XChat , X’s stand-alone messaging app, launched to the public on Friday . Initially available on iOS devices, the new app allows users to connect with their X contacts for messaging, file sharing, audio and video calls, as well as group chats.

The company first began publicly testing XChat with a small group of beta users earlier this year to get their feedback about the new experience.

The XChat app is a key piece to the strategic vision for the company, which sees the social network as a jumping-off point for other services, like messaging or payments. (The latter is also being tested as a dedicated app , though it is not yet available publicly.)

However, X’s decision to break out of a piece of its platform to become its own dedicated app is a shift away from owner Elon Musk’s earlier plan to make X an “ everything app ,” which would provide a single place to access messaging, payments, creator content, shopping, AI, and more.

Instead, xAI (Musk’s AI company that owns X and is itself owned by Musk’s…