Everything people ask us first

A private messaging app that combines real end-to-end encryption with zero-knowledge identity verification on Midnight Network. You can prove control of a registered key without sharing a phone number or government ID. Messages use MLS encryption. Registration does not prove that someone is a unique human or verify their real-world identity.

Midnight Messenger uses a device-generated key and an optional username for your account, without requiring a phone number or crypto wallet. Messages use MLS (RFC 9420); Midnight Network supports proofs of control over your registered identity.

Yes, during early access. Registration is sponsored and messaging is free. Future paid tiers may add optional features like priority sponsorship or larger group limits, but core private messaging stays free.

No. Messages are encrypted on your device with MLS (RFC 9420) before they are ever sent. Our relay server only stores and forwards ciphertext. It has no way to decrypt it, and neither do we.

No, and we consider that a firm rule, not a preference. Every cryptographic primitive we use, from message encryption to identity proofs, comes from established, independently maintained libraries. We do not invent our own ciphers.

Encrypted message envelopes in transit, a public on-chain identity commitment, and a hashed username if you choose one. See our Privacy Policy for the full breakdown of what we collect and what we deliberately never see.

Your message is held on our relay as ciphertext we cannot read, and delivered the next time their device connects. It is deleted from the relay the moment their device collects it. Anything never collected is deleted automatically after 7 days.

We build exclusively on established, widely used cryptographic libraries rather than custom implementations. A full third-party security audit is planned ahead of a public mainnet launch, and we will publish the results when it is complete.

Midnight Network supports zero-knowledge proofs. We use it to verify control of a registered key without exposing its secret. This verifies a messaging identity, not someone’s legal identity or whether they are a unique human.

No. Your device generates a secure identity key automatically the first time you open the app, and registration is fully sponsored, meaning we pay the network fee on your behalf. You never install a wallet or hold cryptocurrency to use Midnight Messenger.

A cryptographic commitment is public, but it is a one-way value that reveals nothing about the secret behind it, and nothing about who you are. Anyone can verify that a registration exists. No one can work backward from it to your identity. You can inspect the identity contract on the Preprod explorer and see exactly what it does and does not record.

No. Network fees for registration are sponsored by us, not paid by you. You do not need to acquire, hold, or spend any cryptocurrency to use the app.

When you register a username, it is hashed on your device before it is ever sent to our servers. We only ever store and see the hash, never the plaintext name you chose. Someone who already knows your username can still look you up by exact match. What they, or we, cannot do is browse a plaintext list of every registered name.

Usernames are first-come, first-served today. Rotation and release policies for inactive usernames are on our roadmap but not live yet.

Usernames under five characters and any all-numeric handle are reserved as premium inventory rather than available on public self-registration, similar to how short domain names or vanity handles work elsewhere.

It is a standard 24-word phrase generated on your device that can regenerate your identity key on any new device. It is the only way to restore your account if you lose access to the device you registered on, so write it down and store it somewhere safe.

No. Your recovery phrase is generated and stored only on your device. We never see it and never store it, so we have no way to recover or reset it for you. This is a deliberate tradeoff in favor of privacy over convenience.

You can restore your identity on a new device with your recovery phrase today. Seamless multi-device sync, where multiple devices stay active at once, is on our roadmap.

The web app currently runs on Midnight Network's Preprod testnet. Native iOS is in active development next, followed by Android.

We are building and testing on Midnight Network's Preprod testnet first. Join Discord or follow us on X for mainnet launch updates.

Core private messaging will always stay free. A future Pro tier may add things like priority sponsored transactions, larger attachment limits, or extra devices. Nothing about the privacy or security guarantees changes between tiers.