Setup and connection guide

Install the Android test build

1. 1

   Download from the Download page

   Get the APK from the Download page and check the SHA-256 if you can. Android 7.0 or newer.
2. 2

   Allow installs from your browser

   Android asks once per app source. Turn it on for Chrome (or Files), install, then turn it back off if you prefer.
3. 3

   Create your identity offline

   Open CrewChirp → Get started → enter a name → write down the 12-word recovery phrase. Airplane mode is fine; nothing contacts the internet.

Install on an iPhone

Beta coming soon. The iOS app compiles and is being prepared for Apple’s TestFlight programme. Until the TestFlight invitation link is verified on a real iPhone there is nothing to install — we do not publish placeholder buttons or treat unsigned builds as installable.

Pair with someone

Pairing exchanges public keys, never secrets. It works over a QR code (in person) or a link (any channel you already trust).

Compare the safety code in a contact's details when it matters. If it changes unexpectedly, the app warns you.

Connect nearby (phone app)

1. 1

   Both phones: Bluetooth and Wi‑Fi on

   Wi‑Fi does not need to be joined to a network. Location services must be on for Android 10–12 because the OS ties Bluetooth scanning to it; the app does not read GPS.
2. 2

   Grant the Nearby permission

   Nearby → Turn on nearby. If you denied it earlier, the same button opens system Settings so you can allow it again.
3. 3

   Keep both apps in the foreground for the test

   Discovery usually takes a few seconds within a room. Background and screen-lock behaviour depends on the phone's power rules and is part of what we are testing.
4. 4

   Send

   Open the person in Messages and send a text or hold the microphone for a voice clip (max 5 seconds).

What the message states mean

Two-phone test checklist

The shortest useful run. Note the phone models and Android versions, and what you saw at each step.

1. 1

   Airplane mode on both phones

   Then turn Bluetooth and Wi‑Fi back on (Wi‑Fi not joined). Install and open the app on both; create identities. Nothing may ask for internet or an account.
2. 2

   Pair by QR code

   Both phones show the other in Messages.
3. 3

   Nearby → Turn on nearby, on both

   Grant permissions. Each phone lists the other as discovered and then connected.
4. 4

   Text A → B, then B → A

   Each should reach Sent quickly and Delivered once the other phone shows it.
5. 5

   Voice clip A → B, then B → A

   Plays on the other phone.
6. 6

   Walk apart until the connection drops; send 3 texts

   They stay Waiting. Walk back: all 3 arrive once, in order, no duplicates.
7. 7

   Lock both screens for a minute; then close and reopen both apps

   Chats and pairing survive. Note whether the connection re-forms by itself.
8. 8

   Settings → Advanced → Test status → Copy

   Send us that report. It contains versions and counters, never names or message text.

Recovery phrase and backups

Browser version

At /app the same messenger runs without radios. It connects paired friends over the internet when both are online, through a public best-effort matchmaking service, and shows "internet" next to Sent/Delivered so you can tell the two paths apart. Your identity lives only in that browser profile; export a backup before clearing site data.

Troubleshooting