X CEO Linda Yaccarino last month announced that X (formerly Twitter) would be expanding its functionality into becoming an “everything app,” which would include the addition of video calls. Recent code discoveries within the X app now indicate that both audio and video call features will be supported. However, it appears that these features will be accessible exclusively to X Premium members and not to all users of the X app.
The new findings were discovered by tech veteran-turned-investor Chris Messina inside the X app’s code, reports TechCrunch.
Also read: X (Twitter) Plans To Roll Out Video Calling Feature Soon, But Will Users Care?
According to the current description, this new feature will provide X users with the option to receive both audio and video calls. Users can choose to receive calls from Verified users, individuals they follow, or contacts in their address book, depending on their preferences and selections.
Also read: Elon Musk Says X, Formerly Twitter, Might Charge All Users A Small Monthly Payment
Other lines of code refer to a warning that shows when someone tries to DM another user on the app, explaining that “audio and video calls are a premium feature,” and encouraging people to “subscribe to gain access.”
Users will therefore need to pay for X Premium, the subscription that was formerly known as Twitter Blue. This service offers a number of advanced features, such as verification, a lower ad load, the option to edit posts, support for longer posts, preferred ranks in search and chats, and more.
Up to this point, X has struggled to present a convincing argument for the value of X Premium. Independent research, conducted by Travis Brown, who has been monitoring the product’s performance on GitHub, suggests that the company has managed to sell approximately 1 million subscriptions.
For reference, X owner Elon Musk recently said X has 550 million monthly active users.
It seems like Musk has been trying to push more users to pay for the Premium subscription. Last week, in a live-streamed conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Musk said that the company was “moving to a small monthly payment” for the use of the X platform. According to him, such a change would be necessary to deal with the problem of bots on the platform
