AxolChat is locked
That PIN did not match.
Forgot it? Resetting clears this device only — your account comes back with your 12-word recovery phrase.
Add AxolChat to your Home Screen
It opens full screen with no browser bars, stays signed in, and on iPhone it is the only way a notification can reach you.
1 — Tap this button in Safari's bottom bar.
Share
2 — Choose Share from the menu.
Add to Home Screen
3 — Scroll down the share sheet and pick it.
Add
4 — Tap Add, at the top right.
Axol lands on your Home Screen. Open it from there from now on.
Already added it? Nothing to do — you are reading this in the app.
Conversations
via
Your new recovery phrase
Your old phrase stopped working the moment this was made. Write these twelve words down now — they are the only way back into your account.
Keep them somewhere only you can reach. Anyone who has them has your account.
Recovery phrase changed
Your other device replaced the recovery phrase. The old one no longer works.
This device is still signed in. If you need the new twelve words, they are on the device that made the change — we cannot show them here.
Settings
Signed in as
Next to someone with no internet? One of you opens a Personal Hotspot and the other joins it, then tap this. You will show a code, they scan it with their camera, and you scan their reply — after that you chat normally, phone to phone.
New phone? Open AxolChat there, restore with your recovery phrase, then tap this on the NEW device to pull your full history — photos included — straight from this one.
You can also publish a SEPARATE picture that anyone can see, including people in the Main Lobby you have never spoken to. That one is not encrypted — this server can read it, and so can anybody who asks for your handle.
A public picture is published. Anyone who knows your handle can see it, and the server can read it.
Your contacts see this picture. It is encrypted — the server cannot open it. People you have not chatted with still see .
No picture yet. Contacts see .
Handle changed. People who saved your code can still reach you.
Use at least 4 digits.
PIN saved.
Changing your recovery phrase replaces the old one immediately, re-keys the messages stored on this device, and tells your other devices the old phrase no longer works. Write the new one down before you close it — it is the only way back into your account.
Your current twelve words stop working the moment you confirm. The new ones are shown once, on the next screen — write them down before you leave it.
Public rooms
The Main Lobby is a public room. Anyone can join it, so messages there are NOT end-to-end encrypted and the relay keeps a copy of the backlog. Treat anything you say in a public room as public.
A safety number is made from exactly two people's keys, so a public room cannot be verified at all. One-to-one conversations can — open one and compare the eight axolotls.
This device's storage
Saved for keeps — this browser has agreed not to evict your messages to reclaim space.
This browser has NOT promised to keep your messages: it may delete them to reclaim space. Back them up.
This browser will not say whether it keeps stored data. Back up anything you would miss.
This device is out of space for photos and files. New ones may not be saved. Free some space, or back up and delete a conversation.
Back up everything
Saves your messages, conversations, the photos and files in them, AND your account keys to one encrypted file. Only this passphrase can open it — not the server, and not us.
Anyone who has this file and its passphrase has your account. Keep it somewhere only you can reach.
Use at least 12 characters. A short one will be refused.
Photos and files are included. Anything the relay had already deleted before this device saw it cannot be — the backup tells you if that happened.
Deletes every message and conversation stored on THIS device. Your account, handle and PIN are untouched, and the other person keeps their copy.
Let someone scan this with their phone camera to send you a chat request. It follows your handle, so changing your handle will not break it.
Or send them this link:
A subject line adds a bold heading above what you type, like an email. Most messages do not need one.
Privacy blur keeps photos and video blurred until you tap them — for reading over someone's shoulder.
Notifications tell you about new messages while AxolChat is closed. They carry no message content — the server only ever holds ciphertext.
🔔 Notifications on for this device.
Notifications are blocked in your browser settings.
This browser cannot do notifications. On iPhone, add AxolChat to your Home Screen first.
Could not turn notifications on. Try again.
Logging out erases this device's copy of your messages and keys.
This erases every message and key stored on this device. Your account only comes back with your 12-word recovery phrase — if you do not have it written down, you will lose access.
Verify this conversation
Nobody else has joined this conversation yet. A safety number is made from both people's keys, so it appears as soon as they do.
Share your invite link to get them in.
The Main Lobby is a public room. Anyone can join it, so there is no single person to check against and no safety number to compare — this is not something that appears later.
Messages here are not end-to-end encrypted — the relay keeps the Lobby backlog, so treat anything you say here as public. Start a one-to-one conversation to get a safety number you can verify.
Compare these eight axolotls with the other person — in person, or over a call you already trust. If they match on both phones, nobody is in the middle.
This device's own key: — this one is NOT the thing to compare.
Invitations
wants to start a conversation.
Safety number:
If you can, compare that number with them out of band. It is what tells you this is the person you meant.
No invitations right now.
When someone asks to start a conversation with you, it lands here — one at a time.
Nearby chat
Step 1 — they scan this with their phone camera:
Show this code to the person who started:
Step 2 — then point YOUR camera here at their reply:
Your other device asks for your full chat history.
Only a device signed in to YOUR account can ask. The history travels directly between the two devices, sealed — this server cannot read it. Send it?
Invite link:
You scanned someone's code.
Safety number:
If they are next to you, check this matches the number on their screen before you send.
Fetching your history from your other device…
Open AxolChat on your other device — history syncs directly between devices, so both must be online.
🌐 Main Lobby — public, and not end-to-end encrypted. Use ☰ to start a private chat.
Welcome to AxolChat
Private, end-to-end encrypted chat. Let's set up your identity — it lives only on this device.
Notifications on iPhone only work once it is added.
Create your profile
Capitals, dashes and spaces do not matter.
Pick an avatar
You:
Enter your invite code and a handle.
This takes a few seconds and uses your invite code once. Keep the app open.
🔑 Your recovery phrase
These 12 words are the only way back into your account on a new device. Write them down and keep them somewhere safe — we can't show them again or recover them for you.
Lock with a PIN?
A PIN is asked for each time you open AxolChat on this device. It stays on the phone and is never sent anywhere. You can add or change it later in settings.
Use at least 4 digits.
Restore your account
Enter your handle and the 12 words you saved. Your key is unwrapped here on this device — the phrase never leaves it.
Unwrapping your key on this device. Keep the app open.