How does encryption work?

Transient.chat is built with an encryption-first approach. When you enter or create a room, your browser derives a 256-bit AES-GCM encryption key from your room password using PBKDF2 (100,000 rounds of SHA-256 and a room-unique salt). All text messages and voice notes are encrypted right inside your browser before transmission. There is no complicated keyring interface—your room password does everything automatically.

Are all messages encrypted in server memory?

Yes. The server only holds ephemeral encrypted ciphertext and initialization vectors (IVs) in volatile RAM. The server never has access to the plaintext messages or audio notes. Nothing is ever saved to a database or written to disk.

Do all rooms require passwords?

Yes. We use a private, on-demand room model. Every room requires a password to create or join. Only people with the room password can enter the room and decrypt its messages.

How does the Server Browser work?

The server browser displays only active rooms currently occupied by chatting users. Empty rooms do not clutter the list. You can join any active room (with its password) or spin up a new room on demand.

Can any room be a Watch Party?

Yes! Every room has an integrated Watch Party feature that can be toggled on or off at any time. When active, you can synchronize YouTube video playback with everyone in the room in real time.

How long do messages and rooms last?

All messages automatically expire and vanish after 1 hour. When all users leave a room, the room itself, its password, video state, and all remaining messages are immediately purged from server memory.

Can I send voice messages?

Yes. Hold down the microphone button to record encrypted audio messages (up to 15 seconds). You can enable Autoplay in the sidebar to hear new voice notes automatically as they arrive.

Do I need to create an account?

No accounts, no email addresses, no phone numbers. Simply pick a handle and start chatting. If you are inactive for 3 days, your handle is released.

Where can I inspect the code?

Transient.chat is 100% open source. Check out the source code at:
https://forgejo.benjimanmiller.com/ben/transient.chat

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