Editorial
The Gist
-
Email ecosystem shifts. A potential XMail launch could diversify the email landscape and help reduce reliance on dominant platforms like Google and Apple.
-
Unified messaging vision. XMail might bridge email and social platforms, which could advance the idea of a super app and unified communication tool.
-
Challenges for marketers. Issues like email rendering and deliverability could arise with XMail, which presents both opportunities and hurdles for email campaigns.
One of the anticipated developments in the email space for 2025 could potentially be the launch of XMail, an email inbox platform from X. On Dec. 15, X Owner Elon Musk said that XMail is “on the list of things to do.”
In a separate post, he indicated that XMail would focus on the “universal” features of email.
Let’s look at some of the issues surrounding this potential launch.
Table of Contents
- Revitalizing the Email Ecosystem
- The Dream of a Unified Inbox
- Exploring Potential Benefits
- Focusing on Simplicity
- Other Features to Consider
- Lessons From Facebook’s Failed Foray Into Email
- Will XMail Take Off or Stay Grounded?
- Core Questions on XMail and Its Potential Impact
Revitalizing the Email Ecosystem
Two years ago, I voiced concerns that a duopoly has emerged where Google and Apple control a huge share of email opens. I argued this concentration is harmful to brands, as it undermines email as an open platform by empowering Google and Apple to make fundamental, unhealthy changes. Apple's Mail Privacy Protection and Google’s Automatic Extraction policy are evidence of this, as well as Apple’s AI Summaries.
While I’ve previously argued that Amazon would be the ideal company to launch a new email inbox platform, X doing so has the same effect of improving the health of the email ecosystem by taking market share from Google and Apple. And, of course, X entering the space doesn’t preclude Amazon from doing the same. The more the merrier.
Related Article: Apple and Yahoo Create Worrisome Trends for Email Marketers
The Dream of a Unified Inbox
Back in 2014, I predicted we’d eventually have unified inboxes, “where email, texts, social messages, voicemails and other messages will co-mingle just one click away from each other.” Obviously, that hasn’t happened.
Facebook took a shot at this in 2010 by launching an email service but quietly shut it down in 2013 due to low usage. And since acquiring LinkedIn in 2016, Microsoft hasn’t tried to integrate it with Outlook or its other productivity tools. I had really hoped Microsoft would bring Outlook-level messaging to LinkedIn and bring LinkedIn’s network to Outlook’s address book.
Perhaps X will be able to finally bring together social and email in a way that’s synergistic. If they hope to fulfill their desires of becoming a super app like WeChat in Asia, an email inbox seems like a prerequisite. And if they achieve even modest success, that might spur investments by Walmart, Amazon and Microsoft, all of which are strong candidates to create super apps.
Exploring Potential Benefits
In addition to making it more compelling and convenient to check X and email, the launch of XMail could potentially lead to other positive outcomes.
-
Icons after sender names that link to their X account, if they have one.
-
Easy sharing of X posts via email.
-
Easy sharing of email-attached images to X.
-
Easy messaging to multiple X followers (i.e., everyone who liked or retweeted one of your posts).
Focusing on Simplicity
Musk has indicated XMail would likely keep things simple and clean, which would be unsurprising for a minimally viable product launch. Here are my guesses for what this means for the two biggest issues with running a mailbox provider.
Email Rendering
Unlike with website HTML coding, there are no standards for email code support. Email rendering varies across all the major inboxes already, so Xmail would almost assuredly make email designers’ and coders’ jobs harder.
Webinar
Feb
11
The Future of Behavioral Intelligence: Improving CX with Dynamic Data
Join industry leaders to discuss dynamic data benefits for CX/EX vs. traditional feedback methods.
Register
Webinar
Feb
19
Unified Data: The Competitive Edge for Marketers
Join our webinar to discover how to fuel your success with data that works together. Register now!
Register
Webinar
Feb
26
Master Omnichannel Engagement for Seamless Customer Experiences
Bridge the gaps between channels and create customer journeys that inspire loyalty.
Register
Webinar
Mar
5
Supercharge Your B2B Website in 2025: What It Takes to Win
Build a future-ready B2B site that captivates and converts. Register now!
Register
In particular, having good HTML support for commercial emails might not be a priority for Musk. It’s almost certain that XMail would not support AMP for email, CSS-based interactivity or schema. It’s also possible that XMail may not support HTML email at all. Supporting only plain text email would keep things very simple, while also emphasizing personal email over commercial email.
Email Deliverability
Deliverability is another big wildcard. It’s possible XMail might follow in Hey.com’s footsteps and do little to no email filtering, instead leaving blocking decisions entirely to XMail users. That would be in line with Musk’s free speech beliefs, but it would also open up XMail users to a tsunami of spam over time, especially if XMail email addresses are just X usernames plus @mail.x.com. (Other companies currently own the xmail.com and xmail.net domains, but X could always purchase those.)
One potential alternative solution for both rendering and deliverability would be for X to partner with Yahoo, which doesn’t compete with Musk’s companies like Microsoft, Google and Apple do. Yahoo could provide backend functionality, including spam filtering and rendering, leaving X to focus on the front-end email experience.
Other Features to Consider
As part of keeping things simple, Musk would almost certainly not have tabs. And if not for X’s generative AI chatbot Grok, AI summaries would also be unlikely, but Musk might want to cross-integrate to promote his generative AI platform. If he does that, hopefully he makes it an option like Google does with Gemini, and not by default like Apple does in the inbox pre-open.
Lessons From Facebook’s Failed Foray Into Email
Facebook is the only social network to launch its own email client, so X should take note of its missteps and try to avoid repeating them. Here are a few key lessons.
-
Too simple is bad. Facebook’s email client didn’t support CCs, BCCs or even subject lines. Facebook was missing so much core, expected functionality that people didn’t see it as email.
-
Be platform–agnostic. Facebook prioritized its own messages above emails from Gmail, Outlook and other platforms. Consumers accept tabbed experiences based on email type because that benefits them. But grouping messages by sender platform only benefited Facebook, and users saw that as self-serving.
-
Don’t automatically create XMail email addresses for all X users. Facebook took that approach and users saw it as heavy-handed and, again, self-serving. Instead, make it easy for X users to create an XMail account themselves. Encouraging them to create one that doesn’t match their X username because of the spam risks.
If XMail repeats any of those sins, it will likely meet the same fate.
Related Article: The 5 Biggest Changes From a Decade of Email Marketing Change
Will XMail Take Off or Stay Grounded?
It almost goes without saying that it’s quite possible that XMail is never launched. Musk might have simply been gauging consumer interest, and XMail could stay on his to-do list indefinitely.
No new email inbox has seen widespread adoption since Gmail launched two decades ago, so the challenge for XMail would be substantial. That challenge is compounded by X’s dwindling active user base and Musk being among the more polarizing figures in America.
That said, many of his diehard fans would likely be willing to make the move to a new inbox, which is no small ask. That might give XMail enough of a base to become viable long term.
Regardless of your personal feelings about Musk and the headaches it would probably mean for email marketing designers, coders and deliverability specialists, a fifth major US email inbox would be a stabilizing force and strengthen the email ecosystem.
Core Questions on XMail and Its Potential Impact
Editor's note: Here's a summary of two core questions around the potential launch of XMail and its impact on the email ecosystem and marketing strategies.
How could XMail change the email marketing landscape?
XMail could introduce new challenges and opportunities for email marketers. It might complicate email rendering due to minimal standards support and present deliverability hurdles if filtering is user-controlled. However, its potential integration with X’s platform could streamline social sharing and enable innovative campaign strategies, redefining how brands engage audiences.
What is the significance of XMail for the email ecosystem?
XMail has the potential to diversify the email landscape, reducing reliance on dominant platforms like Google and Apple. By creating competition, it could address issues like privacy concerns and platform concentration while potentially advancing unified communication tools. This diversification could invigorate innovation within the email ecosystem.
Learn how you can join our contributor community.
