Transforming Social Media: X's New Audio and Video Calling Feature for Premium Subscribers

The world of social media is evolving at a rapid pace, and X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, is at the forefront of these changes. Under the leadership of tech guru Elon Musk, who assumed control in October last year, X has been working towards introducing an audio and video calling feature to its platform. This upgrade was confirmed by Musk himself, who tweeted that users would soon be able to make calls across multiple devices, including iOS, Android, Mac, and PC, without the need for a phone number. However, the latest information suggests this much-anticipated feature may not be available to all users.

The unveiling of this information has been rather unconventional. Leaked screenshots of X's code, released by investor Chris Messina on competitor app Threads and initially spotted by TechCrunch, suggest that the audio and video calling feature may be exclusive to X Premium subscribers. The screenshots detail a new system where users can opt in or out of the call feature and select who they want to receive calls from, be it people in their address book, those they follow, or verified users. This innovative concept is set to revolutionize the way users communicate on social media.

According to the leaked code, the audio and video calling feature will be a premium feature. The code reads: “Audio and video calls are a premium feature. Subscribe to get access,” and “Subscribe to Premium to call.” This suggests that the feature will be tied to the X Premium subscription, which was originally launched as Twitter Blue. For a monthly or yearly fee, Premium subscribers enjoy a host of benefits, including the verification badge, fewer ads, longer posts, and an edit post feature. The introduction of the calling feature is seen as a way to further enhance the value of the Premium subscription.

The reason behind Musk's decision to include this feature as part of the premium subscription is driven by his vision to transform X into a multifunctional platform similar to China's WeChat. By offering social networking, calling, messaging, and even in-app payments, Musk aims to create an "everything app". Moreover, it appears that Musk is also looking to monetize the services offered by X. During a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he suggested that a small monthly fee for using the platform could help curb the amplification of hate speech by bots.

In conclusion, the addition of an audio and video call feature to X presents a new era in social media communication. Although this feature may only be available to premium subscribers, it's a step towards creating a more versatile and holistic social media platform. It remains to be seen how users will respond to this change and whether other platforms will follow suit. Nonetheless, under Musk's leadership, X is certainly pushing the boundaries of what social media can offer, reshaping the digital landscape for the better.