[ GC/1 ] post-quantum · invitation-only
Secure connections. Private conversations.
GChat is an encrypted messenger built on GComs. Create an identity on your device, connect with an invitation, and talk through the included relay network. No account, email address, or phone number is needed to use GChat.
- No accounts
- No phone numbers
- No tracking
- RAM-only relays
- End-to-end by default
Open source
Read the code. Build on GComs.
GChat and GComs are public on GitHub under MIT or Apache-2.0. The application, protocol, and this website can all be inspected.
GChat application
The desktop app, terminal client, installation guide, and website.
IggyGG/gchat →GComs protocol
The Rust protocol implementation, typed service APIs, and conformance vectors.
IggyGG/gcoms →
Addon and client integration · Website source · Contributing
Get GChat
Download. Connect. Start talking.
Secure communication over GComs. Your relay settings are included.
Production downloads · versions qualified independently by platform.
- Download Linux · latest qualified release · Ubuntu / Debian and AppImage · signatures and build details included
- Get Android on Google Play · the store selects your device’s version
- Download Windows · latest qualified release · signed installer and validation limits included
Release signing key · Fingerprint: F4F6F8550D2AA952A189640D58430838AA3230BB
macOS: updates for the current network are being qualified. Earlier installers remain archived, but are not offered as current downloads.
Known limitation: joining or reconnecting can take over a minute, especially when several people join together. Keep the app open while it connects. Latency improvements are in progress.
Android: a first join can time out with “inbox routing is recovering.” Check whether the channel appeared before trying again; an unconfirmed operation is not proof that it failed. Keep your existing profile. This intermittent recovery issue is still being improved.
Timing and activity privacy remain unqualified. iOS store availability is pending Apple’s encryption review.
Android: emulator-tested; physical-device checks and push delivery remain unfinished. Mac signing and notarization details are included in each download’s build evidence. See each build evidence link for its exact validation scope.
GChat source · GComs protocol · Release notes
- 01
Install
Windows: run the installer. macOS: open the DMG and drag GChat to Applications. Ubuntu/Debian: open the .deb with your package installer. AppImage: allow execution, then launch it. Android: download the ARM64 APK for most phones, open it and allow installation from your browser when prompted.
- 02
Create your identity
Open GChat and choose a passphrase. It protects your identity and history. Keep it safe; there is no passphrase reset.
- 03
Join
Choose Join and paste a conversation invitation from someone you trust. It can include the network and channel together. Review its details and choose your nickname.
- 04
Start talking
The green network dot shows when you are connected. A network-only invitation connects without joining a channel; use Create to start your own conversation.
[ 01 ] Security
Built for the worst case
Every layer assumes the network is hostile and that any single service can be compromised — including ours.
-
[ CRYPTO ]
Post-quantum from the first byte
Identity keys are ML-DSA-65; sessions combine X25519 with ML-KEM-768; groups use MLS (RFC 9420). Hybrid by default — there is no classical-only mode to fall back to.
-
[ NETWORK ]
No center to seize
A leaderless relay network with no accounts and no address-book service. Each message picks a fresh relay path, and every hop carries sealed cells it cannot read.
-
[ MEMORY ]
Relay queues stay in memory
The protocol keeps relay queues, overlays and peer views in memory. Operator infrastructure and network observers are separate parts of the threat model.
-
[ PRIVACY ]
Deniable by design
Message contents carry no application signatures. This does not prevent a recipient from recording or sharing a conversation. A Double Ratchet with a skipped-message window tolerates loss and reordering.
-
[ DEVICE ]
Local-first
Your archive is encrypted on your own machine with Argon2id-derived keys and AES-256-GCM. One local daemon serves both the terminal client and the app.
-
[ IDENTITY ]
Verifiable, pseudonymous
Safety numbers let two people confirm each other's keys out of band. Channels use per-channel pseudonyms and single-use invites with an expiry.
[ 02 ] How it works
Your identity. Your invitation. Your conversations.
No central account, no phone number, no directory of who talks to whom.
-
01
Create an identity
Keys are generated on your device. No email, no phone number, no sign-up server.
-
02
Connect with an invitation
Import a network invitation to connect through the included relay network. Then exchange a separate conversation invitation with someone you trust.
-
03
Messages travel sealed
GC/1 splits traffic into padded, fixed-size cells and routes them through layered relay paths.
-
04
Only you can read it
Your client verifies the peer and decrypts locally. History stays in your encrypted archive.
// GC/1 · post-quantum hybrid · MLS (RFC 9420) · RAM-only relays
[ 03 ] Status
Where it stands
The honest version: what exists today, and what does not.
-
source
-
spec
v0.1-draft. Read the protocol documentation and conformance vectors.
-
network
Live. An invitation-only relay network is running; access opens gradually.
-
clients
Signed downloads available above for Linux, Windows, Android. Privacy improvements and platform testing limits are documented in the release notes.
-
audit
Not yet. No independent security audit has been performed; results will be published when it has.
Next
- complete release qualification
- independent security audit
- signed installers for macOS, Linux and Windows
- wider availability
// this page lists only what exists today — nothing is marked shipped before it ships.
[ 04 ] FAQ
Questions
Is GChat open source?
GChat and GComs are open source under MIT or Apache-2.0. The GChat repository also contains this website.
How do I get access?
The network is invitation-only and there is no public sign-up. Access opens gradually.
What do I need to use it?
A supported desktop system, a passphrase, and a network invitation. Relay settings are included. A conversation invitation is used separately after connecting.
Which platforms does it run on?
A desktop app and a terminal client, with per-user service support for macOS, Linux and Windows.
Can I run my own relays?
Yes. Relays and catalog services are self-hostable, and the network's defaults are signed so clients can verify what they connect to.
How do I report a security or conduct issue?
Email iggy@gchat.boo privately. For security issues, you can also use GitHub's private reporting for GChat or GComs. Do not put private invitations, keys, or user data in public issues.
Has it been audited?
No. The protocol is a v0.1 draft and has not had an independent audit yet. Treat it as pre-release software.