"In a few months, I will discontinue my phone number and only use X for texts and audio/video calls," Elon Musk wrote on X early Friday morning. The post was viewed 16 million times as of 0820 ET.
In a few months, I will discontinue my phone number and only use X for texts and audio/video calls
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 9, 2024
Musk has repeatedly said he will transform X into an "everything app. "
Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 4, 2022
This includes one of the newest features, released in late 2023, to make audio and video phone calls.
X CEO Linda Yaccarino has posted about making video calls.
Video calls 🔥 pic.twitter.com/PXIzrQ8Mz2
— Linda Yaccarino (@lindayaX) October 26, 2023
X's feature to make calls is exclusive to Premium subscribers. Nonetheless, these subscribers (charged $8 per month) can call any user on X, provided the user has previously sent them at least one direct message.
If Musk gives up his phone number, a major question remains on how the billionaire will deal with the two-factor authentication that some apps and services require.
Here's how X users responded to Musk's post:
won’t you need a phone number to be linked on our X account?
— nftguyy (@NFTGUYY) February 9, 2024
Just made my first call on here from Indonesia and it was perfect
— Ana Mostarac (@anammostarac) February 9, 2024
Powered by Starlink?
Then you need to create the X phone.
— 🇺🇸 Larry 🇺🇸 (@LarryDJonesJr) February 9, 2024
Musk teased days ago about the 'everything app.'
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 6, 2024
Hmm...
X NOW LICENSED FOR PAYMENT PROCESSING IN 12 US STATES:
— Rob Vendetti (@rob_vendetti) February 3, 2024
Elon Musk is moving forward with his plans to turn the company formerly known as Twitter, now called X, into an “everything app” that includes its own payments system. The company in late November was granted three… pic.twitter.com/KwrkFVYUMX
The everything app is taking shape.
