this post was submitted on 30 Jul 2023
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I am wondering if there is a chat program that works locally when the internet is out but still be connected to from the internet. I know this will be something that is self hosted.

Bonus points if I can set it up on the raspberry pi that is running Home Assistant.

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[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Briar works completely offline as well as online and has Android apps. I believe iOS apps are coming soon, although unsure of the timeline. https://briarproject.org

The pros are that there's zero setup or "self-hosting" required. Just install the app and it works. From their site:

  • Peer-to-peer encrypted messaging and forums
  • Messages are stored securely on your device, not in the cloud
  • Connect directly with nearby contacts - no Internet access required
  • Free and open source software
[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Plus briar will work with no internet, and just mesh Bluetooth for message passing instead.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Sadly I need an ios app, as well as android. Someone else mentioned Berty which seems to be similar but with android and ios apps.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Berty is an open source messenger app that works with or without an internet connection, and has Android and iOS apps. As it’s peer-to-peer there’s no server component.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

This seems to what I want. Thanks! Now to get everyone in the house to switch to it from facebook messenger.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Have you used it alot? What's the experience like?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Not a lot but we have used it. It’s beta quality. You need to be in Bluetooth range if there’s no internet - and it works. Good for tent-to-tent texting.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I have read a bit about the Matrix protocol and once tried running the Synapse home server and Element front end which is also available as Android/iOS apps.

Matrix is a federated chat protocol in the same way that ActivityPub is a federated social networking protocol. You can host your own Matrix compatible server and chat with people on other servers.

Recently I watched a video about their recent progress in which they showed a chat working peer to peer over bluetooth low energy when devices did not have access to the internet. Writing this, I just watched another P2P demo video where they show off this functionality once again.

This means you can use your own chat server as usual when

  • You have an internet connection on your device
  • Your device is on the same network as your server
  • Your device can find a P2P route to the other users through nearby bluetooth devices running this software allowing your device to route through other devices network and bluetooth connections

Take all of this with a grain of salt as I am not completely sure I understand how the Matrix services work. I hope this helps.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Here is an alternative Piped link(s): https://piped.video/eUPJ9zFV5IE

https://piped.video/wdy3lUxYxuU

Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.

I'm open-source, check me out at GitHub.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I did some looking into matrix but couldn't find if it would still work when the internet is out.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Not really. You need to use a domain (correct me, if I'm wrong, but I think IP adresses don't work) to connect to the homeserver.

In theory you could setup a DNS server in your nezwork, which resolves this domain with the local adress and then it might work, but I'm not sure if the homeserver would like that.

Also I want to add, that I use TeamSpeak, which works perfectly globally and locally, but it's for voice chat.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

[This comment has been deleted by an automated system]

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Aah, yes. You're right there. You will require a domain for it to work. Although, you could still have it work with a local DNS server for internet outages. You would still be able to chat locally in that case. But yeah, this does not seem like what OP is looking for.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I have used Rocket.Chat before, their free version supports most of the features they have, and the web client is good. You can setup webhooks in and out for different automations you may want.