iWorld
Strangers still knocking as Chapter 2 creeps onto Indian screens
MUMBAI: Just when you thought the door was finally bolted shut, the knocking starts again. The Strangers: Chapter 2 has arrived on Indian screens, slipping quietly onto TVOD platforms on 8 December 2025 and bringing its brand of relentless, mask-wearing terror straight into living rooms across the country.
Available to rent for ₹149 on Amazon, Apple TV and Google Youtube, the sequel marks the next chapter in one of horror cinema’s most unnerving franchises. Directed by Renny Harlin, the film leans into a darker, more brutal register, pushing the series’ signature tension further into psychological and visceral territory.
This time, the fear escalates when the masked killers discover that Maya, played by Madelaine Petsch, survived their earlier attack. What follows is not a chase so much as a siege. With nowhere left to hide and no one she can trust, Maya is forced into another nightmarish confrontation as the Strangers return with a singular purpose: to finish what they started. Their pursuit is cold, methodical and chillingly indiscriminate, leaving no illusion of safety for anyone who crosses their path.
Starring Petsch alongside Gabriel Basso and Richard Brake, Chapter 2 stays faithful to the franchise’s stripped-back horror language. There are no elaborate explanations or comforting backstories, just sustained dread, long silences and sudden eruptions of violence. It is horror that relies less on spectacle and more on the creeping sense that escape is always one step out of reach.
For fans of the series, the sequel reinforces why The Strangers has remained a cult favourite worldwide. For newcomers, it offers a tightly wound, edge-of-the-seat experience that wastes little time getting under the skin. The TVOD release now gives Indian audiences the option to engage with the film on their own terms, though comfort may still be in short supply.
The masks are back, the tension is sharper, and the silence between knocks is as terrifying as ever. The Strangers: Chapter 2 is now available to rent on Amazon, Apple TV and Google YouTube, proving once again that in this franchise, survival is never guaranteed.
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.
