbreaking move, X is introducing audio and video call capabilities for its user base. Numerous platform users, have reported receiving notifications upon opening the app, announcing the arrival of this new feature, stating, “Audio and video calls are here!” Musk also took to X and reshared a post, announcing how to enable the new feature.

Early version of video & audio calling on 𝕏 https://t.co/aFI3VujLMh

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 25, 2023

The introduction of this feature comes hand in hand with a new “Enable audio and video calling” toggle within the app’s settings. This toggle allows users to activate the feature and specify their preferred audience for making these calls. Users can choose to allow audio and video calls from individuals in their address book, those they follow, verified users, or any combination of the three. Initiating a call is a straightforward process; users simply open a direct message with another user, select the phone icon located in the top right corner of the screen, and choose between an audio or video call. While X has not made an official announcement regarding this feature, the company has been dropping hints, with a cryptic post that read, “ready for it…?” shortly before the feature’s appearance. X’s owner, Elon Musk, has long indicated his intention to incorporate audio and video calls into the platform, as part of his vision to transform it into the ultimate “everything app.” Musk has explicitly mentioned that this feature will be available across iOS, Android, Mac, and PC, eliminating the requirement for a phone number. The extent of the rollout of audio and video calls on X remains unclear, as does whether non-Premium users will be able to access this feature. Notably, last month, Chris Messina, the inventor of hashtags and a vocal advocate for open-source technology, discovered code in X’s software that hinted at the necessity of subscribing to X’s Premium service to use this new feature. Furthermore, Musk has alluded to plans of charging all users an annual fee for platform access and has already initiated this practice for users in New Zealand and the Philippines, who are now required to pay $1 per year to continue using the platform.