NTsocial

NTsocial 1.2.0 expands ATaK capabilities, improves channel handling, fixes private image messaging, and upgrades map tooling for field coordination.

Highlights

• ATaK foundation: Implemented ATaK basics for real-time geographic sharing of teams and resources.
• Channel name handling: Added compatibility and distinction for Channels with identical names.
• Private image fix: Resolved an issue where images could not be sent in private messages.
• Map imports: The map interface now supports .style files, DEM hillshading, and GPX track imports.
• Contours and objects: Added map contour lines; ATaK channels can show real-time positions for all members and support map objects for managing resources, dangers, and targets.

NTsocial 1.1.0 builds directly on the 1.0.0 launch. This update fixes several high-impact issues in image handling, synchronization, and navigation, and introduces encrypted channels, offline maps, and the first ATaK-style mission channel for teams in the field.

Bug fixes and polish

• Image orientation: Post attachments now respect the orientation stored in Google Photos, preventing sideways or upside-down images.
• Base64 garbled images: Fixed a bug where some devices would display the raw base64 string instead of the decoded image.
• Sync performance: Corrected a flaw in the message sync pipeline. In dense meshes this dramatically reduces duplicate work and improves delivery latency.
• Splash screen button layout: On certain screen sizes the primary button on the launch screen could drift off the visible area. The layout has been adjusted so the button always stays within the safe area.
• Bottom nav behavior: Removed the center “DM” button from the bottom navigation bar because its behavior was confusing. To start a private message, tap a person in the People list instead. The center slot now hosts a new “Map” button.
• Chinese channel names: Fixed a severe bug where non-encrypted channels with Chinese names could leak messages across channels due to a decoding issue with Chinese characters.

New features

• Offline maps: You can now import and view offline map files. Style files are not yet supported, so the visual experience will keep improving in upcoming releases.
• Encrypted channels: Added a dedicated encrypted channel type where messages at rest and in transit are protected with 256-bit symmetric encryption (AES-256-GCM).
• ATaK-style mission channels: Introduced an encrypted channel optimized for mountaineering and search-and-rescue teams. All members continuously share their GPS coordinates, relaying them across the mesh so the team can see everyone’s latest position even beyond direct radio range.
• Profile photos: Users can now attach a personal headshot to their identity. The original colorful QR-style geometric avatar is kept as a fallback for device recognition and anti-impersonation.
• Image viewer with pinch-to-zoom: In addition to honoring the orientation from Google Photos, tapping an image now opens a viewer where you can zoom with multi-touch gestures and inspect details.

Next steps

• Map styling and contours: Upcoming versions will focus on map rendering, including support for style files and contour overlays to meet the basics of a professional hiking map.
• Resource and hazard markers: ATaK-style channels are planned to gain GIS-like overlays so members can mark water sources, fire points, supply caches, and more. Each marker’s time and coordinates will sync to all members and render on the shared map.
• Mesh radio integration: We are exploring integration with community mesh radio projects such as Meshtastic so NTsocial can act as a companion client.

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.