Gmail might rule the roost when it comes to providing email accounts but its Google owners are about to face a major new rival that could seriously shake up the messaging market. It appears the team at X (formerly Twitter) are planning to launch an email service called Xmail and it could offer a more Direct Message (DM) style interface rather than endless emails bouncing between people. Think of it a bit like chatting to friends via WhatsApp rather than a huge thread of emails.

To add fuel to the fire, tech billionaire Elon Musk - who now owns and runs X - has said an email platform is being considered.

In a reply to a message saying, “X Mail would be cool,” Musk said: “Yeah. On the list of things to do.”

Although it's unlikely that X Mail will ever match the might of Gmail, some users clearly like the concept of a quick chat-style messaging platform rather than the current system which can end up with an inbox full of emails.

Posting on X, user Ross said: "TBH I'd just like an email address that goes into a plain txt DM inbox and abstracts the annoying & messy threads/formatting mess that is email."

Musk then replied saying "That’s exactly what we are going to do."

There's currently no timeline or confirmed launch date for X Mail although Musk has said in the past that it is "coming".

We will have to wait and see exactly what this new service is when it finally launches but it seems Musk is taking aim at Gmail with something very different than what's currently available on the market.

Of course, getting over a billion people to ditch their current email address and move to something new will be an uphill struggle but for those who hate the current messaging system, it seems X Mail may fix some of the frustrations.

Watch this space.