iWorld
Eros Now available with free Amazon Fire TV subs
MUMBAI: Eros Now, one of the fastest growing over-the-top (OTT) Indian entertainment platforms, owned by Eros International Plc has announced a strategic partnership with Amazon in India and their recently launched internet streaming device, Fire TV stick.
Users can enjoy Eros Now’s uninterrupted entertainment services as the app is now pre-installed on Fire TV sticks purchased in India. In addition, Fire TV customers will also receive a three-month free premium subscription to Eros Now, currently priced at Rs 99/month. Following the free trial, Eros Now will receive 70% of all revenue generated from Eros Now subscriptions from Amazon Fire TV. Amazon will be co-marketing the Eros Now service and promoting the app across India with Amazon Fire TV.
The Fire TV stick can be connected into any high-definition television and used to stream video and audio content, apps, games and more on television. Eros Now offers the widest library of films which caters to the different needs and tastes of the consumer, providing an enriching and fulfilling entertainment experience to the viewer.
Eros Digital CEO Rishika Lulla Singh said, “The partnership is another step towards tapping a larger consumer and subscriber base, fulfilling their ever-changing entertainment needs and providing them with our unique entertainment viewing experience. With our current subscriber base of 2 million through existing partnerships with leading OEMs like Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Google, Samsung, Lyca TV and all major telcos including Airtel, IDEA, Vodafone, Reliance Jio, our aim is to be platform agnostic, constantly engage with newer customers and achieve greater visibility in the market.”
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.
