Questions and answers
The short answers to the usual questions
Sign-up, offline mode, metadata, relays, updates and losing data — without marketing.
Missing an answer? Open an issue on GitHub — the link is in the footer.
01
Getting started
5 questions
Do I need an account, a phone number or an email?
No. On first launch the app creates a key pair on the device and asks only for a display name. No sign-up, no SMS, no password.
How much does Soty cost?
Nothing. The code is open under the MIT licence and the builds live in GitHub releases. There are no paid tiers or subscriptions.
Which platforms does Soty run on?
Android 8.0 or newer (APK) and Linux x64. There are no iOS, macOS or Windows builds yet.
How do I add a contact?
Show your QR code or send an invite. Without a camera the text route works: Copy invite on your side and Import invite on the other, or the X25519 key by hand.
Can I use it without the internet?
Yes. Offline messages travel over BLE and Wi-Fi Direct, hopping through nearby devices. The internet is needed for direct libp2p connections and for relays.
02
Privacy and encryption
6 questions
Does a relay see my messages?
No. A node holds an encrypted envelope: without the recipient key it is a bag of bytes. But the relay does see the sender, the recipient, the time and the size.
What does end-to-end encryption mean in Soty?
The text is encrypted on the sender device with a key derived from a one-off X25519 exchange and decrypted only on the recipient device. AES-256-GCM plus an Ed25519 signature.
Are the keys stored anywhere but the phone?
Private keys live only in the local device database. A relay has none. The flip side: losing the device means losing the identity and the history.
Is there an independent audit?
The code is open, but the project does not claim an external audit. The threat model and residual risks are described on the Security page.
Can I delete a message on the other side?
No. Deleting it locally does not recall an envelope that was already delivered. Outgoing messages and history can be limited by retention.
Does the app protect against a compromised phone?
Partly: there is a password or fingerprint lock. But with full access to an unlocked device or to the app files, the conversation and the keys are available.
03
Delivery and offline mode
6 questions
What happens when the recipient is offline?
The envelope waits on a relay — by default up to 24 hours for a recipient without an active subscription — or with a neighbour in the mesh. The status turns Delivered when the device comes online.
How long does a relay keep messages?
The relay window is 24 hours for a recipient without an active subscription; the node retention is 30 days. The exact values live in the node code, not in the CLI.
What is the mesh range?
It depends on the hardware and the density of devices. BLE and Wi-Fi Direct do not promise kilometres: a chain works while devices are in range and the app is alive.
Why do messages not arrive when the app is closed?
Check Settings → Background work and the battery optimisation exemption. The system can put the app to sleep together with its mesh and relays.
Are there push notifications?
There is no cloud push. A foreground service on the device shows notifications while the app runs in the background.
Can I send a file or a photo?
No. Soty is a text messenger; one message is limited to 4 KiB of text.
04
Relays and federation
6 questions
Why relays if there is a mesh?
A mesh only works nearby. A relay covers offline delivery between cities and helps devices find each other through the tracker.
Who runs the public relays?
Two public project nodes. Their addresses and Ed25519 keys are already in the build; you can replace them with your own in the settings.
Can I run my own relay?
Yes, it takes one binary and SQLite. The guide with systemd, nginx and key verification is in the install section.
Do relays federate automatically?
No. The operator sets the peer list with --peer. Inside that list a live relay and anti-entropy do the work.
What happens if a relay disappears?
The app tries another node, the mesh or a direct connection. The envelope stays with the sender until delivery or expiry.
Can I turn relays off?
Yes. Remove the nodes from the list or do not add any. Mesh and direct connections remain — shorter range, but no intermediary.
05
Data and updates
6 questions
Where is the conversation stored?
In a local SQLite database on the device. There is no cloud and no server copy.
How does retention work?
The default is 30 days. The settings offer 7, 90, 180 or 365 days, or keeping everything forever. Deleted data cannot be restored.
Can I move the history to a new phone?
There is no built-in export. Keys and history belong to the device; a new phone starts with a new identity.
What happens when I uninstall the app?
The keys and the conversation go with the local database. They cannot be recovered — the project makes no backups.
How do I update?
Download the new APK or archive from GitHub Releases and install it over the old one. Check the SHA-256 against SHA256SUMS.
Where do I report a bug?
Open an issue on GitHub. If it is a vulnerability, do not post sensitive details at once: ask for a private channel in the issue.
Still have questions?
Install it and try: no account, no commitment. If something does not add up, open an issue.