NTsocial

True communication freedom, powered by the devices in our hands.

The right to communicate should never be captive to infrastructure. NTsocial turns your smartphone into an independent mesh node, linking devices through Bluetooth relays to create a local network that needs no carriers or servers.

Get it on Google Play
Built for outages, disasters, and expeditions—store-and-forward relays keep messages moving across hundreds of meters with no signal required. A decentralized bulletin board—discover local updates on Public and dive into deeper conversations inside topic-driven Channels. Self-sovereign identity—randomized Peer IDs and geometric avatars keep your presence yours while paving the way for end-to-end encryption.

Release Notes

Every major NTsocial milestone recorded for quick reference.

NTsocial 1.0.0 Release Notes

NTsocial 1.0.0 is officially live. This first production release builds on the test builds with foundational feature upgrades, stronger security, and smoother everyday experiences.

Highlights
  • Image attachments: Posts now support a single image attachment. The client compresses uploads to sub-11 KB WebP files before sending; text is transmitted first to prioritize Bluetooth bandwidth, and the UI detects and loads the image once delivery finishes.
  • Local storage encryption: All messages—public, channel, and direct—are encrypted with AES-256-GCM before they are written to device storage. Keys are safeguarded by Android KeyStore, preserving privacy for message history at rest.
  • Granular notifications: A rebuilt notification service delivers dedicated controls for Public, Channels, and DMs. Each surface has its own toggle, and foreground awareness automatically mutes notifications for the conversation you are currently viewing.
  • Internationalization support: NTsocial now ships in English, Traditional Chinese, and Japanese. Pick your preferred language during onboarding or in the profile view.
  • New splash screen: A refreshed abstract illustration replaces the static entry screen, aligning the launch experience with the NTsocial brand.

User Guide

Key Features

Five core tabs:

  • Public: Browse the public wall to post updates and reply to community messages.
  • Channels: Explore, join, or create topic-based channels and connect with people who share your interests.
  • Chat: Review ongoing conversations across public threads, channels, and private messages.
  • People: Discover nearby users and check their signal strength. Add friends or block unwanted contacts.
  • Profile: Configure your nickname, bio, and social links, then publish your profile for nearby people to view.

Offline communication: Messages travel peer-to-peer over Bluetooth with no internet connection required.

Nested replies: Every message thread supports unlimited reply depth to keep discussions organized.

Personalization

  • Nickname: Choose a nickname so people can easily recognize you.
  • Avatar: The app generates a unique geometric avatar based on your Peer ID.
  • Profile card: Build a card with your bio, website, and more in the Profile tab to share nearby.
  • Friends & block: Add friends from the People tab—even if they go offline, your settings remain. Block users you prefer not to interact with.
  • Long Range Mode: Enable Long Range Mode in settings (if supported) to use Bluetooth Coded PHY (S=8) for extended distance.

Notes

  • Plain text messages: Messages are currently sent as plain text and are not yet encrypted. Avoid sharing sensitive information via NTsocial.
  • Permissions: The app guides you to enable Bluetooth, location (required by Android for Bluetooth scans), and battery optimization exceptions.