this post was submitted on 04 Oct 2025

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Briar - secure p2p group communications (briarproject.org)

submitted 8 months ago by possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip to c/selfhosted@lemmy.world

31 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Briar is a messaging app designed to be used by groups of people to allow for secure and censorship resistant communications.

This technically isn't self hosted in the strictest sense but I think it is still relevant.

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[–] tuxec@infosec.pub 6 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

After a loot of research and testing different tools (Briar, Jami, Simplex, Session), I ended up using XMPP (Snikket). The call quality is good, has E2EE, Self-hosteable

Edit: fixed a typo

[–] lemonuri@infosec.pub 7 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

I don't know why this gets downvoted. Xmpp is my solution as well. Lightweight, selfhostable and federated, it's just a great solution. Briar is good as well and probably one of the best solutions if your are an activist/journalist. But it will eat your battery as all p2p solutions will. Is you host your own xmpp server at home, that's really as secure as it will get imho.

[–] tuxec@infosec.pub 2 points 8 months ago

Yeah.. I'm a bit surprised by the downvotes also. I just shared my experience without saying anything bad about any apps. Anybody is free try any tool they want until they find the one that fits their need. Thanks for the support 🤝

[–] Lemminary@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

I will never not grin slightly at the name XMPP.

[–] leraje@piefed.blahaj.zone 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Seems pretty similar to Jami except that it lacks the iOS and desktop clients that Jami already has.

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip -4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Don't use Jami. It is a security nightmare and unreliable.

[–] leraje@piefed.blahaj.zone 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Could you link me some resources for that? I may need something to demonstrate that to others.

[+] LodeMike@lemmy.today -9 points 8 months ago (2 children)

This project runs on Tor. You are effectively hosting a Tor site.

[–] sexy_peach@feddit.org 9 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Not at all. You're effectively using a messenger that can only receive messages when your phone has an internet connection because briar doesn't have servers. Also the connections are made through the Tor network, which hides metadata

[–] artyom@piefed.social 8 points 8 months ago

Briar does not require an internet connection. It can send messages over Bluetooth and WiFi.

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

a messenger that can only receive messages when your phone has an internet connection

To be fair, that's true for most messengers, even ones that do have servers.

[–] IanTwenty@lemmy.world 8 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Messages are only sent when both online though, thet's the bigger difference (unless using Briar Mailbox). Also it can send over wifi and bluetooth without internet connection i.e. no other devices involved.

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 4 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Messages are only sent when both online though

That's an entirely different thing, yes. 😄

I've always wondered what the utility is in sending messages over Bluetooth. Exchanging data secretly and securely in person, I guess?

[–] artyom@piefed.social 7 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Anytime you have bad/no cellular reception. Think being at a large event where the cell network is saturated, or in a rural area with no cell service.

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Right, but you have to be so close to each other for Bluetooth to work, so it seems very limited in utility. But of course, data exchange in person would be one thing.

[–] artyom@piefed.social 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Bluetooth has a pretty significant range, especially outdoors. So you might be watching something on the stage while a friend or family member is 300 feet away at a concession stand.

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

That's pretty far, that makes it better I guess. Like you could send messages across buildings if you have line of sight e.g. That's neat.

[–] FrostyPolicy@suppo.fi 6 points 8 months ago (1 children)

No one else then the parties messaging can see that the communication even occurs.

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Right, but you have to be so close to each other for Bluetooth to work.

[–] TheButtonJustSpins@infosec.pub 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

It transfers across other peers; you don't have to have a direct connection to the recipient, just an eventual connection to them.

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

But you have to directly connect to other people's devices via Bluetooth along the way, right? Like a relay race of handing over the message until you either reach a network, or the recipient?

[–] TheButtonJustSpins@infosec.pub 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I.. don't actually know. I wouldn't think that would be necessary (at least manually).

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

If not, it goes against everything I thought I understood about Bluetooth 😆 Curious to know how it actually would work.

[–] bandwidthcrisis@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I've used it to message someone while on a flight.

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

That's brilliant use, I like it.

So how does it work? Do you just need to "have Bluetooth turned on" and it reaches the recipient, or do you need to connect to each other somehow? Can this work for a group chat with a family, or colleagues on a conference trip perhaps?

[–] bandwidthcrisis@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

You need to enable Bluetooth as a method of connection in the app settings (and can turn off wifi and data there).

The phones can be in airplane mode but with Bluetooth turned back on (as you would to use earbuds).

I don't recall pairing the phones, but there is a "connect via Bluetooth" option on each chat that might be doing that automatically.

You link accounts to each other by scanning qr codes.

It does have a group chat but I haven't used it, so I don't know if that works with Bluetooth alone.

I just tried testing this with an old phone of mine, but can't get it to work right now (maybe because it has Graphene os?), but I have actually used it on flights in the past.

[–] bandwidthcrisis@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

I tested some more and can't get it to work any more. I found a post saying it worked in 1.5.2 so maybe something broke in newer versions.

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 1 points 8 months ago

Sort of I guess

Why does it matter?