Only use "X" to send and receive messages!Musk will cancel his phone number|Science and Technology Watch

Cover news reporter Che Jiazhu

Recently, Elon Musk posted on "X", "In a few months, I will cancel my phone number and only use 'X' to send and receive messages, make and receive audio and video calls." ”

Musk announced that he would cancel his phone number in a few months

Acquired Twitter and changed its name to "X"

To create an all-encompassing app

Musk's approach can be seen from previous operations. Since the acquisition of the social platform Twitter (Twitter) for $44 billion on October 27, 2022, Musk has repeatedly said that he wants to build a 2.0 version of Twitter, which is an all-encompassing application that includes encrypted direct messages, long tweets, and payment features.

In May 2023, Musk tweeted: "Voice and video chat features will soon be available, and you can chat with anyone on the platform through your account, so you can chat with people anywhere in the world without giving them your phone number." ”

In October 2022, after acquiring Twitter, Musk posted, "This little bird is free." ”

Three months later, Musk posted that the "X" platform had set a record of "active users" in recent months. According to the Wall Street Journal, the "X" platform announced in September that it had 245 million daily active users, down from the 259.4 million released by Musk in November 2022, but higher than the 237.8 million users on the Twitter platform in the second quarter of 2022. However, analysis by research firm Sensor Tower shows that the number of mobile daily active users on the "X" platform fell by 16% in September 2023 compared to October 2022, the month of Musk's acquisition. Although the user indicators of the "X" platform have declined, its user base is still in the leading position in the market. Sensor Tower noted that Meta's Threads platform, a competitor to the X platform, has garnered a lot of attention since its launch in July, but its user count is still nowhere near X.

Not only that, but Company X also obtained its first trading license in New Hampshire in June last year, followed by approvals from Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, Maryland and Michigan. As of January of this year, 15 states in the U.S. have approved X to provide payment capabilities to users. Musk expects X to be approved by all U.S. states by the end of this year.

Twitter changes its logo

"Going under the knife" from oneself

Send a signal that contact methods will change completely

The reporter checked the relevant information and found that Musk is making a big bet in order to transform the microblog of the struggling X platform into a social platform that can be profitable and compete with WeChat, with a one-stop communication hub function that can meet the daily needs of users.

For Musk's ambitious plan to succeed, Platform X must become the primary communication interface between users and the world. One of the strategies to achieve this is to convince people to switch from traditional telephone communication to communication through the X platform. Now, Musk intends to start with himself, signaling that the way he connects with the world will change completely.

So, Musk told his 170 million fan accounts: "In a few months, I will stop using my phone number and only use platform X for texting and audio/video calls." ”

Data map

In his quest to siphon traffic from other social apps, Musk has completely revamped what was once Twitter. Musk and his CEO Linda Yaccarino have also managed to strike a number of deals, including an agreement with sports news host Jim Roma to exclusively broadcast certain content on the X platform. On the 8th, Yaccarino announced a new partnership with World Wrestling Entertainment that will allow videos to be broadcast only to users on the X platform with a length of 5 minutes. In the process, Musk also incurred controversy. However, these controversies are nothing to Musk, and there will always be no shortage of people who are convinced that Musk can succeed no matter how difficult it is.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Carlson, a well-known American media personality, this week: "Nothing can stop Elon Musk. ”

(The picture comes from the Internet)