Ephemeral
A serverless, end-to-end encrypted chat powered by WebRTC. No data is stored, and your messages travel directly between peers.
Help & documentation
Everything you need to know about Ephemeral chat.
How it works
- Direct browser-to-browser connection using WebRTC
- No central server stores your messages
- Share invites via QR code or text code
- Once connected, chat in real time like any messenger
Getting started
- Click Start a channel to create an invite, or Join a channel if you received one.
- Share the QR code or invitation text with your peer.
- The joiner generates a reply code and sends it back.
- Once both sides connect, you can start chatting.
Privacy & Anonymity
Messages live only in this browser tab's memory. Close the tab and the conversation is gone — no server, no database, no history. Your payload is 100% private.
IP Leak Warning: WebRTC connects directly to your peer, which means your public IP address is exposed to the person you are chatting with. If you require strict anonymity, use a VPN or the Tor network.
Security
Each session generates a fresh ECDH keypair (P-256). Encryption keys are agreed directly between the two browsers and never sent anywhere. When the channel opens, both sides see a safety number — compare it out loud with your peer to confirm no one is intercepting the connection.
QR codes
When you start a channel, a QR code is generated alongside the text invite. Your peer can scan it with their phone camera, then paste the decoded text into the join field. If the code is too large for a QR, use the text code instead.
File transfers
You can securely send files up to 100MB directly to your peer. Ephemeral uses a custom Chunking Engine to slice, encrypt, and stream your file in real-time, completely bypassing server limits. An automatic backpressure system ensures the transfer never overloads your browser.
Chat actions
- New chat — end the current session and start fresh with someone else
- Exit chat — leave the active conversation and return to setup
- Help & docs — open this page anytime from the sidebar