Guided tour of the app

Click your way through – either via the list of steps or directly on the elements inside the screen. The wording is taken from the app itself.

1. 1First launchNo account, no phone number.
2. 2Name & pictureThe only thing TalX wants to know about you.
3. 3PermissionsAsked only once the reason is clear.
4. 4Empty chat listWithout a contact there is nothing to see.
5. 5Connect a contactThree ways plus your own QR code.
6. 6By QR codeScanning in one direction is enough.
7. 7By code, remotelyA short code instead of QR – eavesdropping-proof.
8. 8The chatTicks, transport path, post-quantum status.
9. 9Attachments & “once”Up to 100 MB, optionally self-deleting.
10. 10Safety numberThe step almost nobody takes.
11. 11BlockingNot the same as deleting.
12. 12GroupsRoles enforced without a server.
13. 13SettingsBackground operation and offline paths.
14. 14BackupTwo factors to get it back.

Welcome to TalX

Set up this device – as a new account or linked to an existing TalX device.

New accountLink a device

End-to-end encrypted · no account needed

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This is a mock-up

The tour runs in your browser and is not an emulator. It shows the flows and the real labels, not every single animation in the app.

Setting up, for real

1. First launch. TalX asks whether this device gets a new account or is linked to an existing TalX device. “New account” generates a key pair locally – that is the entire sign-up.

2. Name and picture. The display name is required, the profile picture optional. Both can be changed at any time later; changes go out automatically, encrypted, to all connected contacts. For the picture there is a cropping editor with zoom, free rotation and panning.

3. Permissions. Only afterwards does TalX ask for rights – before that you would not know what for. It needs “nearby devices” (Bluetooth discovery) and access to the local network; notifications are optional. Camera, microphone and NFC are only requested once you actually use them.

4. Connect your first contact. Without a contact the chat list is empty – there is no directory in which you could search for anyone. That is exactly the point.

What does not explain itself

The tick does not mean “sent”

In many messengers a tick appears as soon as the message reaches the server. TalX has no server that could confirm this. The tick therefore appears only once the other device has reported receipt – in groups only once everyone has reported. Until then it says “waiting for delivery”.

The small symbol on every message

Every delivered message shows which path it actually took: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, internet, relay or Sidelink. On messages you sent it appears with the confirmation – before that the path is simply not yet known.

“Post-quantum protection active” in the chat header

After connecting, both sides negotiate an additional post-quantum secret in the background. While that runs it says “being set up…”. If the app on the other side is too old for it, TalX says so as well instead of keeping quiet.

“Online” here means: reachable right now

Every 45 seconds the app sends a tiny sign of life to its contacts – but only if a connection exists at all. If none does, there is naturally no presence information either. So “online” means: within short range, or connected through the relay.

“View once” applies to both sides

A medium sent this way appears to the recipient only as a placeholder. Tapping opens it exactly once, full screen – and it can still be saved to the gallery at that moment. After that the file is deleted. The same applies to your own sent copy.

The safety number is the step almost nobody takes

Tap the shield symbol in the chat, compare the numbers with the other person over a second channel – in person or by phone, not in the same chat – and mark them as verified if they match. Only then is it ruled out that somebody was in between when you connected. If the number later changes unexpectedly, TalX warns you.

Blocking is not deleting

Contact info → Block stops accepting anything from that person – no messages, attachments, calls or profile details, not even in shared groups. The chat history is kept; to remove it, long-press in the chat list as before.

Delivery confirmations and the presence heartbeat deliberately keep running: if both stopped at once, the other side would know immediately. And a block survives a re-pairing – even with a fresh key.

The “offline connections” switch

On by default. Switched off, TalX immediately stops Bluetooth, LAN and Sidelink discovery and communicates only over the online paths. Useful if the device should not be visible on unfamiliar networks – the price is that delivery then depends on an internet connection.

The background service and its limit

“Stay active in the background” keeps receiving and delivery running even when the app is closed – with a permanent notification that Android requires in this case. Honestly: some manufacturers’ aggressive battery optimisation can still kill the service. That is why the profile screen has a button that leads straight to the system battery list.

Connecting contacts – which route, when

Route	What it is for
QR code	You are in the same place. Scanning in one direction is enough – the contact then exists on both devices.
NFC	Hold the phones together. The other person only needs their screen unlocked.
Encrypted link	Send a one-time link over any channel you like.
Code (remotely)	You are not in the same place. One side shows a short code, the other enters it – eavesdropping-proof, ideal over the phone.

More on this: connecting contacts.