Elon Musk's X to roll out audio, video calling feature

[August 31, 2023]  (Reuters) - Social media platform X, formerly Twitter, plans to launch video and audio calls as owner Elon Musk races to build an "everything app" to stay ahead of competition from Meta Platforms-owned Threads.   

Users will not need a phone number for the features that will be available on Apple's iOS, Google's Android and personal computers, Musk said in post on X on Thursday.  

A screen capture of Twitter's official page with an "X" on the profile image is seen on July 23, 2023 in this screengrab obtained from a social media website. via REUTERS/File Photo/File Photo/File Photo

He did not give a timeline for the launch.

After rebranding Twitter as X, Musk signaled he would turn the platform into a super app offering a range of services from messaging and social networking to peer-to-peer payments.

The vision brings to mind Tencent's WeChat app - a ubiquitous part of daily life in China.

Musk, who continues to spearhead product development at X after appointing a new CEO in May, is also pushing to change how news links appear on the platform in a move that could undermine the reach of news publishers.

(Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)

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