Help
Setup and connection guide
Everything here describes the current Android test build (1.0.0-test4) and the browser messenger. An iPhone beta is coming soon; there is nothing to install for iPhone yet. Where a step depends on your specific phone, we say so.
Install the Android test build
- 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
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
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 Until the TestFlight invitation link is verified on a real iPhone there is nothing to install — we do not publish placeholder buttons or treat unsigned builds as installable.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).
In person — QR code
One phone: Nearby → Add person → Show my code. Other phone: Add person → Scan. Both sides then see each other in Messages.
Remote — invite link
Add person → Share link and send it by any means. Opening the link in CrewChirp (or pasting it into Add person) pairs you. Links minted by earlier versions of the app still work.
Compare the safety code in a contact's details when it matters. If it changes unexpectedly, the app warns you.
Start or join a crew
Crews are invite-only groups with expiring messages and an optional automatic end time. They are available in the browser beta and are currently being tested on phones.
Create a crew
Crews → Start a crew → name, optional purpose, default message retention, and optional end time. Owners approve every join request and can end the crew at any time.
Join a crew
Open the invite link or scan the QR, preview the crew's purpose, retention and end time, then request to join. You can leave, mute or block the crew whenever you choose.
When a crew ends, new messages stop and the app removes locally stored crew messages, voice clips and membership data from this device. It cannot delete screenshots, recordings, exports or copies already made by others.
Connect nearby (phone app)
- 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
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
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
Send
Open the person in Messages and send a text, or hold the microphone button: Hold to talk, Speak now, Release to send, Slide away to cancel. Maximum 12 seconds.
Current and planned voice
Voice updates and CrewChirp Radio
Current CrewChirp releases let you send short hold-to-record voice updates in a chat or crew — hold to talk, release to send, maximum 12 seconds per clip.
CrewChirp Radio is a planned live push-to-talk feature. It is not available in the browser beta or Android test build yet.
When available, live radio will require an internet or Wi-Fi connection. It will not claim to replace an authorized two-way radio system, work everywhere without service, or prevent recordings.
Will CrewChirp Radio replace my walkie-talkies?
Not automatically. It is planned as phone-based push-to-talk over internet or Wi-Fi. Teams that require licensed radio coverage should continue using their authorized radio equipment.
Will it be free?
Nearby messaging and private crews are free. Optional future internet relay or live-radio services may be paid for by an event organizer or team.
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
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
Pair by QR code
Both phones show the other in Messages. - 3
Nearby → Turn on nearby, on both
Grant permissions. Each phone lists the other as discovered and then connected. - 4
Text A → B, then B → A
Each should reach Sent quickly and Delivered once the other phone shows it. - 5
Voice clip A → B, then B → A
Five clips each way, including 12-second ones, all play on the other phone. - 6
Walk apart until the connection drops; send 3 texts
They stay Waiting. Walk back: all 3 arrive once, in order, no duplicates. - 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
Settings → Advanced → Test status → Copy
Send us that report. It contains versions and counters, never names or message text.
Recovery phrase and backups
Recovery phrase
Twelve words that recreate your address and keys on a new phone. It does not contain your chats. Anyone with the words can impersonate you — keep them offline.
Backup file
Settings → Back up messages writes one encrypted file (identity, contacts, chats and crews) protected by a password you choose. Restore it on any phone or browser. Backups are outside automatic deletion — they may retain messages after their in-app expiry. This is yours to keep — nothing is uploaded.
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.
What works where
| Capability | Android app (test build) | Browser at /app |
|---|---|---|
| Nearby over Bluetooth / Wi‑Fi | Built in — being verified on real phones | Not possible in a browser |
| Internet connection to a paired friend | Optional, off in Nearby-only mode | Yes — both people online, best-effort matchmaking |
| Encryption | On device, per recipient | On device, per recipient |
| Identity and chats | Stored on the phone, keys in the OS keystore | Stored in this browser only |
| Works offline | Designed to — pending device tests | No |
| Account required | No | No |
Testing status
Verified so far
- · Encryption, signatures, replay protection and multi-hop forwarding pass automated tests.
- · Browser-to-browser pairing, text, voice and delivery receipts checked end to end.
- · Android app compiles and is signed; download it on the Download page.
- · iOS app compiles (unsigned build). TestFlight beta coming soon.
Not yet claimed
- · Real-world range, or Bluetooth / Wi‑Fi behaviour on specific phones.
- · Live voice calls (there are none — clips only), or crew behaviour on every phone OS.
- · Anonymity. Nearby phones can see that your device is talking, and to whom.
- · Any hosted service, allowance or price.
Troubleshooting
"App not installed" over an older build
The older build used a different signing key. See the migration steps on the Download page before uninstalling.
The other phone never appears in Nearby
Confirm both have Nearby turned on inside the app, Bluetooth and Wi‑Fi enabled, and (Android 10–12) location services on. Move within a few metres. Restart Nearby on both.
Stuck on Waiting
There is no connection to that person right now — this is honest, not a bug. The message goes when a route exists.
Voice clip does not record
Grant the microphone permission (Settings → Apps → CrewChirp → Permissions).
Nearby-only mode and internet
In Nearby-only mode the app opens no internet connections at all. Switch to Auto to allow the optional internet path.