iWorld
Discovery+ now available on Jio set-top box for JioFiber users
KOLKATA: Starting today, SVoD streaming service Discovery+ will be available on the Jio set-top box. Through this partnership, Discovery+ will bring to JioFiber users its world-class content across 40+ genres such as science, adventure, food, lifestyle animation among others.
The streaming app has launched on JioFiber with an impressive line-up of hundreds of marquee shows across 60 different sub-genres and in multiple languages including Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Bengali.
The partnership will give JioFiber customers an opportunity to access Discovery Network’s premium shows and specials including the incredibly successful Into The Wild series featuring superstars Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar; some of the greatest hits like Man vs Wild, Gold Rush, Expedition Unknown, 90 Day Fiancé, How The Universe Works, among others as well as popular Indian titles like Breaking Point, Revealed: Rashtrapati Bhavan, Himalayan Tsunami, and India 2050, to name a few. Consumers will also be able to access all the latest discovery+ originals such as, Vande Bharat Flight IX1344: Hope to survival, Secrets of Sinauli, Mission Frontline, Super Soul and Ladakh Warrior that debuted over the past couple of months.
Discovery direct-to-consumer APAC head Issac John said, “We believe that discovery+ is a product for every Indian household. Our partnership with Jio presents a distinct opportunity to take discovery+ and its repository of incredible storytelling to deeper pockets of the country facilitated by Jio’s unparalleled reach and remarkable service.”
All new and existing JioFiber users on Rs 999 and above plans can enjoy world-class, real-life content by downloading the discovery+ app on the Jio app store.
The news comes a day after discovery+ announced a high-volume, multi-territory deal with leading independent distributor All3Media International. More than 250 hours of premium non-scripted content features in the acquisition, including Race Across the World, Naked Attraction, The Undateables and titles from All3Media International’s Gordon Ramsay portfolio.
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
