Private chat for people you actually know
Private, end-to-end encrypted chat.
Backwire is a private messaging network run by TruGen Labs on our own servers. Every conversation is encrypted on your device before it leaves. Invite-only, no ads, no tracking.
Works in any browser, and installs to your iPhone or Android Home Screen. Encrypted calls included.
How it works
Built to stay between you and the people you talk to.
Four decisions, made once, that shape everything else about Backwire.
Encrypted by default
Every room, every message, every file. Backwire uses the Matrix Olm and Megolm protocols, and the keys exist only on your devices. The server only ever holds ciphertext.
Invite-only
A member has to invite you. There is no public directory, no sign-up page for strangers, no spam. You only hear from people someone already vouched for.
No ads, no tracking
No analytics, no advertising, no third parties in the app. The server never fetches link previews on your behalf, so a pasted link does not phone home.
Our own server
One server, in TruGen Labs' hands, in the United States. It is not federated with the public Matrix network, so your account and your rooms never leave it. Backed up nightly.
Security
What we can and cannot see.
Honest answer: encryption hides the content, not the fact that you are talking. Here is exactly where the line is.
We cannot see
- What your messages say. The server stores ciphertext and nothing else.
- What is in your photos, voice notes and files. They are encrypted on your device before upload.
- Your password. Only a salted hash is stored.
- Your recovery key. It is generated on your device and never sent to us.
We can see
- Who is a member of which room, and who invited whom.
- When messages were sent, and roughly how large they are.
- Your username, display name and the email address you verified.
- IP addresses in the server logs, kept for a short time for security and troubleshooting.
Your recovery key is yours alone.
When you first sign in, Backwire asks you to set up recovery and gives you a recovery key. Save it somewhere safe: a password manager or a piece of paper. If you lose that key and every signed-in device, your old messages are gone for good. Nobody can bring them back, including us. That is not a limitation, it is the point.
Every connection uses TLS. Rooms are encrypted from the moment they are created. The server's administrative interface is not reachable from the internet at all. Backwire runs the open-source Synapse server and Element apps, so the protocol and the code can be inspected by anyone.
Get the app
On the web, on your phone, on your desk.
Backwire is one app, ours, everywhere: open it in any browser, or put it on your phone's Home Screen and it behaves like a native app, with notifications and calls.
Browser
Backwire Web
Nothing to install. Open it on any computer or phone and sign in. This is also where new accounts are created from an invite.
iPhone and Android
Install to your Home Screen
Open app.backwire.chat on your phone and add it to your Home Screen. It gets its own icon, opens full screen, and can notify you when a message arrives.
Coming soon
Backwire apps
The Backwire app for Google Play and the Backwire app for iPhone (App Store) are being published by TruGen Labs. Same account, same encryption, native notifications. This page will link them the day they are live.
Adding Backwire to your Home Screen
- iPhone: open
app.backwire.chatin Safari, tap Share (the square with the arrow), then Add to Home Screen, then Add. Notifications need iOS 16.4 or later and only work from the Home Screen icon. - Android: open
app.backwire.chatin Chrome, tap the ⋮ menu, then Install app (or Add to Home screen). - Open Backwire from its icon, sign in, and tap Turn on notifications when it asks.
Accounts are created on the web from an invite link. Once your account exists, it works everywhere you sign in. Only install Backwire from app.backwire.chat; TruGen Labs does not publish it anywhere else yet.
Have an invite?
Every Backwire account starts with an invite.
A member sends you a link that looks like the one below, by email or any way they like. Open it, choose a username and password, verify your email address, and you are in. Invites are single-use and expire after 14 days.
https://backwire.chat/invite/XXXXXXXXMembers invite people from backwire.chat/invite/new, also linked as "Invite people" on the Backwire home screen in the app. Email verification is required for every new account.
FAQ
Questions people ask before they join.
What is Backwire built on?
The Matrix protocol, the Synapse server and the Element apps. All of it is open source and widely used; what makes Backwire different is that TruGen Labs runs its own private server for it, closed to the public network and open only by invite.
What is a recovery key and why does it matter?
Your messages are encrypted with keys that live on your devices. The recovery key is an encrypted backup of those keys, protected by a code only you hold. With it, a new phone or a fresh browser can unlock your history. Without it, and without a device that is still signed in, your old messages cannot be read again by anyone.
Backwire asks you to set it up the first time you sign in. Save it in a password manager or on paper. Treat it like the key to a safe.
Can I use it on my phone?
Yes. Open app.backwire.chat on your phone and add it to your Home Screen (iPhone: Safari, Share, Add to Home Screen; Android: Chrome menu, Install app). It opens full screen like any app, with notifications and voice and video calls, and everything stays encrypted. TruGen Labs' own Google Play and App Store apps are coming soon.
Can I make voice and video calls?
Yes. Every chat has call buttons in the top-right corner: voice or video with one person, or a group call with everyone in the room. Calls are end-to-end encrypted and run entirely on Backwire's own servers; no third-party calling service is involved.
How do I delete my account?
In the app: Settings, Account, Deactivate account. Or follow the steps on backwire.chat/delete-account, which also explains what is removed and what stays.
Who can see my messages?
Only the people in the room, on their own devices. TruGen Labs operates the server and can see who talks to whom and when, but not what is said. See What we can and cannot see for the full list.
Can I invite anyone?
Any member can invite people they know, with a shareable link or an email invite. There is a sensible limit on how many invites one person can have open at once, so Backwire stays a network of people who know each other rather than a public chat service.
How do I reset my password?
On the sign-in page choose Forgot password. A link goes to the email address you verified, and you set a new password from there.
A password reset does not recover your encrypted history. For that you need your recovery key or a device that is still signed in. The password protects your account; the recovery key protects your messages.
Is it free?
For now Backwire is run by TruGen Labs for the people it invites. There is no payment and there are no ads.
How do I report a problem?
Use the Report an issue button on this site, or email support@backwire.chat. Please do not paste private messages into a report; a description of what went wrong is enough.
A private line, for the people who matter.
If someone sent you an invite, open it. If you are already in, you know where the door is.