How it works
Every message is locked on your computer before it leaves, and only the people in the room hold the keys to open it. This is called end-to-end encryption. The server sits in the middle and passes sealed messages along. It stores them until each friend’s app collects them, and it never holds a key that can open them. One program,socketchat, does both jobs. On your own computer it opens the chat screen. On the machine you pick as the server, socketchat server runs the server, with all its data in one folder. Apps never connect to each other directly, so every group needs one server. How Socketchat works explains who runs it and who only needs the app.
Who it is for
- Friends and small groups who want a private room without handing their messages to a company.
- People who like the terminal, including over SSH. The chat screen fits an 80 by 24 window.
- Scripts and AI agents, which join rooms and send messages through the same command. See Agents.
What you get
- Rooms (group chats) and direct messages.
- Invite links, shown as text and as a QR code, that work once.
- Safety numbers, so you and a friend can check that nobody sits between you.
- Files, photos and videos. Photos lose their location and device data before they leave.
- Admins who can remove people and rename a room. A room closes for everyone once its admins agree.
- Protection against a future quantum computer, on by default.
Where to start
Install
One command on macOS, Linux or Windows.
Quick start
From nothing to a room with a friend.
Host a server
Pick how your friends will reach you.
What the server sees
What stays private, in plain words.