DMs and channels
One-to-one messages, group chats, and broadcast channels, with roles, permissions, and invites built in.
Private,
and still alive.
Most encrypted chat apps go quiet the moment they lock down. Holt doesn't. See who's around, who's typing, who just stepped away, while every word stays unreadable to anyone but the people in the conversation.
No phone number. No ads. No tracking. MIT licensed.
# design-crew
5 members
R
Ship it. The key rotation on join is clean.
J
Pushing now, keys rotated for the channel.
Mara is typing
The signature
Status that's actually true.
Presence isn't a green dot you set once and forget. Holt reflects what's really happening, so you know whether a message lands now or waits for morning. Here's what each one looks like to the people you talk to.
Typing indicators travel the same way, peer to peer and ephemeral. The ripple shows up, then it's gone. Nothing about it is ever stored.
The encryption manifest
What's sealed, and what's shared.
Encryption happens on your device before anything leaves it. Here's exactly what the server can never read, and the few things you choose to share so chat still feels live.
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Encrypted
Message contents & files Sealed with a per-channel AES key, wrapped to each member's RSA public key. Rotated on join and leave for forward secrecy. The server stores ciphertext it can't read.
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Encrypted
Your private key Generated in your browser and saved to a .keys file you keep. It never leaves your device, so no one signs in as you without it.
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Visible
Presence & typing Online, idle, do-not-disturb and when you're typing are shared so chat feels live. Set yourself to invisible and none of it goes out. Status is yours to flip, anytime.
Read the full protocol in the docs. It's open, so you don't have to take our word for it.
Everything in one place
A real chat app, not a privacy compromise.
Voice and video calls
Calls flow directly between people over WebRTC. The server routes the handshake and never sees the stream.
Voice notes and files
Record a voice note or drop a file. Media is encrypted the same way your messages are, handled in one interface.
Install anywhere
A progressive web app that installs on any device. No app store, no waiting on review queues.
Speaks your language
Several languages out of the box, including full right-to-left layout support.
Make it yours
Pick your own accent color in-app. The default is this purple, but the room is yours to set.
Self-hostable · MIT
Run it yourself, or just read the code behind it.
Holt is open source under the MIT license. Point any client at any server, including one you run. Zero logs, minimal metadata, and a codebase you can audit line by line.
Bring the room back.
Encrypted conversations don't have to feel empty. Open Holt and see who's around.
Open HoltAlso on Android, sideloadable APK.