Topline
X announced Tuesday the launch of the “X Number,” private codes users can give to others for messages or calls that work separately from a personal cell phone number or X’s chat features.
X announced X Numbers on Tuesday.
Photo illustration by Cheng Xin/Getty Images
Key Facts
An X Number, which X says is “not a phone number,” is a private eight-digit code users can create and share so people can message or call them even if they have a closed inbox or do not follow the person they are sharing the number with.
X encourages users to only share the number with people they want to contact them, noting if the number is more widely shared than intended, it can be turned off or refreshed.
If an X Number is enabled, the conversation goes to a user’s inbox instead of their message requests.
People with whom users have already exchanged messages through a direct conversation can see each other’s X Numbers, which can then be shared with others unless the number is refreshed or removed.
To create or turn off an X Number, users must open “Chat,” enter their pin if asked, open the inbox dropdown menu and tap on “number.”
X already allows users who have satisfied the privacy settings of other users to voice or video call each other.
Tangent
No other major social media app has an equivalent to X Numbers, though platforms like Telegram and Signal give users the ability to communicate with others without revealing their phone numbers, with Telegram specifically offering temporary invite links that can be revoked.
Key Background
The addition of X Numbers appears to be the latest way the platform’s billionaire owner, Elon Musk, intends to make X the “everything app.” Musk vowed in 2024 to discontinue his phone number and exclusively use X for texts, voice calls and video calls, though he reportedly changed his number in 2025. While X has added several communication, posting and browsing features since Musk took over in the platform formerly known as Twitter in 2022, the platform still lacks full-scale peer-to-peer payments for all users similar to Venmo, CashApp and PayPal.
FORBES VALUATION
Musk’s estimated net worth reached $962.5 billion as of Tuesday afternoon, making him the world’s wealthiest person by a longshot.
Further Reading
Elon Musk Wants To Build An ‘Everything App’—Here’s How The World’s Most Popular One Works (Forbes)
Elon Musk Says xAI Has Purchased X, Formerly Known As Twitter, For $33 Billion (Forbes)
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