Last Updated: August 31, 2023, 14:29 IST
Elon Musk confirms calling support on X
Elon Musk had talked about calling support for X users and this week he has confirmed the feature and what devices will offer the calling option.
Elon Musk has announced that video and audio call support is coming to X for users and it will work on all devices, including PCs.
Musk also confirmed that the calling feature will work without needing a phone number, which he claims will make X the effective global address book. It is likely that X will offer the upcoming features to its paid subscribers, just like the other new features that have been limited to people who pay for X Blue subscriptions.
Musk has been talking about calling support on X for a few months. He mentioned that calls on X will allow them to call anyone across the world and they don’t even have to share phone numbers to make it happen. His post on Thursday pointed out that the calling feature will work on Android, iOS, macOS and Windows as well. And even though he didn’t mention it, we expect the feature to be compatible with iPads too.
Video & audio calls coming to X:- Works on iOS, Android, Mac & PC- No phone number needed- X is the effective global address book
That set of factors is unique.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 31, 2023
Video calls have been popular on most platforms, especially WhatsApp where you can have up to 8 people on a video call. However, WhatsApp does not charge its users for the service, which might not be the case with Elon Musk’s platform X. You do need a mobile phone number to chat or call a person on WhatsApp, which Musk feels could help X become a differentiating and appealing factor to use the platform for the new features.
X has been getting new options, some of them for everyone, while a majority of those are aimed at the X Blue users. Musk feels that adding more benefits to X Blue will help gain more users who would be willing to pay for the service and feel it is worth the money.
One of the most intriguing benefits of X Blue is the ability to get paid by the platform if you have a specific reach on X which can increase the engagement for your posts. Meta has tried to compete with X via Threads but after the early interest, the app has failed to gather momentum, putting it on the sidelines.
My Perspective
Elon Musk has announced that X will soon have a video and audio call support feature available on all devices, including PCs. What’s interesting is that this calling feature won’t require a phone number, making X like an effective global address book. It is speculated that this feature will only be offered to paid subscribers, similar to other exclusive features of X Blue subscriptions.
Musk has been mentioning the possibility of calling support on X for a few months now. He stated that users will be able to call anyone around the world without sharing phone numbers. The feature is expected to work on Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, and possibly iPads as well.
While video calls are popular on platforms like WhatsApp, Elon Musk’s X might differentiate itself by not requiring a phone number for communication. However, it remains to be seen whether X will charge its users for this service, unlike WhatsApp which is free. Musk believes that this unique aspect of X could appeal to users and make it a preferred platform for new features.
X continues to introduce new options, with a focus on X Blue users. Musk believes that offering more benefits to X Blue will attract more users who are willing to pay for the service. Additionally, X Blue users have the opportunity to monetize their reach on the platform, increasing engagement for their posts.
Overall, the introduction of video and audio call support on X without the need for a phone number presents an interesting development. It will be fascinating to see how X competes with other platforms in the communication space and how users embrace this new feature.
