iWorld
YouTube allows private viewing for Android users
MUMBAI: YouTube has officially launched ‘Incognito Mode’ on the Android version of the app, which let the users watch videos without affecting their viewing history or recommendations. It started testing the feature back in May, and now it’s rolling out to all Android users. The feature can be activated by selecting the ‘Turn on Incognito Mode’ option from the account section of the application.
To enable the incognito mode, users have to make sure that they have the latest, updated version of the YouTube app. Then they need to tap their profile picture at the top right corner and go to account settings to turn on incognito. After watching a video is done, at the bottom it shows a black bar with some text indicating incognito mode is active. When the users turn off Incognito or become inactive, their activity from this session will be cleared and they will return to the account last used.
The user can only access ‘home’ and ‘trending’ parts of the app while using this mode. Subscriptions, inbox and library aren’t available. The user cannot bookmark videos while watching using incognito, though one can switch off the incognito mode while viewing a video to bookmark the video. Therefore, the incognito mode doesn’t turn out to be really useful when YouTube has an option to pause search and view history while staying logged in.
YouTube launched YouTube Music and YouTube Premium subscriptions this Tuesday across 17 countries. Last month it announced that it is going to replace YouTube Red which was only available in a few countries with YouTube Premium which will be expanded to other countries as well. The Premium service is not yet available in India.
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.
