The chat app for the
terminally offline.
I wanted to see what a chat app looks like if you force people to meet in person and hold as little data as possible, and this is what fell out of that. There are no phone numbers, no emails, no persistent accounts, and minimal server footprint. You pair with friends face-to-face over Bluetooth, and let the connection naturally fade unless you meet up to recharge it.
Get Wiltkey (Beta)
How Wiltkey Operates
Wiltkey was built to replicate the privacy of real-life interactions. By using physical Bluetooth pairing and automatic data decay, it prevents spam and keeps your communication grounded in actual relationships.
Physical Bluetooth Proximity Pairing
Adding contacts over the internet is blocked. Pairing requires devices to register a local Bluetooth signal strength closer than -75 dBm. This ensures that you must meet the person physically to create a channel, eliminating remote spam and digital harassment.
Zero Account Identity
Upon initialization, the app generates a local Ed25519 cryptographic keypair on your device. Since there are no user accounts, phone numbers, or email requirements, you hold full ownership of your cryptographic identity.
The Byte Budget (Wilt)
Every contact starts with a split capacity charge. Sending messages, images, or audio drains the budget. At zero bytes, the chat wilts (locks). To unlock it, you must meet in person and recharge in person over Bluetooth, keeping digital interactions grounded in reality.
Cross-Relay Compatibility
Instead of a centralized server, Wiltkey operates on simple message-forwarding servers called relays. Because there is no single server governing the system, anyone can host their own. If users are on different relays, the app bridges them automatically.
Want to see it in action?
Launch the interactive architecture simulation to visualize the data flow, message collision, group chat lanes, message relay limitations, and resync mechanisms.
When is Wiltkey useful?
Concerts & Conventions
Met a cool stranger at a festival, anime convention, or hackathon? Swap a Wiltkey pairing instead of sharing your main social profiles. Connect during the event, and let the connection naturally expire once you go home.
Privacy-First Dating
Set up a first date without exposing your phone number, full name, or social handles. If the date turns out bad, simply press the "Nuke" button. The local database and keys for that chat are deleted, leaving them with no way to message you again.
Grounded Friendships
Wiltkey shifts the focus back to physical proximity. If you drift apart from someone and stop meeting up, the chat decays. This ensures your digital social bubble reflects the real world and lets fading contacts fade naturally.
Activists, Journalists & Heavy Surveillance Zones
Establish local communication links using local relays (like a laptop Wi-Fi hotspot) to route messages offline without relying on telecom infrastructure or internet filters. Note that this is not a magic shield: if your physical device is seized, entering a wrong PIN 5 times will delete local database files and encryption keys, but it cannot protect your data if the device was imaged prior to the wipe.
Privacy & Media Controls
Wiltkey blocks screenshot capturing directly in the app. For media transfers, we provide image download toggles so you can control if shared photos can be saved to the recipient's device storage. We also support ephemeral messages that automatically delete from the database after a customized timer.
Wiltkey Feature List
1-on-1 Chats
Connect with friends securely. Build a contact list with people you know in real life.
Group Chats
Group chats with up to 99 members! Organize your local circles with ease.
Custom Emoji Support
Set up your own emojis and use them Discord-style (e.g. :wow-epic:).
Permissions
Extensive support for privacy settings such as disabled image sending, message length limits, and so on.
Stealth & Controls
Automatic image compression, screenshot blocking, and simple local chat nuking.
And More Incoming!
Development is active! Look out for local mesh network support, voice messages, and additional privacy enhancements.
Host Your Own Relay
You don't need to rely on our servers to communicate. The Wiltkey backend is open source, built in Go, and has no external dependencies. You can run it on your own server, home PC, Raspberry Pi, or a local laptop to route messages offline via a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Option A: Compiled Go Binary
Wiltkey compiles into a single, lightweight executable. It runs instantly on any platform: Linux, macOS, or Windows.
- Install Go on your server.
- Clone the relay repository.
- Compile:
go build - Run:
./relay --port 8000
Cross-Relay Bridging
Wiltkey is fully compatible across servers. If you host on your relay (myrelay.org) and your friend is on theirs (otherrelay.net), Wiltkey client apps will automatically route messages across relays seamlessly.
Option B: docker-compose.yml
version: '3.8'
services:
wiltkey-relay:
image: github.com/wiltkey/relay-backend:latest
container_name: wiltkey_relay
ports:
- "8000:8000"
environment:
- PORT=8000
- MAX_CONNECTIONS=1000
- OFFLINE_TTL_SEC=86400 # Clean queued msgs after 24h
restart: unless-stoppedFrequently Asked Questions
How are messages secured?
All messages are encrypted end-to-end using standard cryptography. The relay servers only forward encrypted packets and cannot read your messages.
What is the PIN security system?
When you create your profile, you set a PIN to encrypt your local database. If someone types the wrong PIN 5 times in a row, Wiltkey deletes the local encryption keys and database files. Note that this is a local wipe: it does not protect your data if your device has already been cloned or imaged.
What happens if a chat is wilted (locked)?
When the byte capacity of your chat runs out, you can no longer send messages. You must physically meet up with your contact and perform a proximity sync over Bluetooth to allocate more byte budget.
Where is my data stored?
All keys, contact lists, and chats are stored locally on your device. There is no cloud storage or backup database. If you lose your device or delete the app, the data is gone forever.