FAQ
Honest answers, including the limits. If your question is missing, ask in the Discussions (category “Q&A”).
How do nodes work together?
Section titled “How do nodes work together?”Every room lives on exactly one node. People from other nodes connect to it directly, with a short-lived pass from their home node; the nodes only exchange signed notes such as invitations. The trade-off: when a node is offline, its rooms are offline until it returns, while your account and rooms on other nodes keep working.
Can the operator of a node read my messages?
Section titled “Can the operator of a node read my messages?”Not in encrypted conversations, which are the default: channels, direct messages, groups, attachments and calls. The operator does see some information about them, such as who is in which room and who writes when. Privacy and encryption lists what exactly.
Is there a central server?
Section titled “Is there a central server?”No. There is no central service, directory or web app; every node serves the web app.
What happens if I lose my recovery key?
Section titled “What happens if I lose my recovery key?”A passkey that can unlock messages, or another device that is still signed in, gets you back in. Without any of them, you can still sign in with your password and second factor and reset your security key: you keep your account, friends, rooms and direct messages, but older encrypted messages can no longer be read, and your contacts see that your key changed. Nobody, not even the operator, can recover encrypted messages for you.
What if my home node shuts down?
Section titled “What if my home node shuts down?”Today your account lives on its home node. Moving an account to another node, and backup nodes that stand in while the home node is down, are planned (see the roadmap). Until then, choose a node whose operator you trust to keep it running, or run your own.
How do bots work with encryption?
Section titled “How do bots work with encryption?”A bot is a visible member of an encrypted channel, with a Bot badge, and reads only what it is allowed to see. Rooms can be declared no-bots zones. See Bots and integrations.
Which apps are there?
Section titled “Which apps are there?”The web app, which works on phones, tablets and computers, the desktop app for Windows and Linux, and the Android app. Builds for macOS are experimental, and an iOS app is planned. All of them are on the download page.
Is tavrn accessible?
Section titled “Is tavrn accessible?”The web app aims at WCAG 2.2 level AA: it works with the keyboard, announces new messages to screen readers and respects reduced motion. Please report anything that does not work for you; accessibility problems are bugs.
Is tavrn ready for daily use?
Section titled “Is tavrn ready for daily use?”Not yet. tavrn is before its first public release, and its encryption code has not been audited yet. It builds on well-known libraries instead of its own cryptography, but treat it as pre-release software for now.
May I host tavrn and call it tavrn?
Section titled “May I host tavrn and call it tavrn?”Yes, for yourself, your community, your company or your friends, with the unmodified name and logo. Distributing a modified version under the name, or running a hosting business under it, needs permission; see the trademark policy.
How can I help?
Section titled “How can I help?”Bug reports, translations and accessibility tests are welcome; see the contributing page. To report a bug, check the known issues first, then follow Report a problem.