Guide

First Login

On first login you will be asked to agree to the Terms of Service and the Disclaimer. This is a one-time opt-in – afterwards the confirmation is stored locally.

Identity & Hash

Your network identity is a SHA-256 hash derived from your login, password and a device-specific client ID.

• The hash is stable as long as you log in on the same device with the same credentials
• On a new device you get a different hash → peers won't recognise you
• Solution: re-pair or import a backup

Pairing

To connect for the first time, use a 4-digit code:

• Invite – generate a code and share it with your peer
• Join – enter your peer's code

After pairing, the peer is stored locally. Next time you can chat directly – no code needed again.

Connection setup may take a few seconds depending on the network (mobile, different countries, restrictive firewalls).

Re-Pair

If a peer has changed their hash (new device, new credentials), you can perform a re-pair from the peer detail view. The existing chat history is preserved.

Data & Storage

The app stores everything locally in the browser (LocalStorage):

• your session (login/hash, expires after 30 days)
• your profile (login name + internal client ID)
• peer list
• chat history

This means:

• If you clear browser data: everything is gone
• If you use a different browser/computer: nothing is available there
• Incognito/private mode may discard LocalStorage after closing

Backup & Restore

You can back up and restore your data from the profile section.

Export – saves profile, peers and/or chat history as a JSON file. Optionally the backup can be encrypted (AES-GCM).

Import – automatically detects whether a file is encrypted and decrypts it. New peers are added, existing data is not overwritten, chat messages are deduplicated and merged.

Regular backups are recommended – e.g. after adding new peers or after longer conversations. A backup is also the recommended way to transfer data to a new device.

Chats

• Messages can only be sent when an active WebRTC connection exists
• Chat history is stored locally
• Removing a peer also deletes the local chat history for that peer

Presence & Online Status

The app shows in real time whether a peer is online:

• 🟢 Online – peer is connected (presence WebSocket active)
• ⏳ Waiting – peer is online but not yet in the chat
• ⚪ Offline – peer is not reachable

These status updates go through the signaling server – without any chat content.

Technical Limitations

• No store-and-forward – messages can only be sent when both peers are online simultaneously
• Restrictive networks – in rare cases WebRTC may fail; you will receive an error message in the pairing dialog
• LocalStorage – no account, no cloud sync. Clearing the browser cache loses all data

Roadmap

Planned for future versions:

• Multiple devices – use the same account on multiple devices simultaneously
• Group chats – more than two participants in a chat