LocalChat

A private, zero-install team chat that runs on your own Wi-Fi.

One ~5 MB binary. No accounts. No cloud. No telemetry. Double-click. Share the LAN URL. Done.

Why LocalChat?

Slack and Teams need internet, accounts, and SaaS pricing. IRC needs a server admin and config files. Discord owns your data.

LocalChat is the missing fourth option for offices, classrooms, hackathons, homelabs, secure facilities, factory floors, ships, planes, and anywhere else people share a network but not necessarily the internet:

One binary, no install. Drop LocalChat.exe on a desktop. Double-click. That's the whole setup.
Air-gapped friendly. Zero outbound traffic. Works on a router with no WAN.
No accounts. Pick a name, you're in. Identity is bound to a per-browser key so usernames can't be impersonated.
End-to-end encrypted DMs. The host process literally cannot read direct messages.
Persistent. Channels, members, message history, reactions and uploads survive restarts.
Tiny. ~5 MB on disk, ~5 MB RAM at 200 users / 50 channels.

Features


💬 Channels	Public, private, lobby. Create, invite, join, leave.
🔐 1:1 DMs	True end-to-end encryption.
📞 Voice & video calls	Direct peer-to-peer between users.
📎 File sharing	Drag & drop, image previews, lightbox.
↩️ Replies & reactions	Quote any message. React with any emoji.
👋 Mentions, typing, presence, read receipts	All the modern niceties.
🛡️ Admin dashboard	Live metrics, kick/ban, broadcast, settings.
🌗 Light & dark themes	Polished, mobile-friendly UI.
🔁 Auto-reconnect	Survives sleep, Wi-Fi roams, network blips.
🚫 No telemetry	Not a single outbound request.

60-second quick start

Download LocalChat.exe from the latest release.
Double-click. A tray icon appears; the host's browser opens automatically.
Allow it through Windows Firewall (Private network is enough).
Read the LAN URL from the tray tooltip — e.g. https://192.168.1.42:5000 — and share it with anyone on the same Wi-Fi.
They open the URL, pick a name, and start chatting. No install, no signup.

💡 The first visit shows a browser warning because the cert is self-signed. Click Advanced → Proceed. To replace it with a real cert, see app/scripts/.

Admin dashboard

Tray → Open admin dashboard opens the dashboard with the auto-generated admin token pre-filled. From there:

See live metrics (users, messages, uploads, uptime).
Kick or ban users.
Broadcast announcements to #general.
View and delete channels and uploaded files.
Change settings (port, max upload, history cap, autostart on boot, allow LAN admin access).

The admin API is localhost-only by default and gated by a per-install token.

Where your data lives

On first launch LocalChat opens a tiny browser page asking where to keep its data. Pick any folder you like (the default is C:\LocalChat on Windows). The chosen path is remembered in %APPDATA%\LocalChat\config.json (or ~/.config/localchat/config.json on Linux/macOS), so the exe can be moved, replaced, or upgraded without losing your data — and without asking again.

Inside the chosen folder you'll find:

localchat.db — single SQLite file holding users, channels, messages, reactions, read receipts, bans, and the per-database server_id.
uploads/ — raw uploaded blobs (atomic writes, sha-prefixed names).
tls/ — self-signed certificate + key (or your Let's Encrypt cert).
logs/localchat.log — rolling app log.
config.json — server settings, banlist, admin token.

Want a clean slate? Stop the app, delete the data folder (and the AppData config if you want to be re-prompted), restart.

Override the data folder for a single launch with LOCALCHAT_HOME=D:\path\to\folder.

Building from source

cd app
cargo run --release # tray + browser auto-open
cargo build --release --features tray # produces target/release/localchat.exe

CI publishes a single LocalChat.exe when you push a tag (git tag v2.0.0 && git push origin v2.0.0).

🛠️ Hacking on the internals? See DESIGN.md for the full architecture — concurrency model, persistence layout, E2EE protocol, wire spec, and a file-by-file map of the codebase.

Roadmap

PRs welcome.

License

MIT — do anything you want; attribution appreciated.

Built with Rust 🦀 because boring infrastructure should be fast and tiny.

LocalChat

A private, zero-install team chat that runs on your own Wi-Fi.

One ~5 MB binary. No accounts. No cloud. No telemetry. Double-click. Share the LAN URL. Done.

Why LocalChat?

Slack and Teams need internet, accounts, and SaaS pricing. IRC needs a server admin and config files. Discord owns your data.

LocalChat is the missing fourth option for offices, classrooms, hackathons, homelabs, secure facilities, factory floors, ships, planes, and anywhere else people share a network but not necessarily the internet:

One binary, no install. Drop LocalChat.exe on a desktop. Double-click. That's the whole setup.
Air-gapped friendly. Zero outbound traffic. Works on a router with no WAN.
No accounts. Pick a name, you're in. Identity is bound to a per-browser key so usernames can't be impersonated.
End-to-end encrypted DMs. The host process literally cannot read direct messages.
Persistent. Channels, members, message history, reactions and uploads survive restarts.
Tiny. ~5 MB on disk, ~5 MB RAM at 200 users / 50 channels.

Features


💬 Channels	Public, private, lobby. Create, invite, join, leave.
🔐 1:1 DMs	True end-to-end encryption.
📞 Voice & video calls	Direct peer-to-peer between users.
📎 File sharing	Drag & drop, image previews, lightbox.
↩️ Replies & reactions	Quote any message. React with any emoji.
👋 Mentions, typing, presence, read receipts	All the modern niceties.
🛡️ Admin dashboard	Live metrics, kick/ban, broadcast, settings.
🌗 Light & dark themes	Polished, mobile-friendly UI.
🔁 Auto-reconnect	Survives sleep, Wi-Fi roams, network blips.
🚫 No telemetry	Not a single outbound request.

60-second quick start

Download LocalChat.exe from the latest release.
Double-click. A tray icon appears; the host's browser opens automatically.
Allow it through Windows Firewall (Private network is enough).
Read the LAN URL from the tray tooltip — e.g. https://192.168.1.42:5000 — and share it with anyone on the same Wi-Fi.
They open the URL, pick a name, and start chatting. No install, no signup.

💡 The first visit shows a browser warning because the cert is self-signed. Click Advanced → Proceed. To replace it with a real cert, see app/scripts/.

Admin dashboard

Tray → Open admin dashboard opens the dashboard with the auto-generated admin token pre-filled. From there:

See live metrics (users, messages, uploads, uptime).
Kick or ban users.
Broadcast announcements to #general.
View and delete channels and uploaded files.
Change settings (port, max upload, history cap, autostart on boot, allow LAN admin access).

The admin API is localhost-only by default and gated by a per-install token.

Where your data lives

On first launch LocalChat opens a tiny browser page asking where to keep its data. Pick any folder you like (the default is C:\LocalChat on Windows). The chosen path is remembered in %APPDATA%\LocalChat\config.json (or ~/.config/localchat/config.json on Linux/macOS), so the exe can be moved, replaced, or upgraded without losing your data — and without asking again.

Inside the chosen folder you'll find:

localchat.db — single SQLite file holding users, channels, messages, reactions, read receipts, bans, and the per-database server_id.
uploads/ — raw uploaded blobs (atomic writes, sha-prefixed names).
tls/ — self-signed certificate + key (or your Let's Encrypt cert).
logs/localchat.log — rolling app log.
config.json — server settings, banlist, admin token.

Want a clean slate? Stop the app, delete the data folder (and the AppData config if you want to be re-prompted), restart.

Override the data folder for a single launch with LOCALCHAT_HOME=D:\path\to\folder.

Building from source

cd app
cargo run --release # tray + browser auto-open
cargo build --release --features tray # produces target/release/localchat.exe

CI publishes a single LocalChat.exe when you push a tag (git tag v2.0.0 && git push origin v2.0.0).

🛠️ Hacking on the internals? See DESIGN.md for the full architecture — concurrency model, persistence layout, E2EE protocol, wire spec, and a file-by-file map of the codebase.

Roadmap

PRs welcome.

License

MIT — do anything you want; attribution appreciated.

Built with Rust 🦀 because boring infrastructure should be fast and tiny.

LocalChat

A private, zero-install team chat that runs on your own Wi-Fi.

One ~5 MB binary. No accounts. No cloud. No telemetry. Double-click. Share the LAN URL. Done.

Why LocalChat?

Slack and Teams need internet, accounts, and SaaS pricing. IRC needs a server admin and config files. Discord owns your data.

LocalChat is the missing fourth option for offices, classrooms, hackathons, homelabs, secure facilities, factory floors, ships, planes, and anywhere else people share a network but not necessarily the internet:

One binary, no install. Drop LocalChat.exe on a desktop. Double-click. That's the whole setup.
Air-gapped friendly. Zero outbound traffic. Works on a router with no WAN.
No accounts. Pick a name, you're in. Identity is bound to a per-browser key so usernames can't be impersonated.
End-to-end encrypted DMs. The host process literally cannot read direct messages.
Persistent. Channels, members, message history, reactions and uploads survive restarts.
Tiny. ~5 MB on disk, ~5 MB RAM at 200 users / 50 channels.

Features


💬 Channels	Public, private, lobby. Create, invite, join, leave.
🔐 1:1 DMs	True end-to-end encryption.
📞 Voice & video calls	Direct peer-to-peer between users.
📎 File sharing	Drag & drop, image previews, lightbox.
↩️ Replies & reactions	Quote any message. React with any emoji.
👋 Mentions, typing, presence, read receipts	All the modern niceties.
🛡️ Admin dashboard	Live metrics, kick/ban, broadcast, settings.
🌗 Light & dark themes	Polished, mobile-friendly UI.
🔁 Auto-reconnect	Survives sleep, Wi-Fi roams, network blips.
🚫 No telemetry	Not a single outbound request.

60-second quick start

Download LocalChat.exe from the latest release.
Double-click. A tray icon appears; the host's browser opens automatically.
Allow it through Windows Firewall (Private network is enough).
Read the LAN URL from the tray tooltip — e.g. https://192.168.1.42:5000 — and share it with anyone on the same Wi-Fi.
They open the URL, pick a name, and start chatting. No install, no signup.

💡 The first visit shows a browser warning because the cert is self-signed. Click Advanced → Proceed. To replace it with a real cert, see app/scripts/.

Admin dashboard

Tray → Open admin dashboard opens the dashboard with the auto-generated admin token pre-filled. From there:

See live metrics (users, messages, uploads, uptime).
Kick or ban users.
Broadcast announcements to #general.
View and delete channels and uploaded files.
Change settings (port, max upload, history cap, autostart on boot, allow LAN admin access).

The admin API is localhost-only by default and gated by a per-install token.

Where your data lives

On first launch LocalChat opens a tiny browser page asking where to keep its data. Pick any folder you like (the default is C:\LocalChat on Windows). The chosen path is remembered in %APPDATA%\LocalChat\config.json (or ~/.config/localchat/config.json on Linux/macOS), so the exe can be moved, replaced, or upgraded without losing your data — and without asking again.

Inside the chosen folder you'll find:

localchat.db — single SQLite file holding users, channels, messages, reactions, read receipts, bans, and the per-database server_id.
uploads/ — raw uploaded blobs (atomic writes, sha-prefixed names).
tls/ — self-signed certificate + key (or your Let's Encrypt cert).
logs/localchat.log — rolling app log.
config.json — server settings, banlist, admin token.

Want a clean slate? Stop the app, delete the data folder (and the AppData config if you want to be re-prompted), restart.

Override the data folder for a single launch with LOCALCHAT_HOME=D:\path\to\folder.

Building from source

cd app
cargo run --release # tray + browser auto-open
cargo build --release --features tray # produces target/release/localchat.exe

CI publishes a single LocalChat.exe when you push a tag (git tag v2.0.0 && git push origin v2.0.0).

🛠️ Hacking on the internals? See DESIGN.md for the full architecture — concurrency model, persistence layout, E2EE protocol, wire spec, and a file-by-file map of the codebase.

Roadmap

PRs welcome.

License

MIT — do anything you want; attribution appreciated.

Built with Rust 🦀 because boring infrastructure should be fast and tiny.

LocalChat

A private, zero-install team chat that runs on your own Wi-Fi.

One ~5 MB binary. No accounts. No cloud. No telemetry. Double-click. Share the LAN URL. Done.

Why LocalChat?

Slack and Teams need internet, accounts, and SaaS pricing. IRC needs a server admin and config files. Discord owns your data.

LocalChat is the missing fourth option for offices, classrooms, hackathons, homelabs, secure facilities, factory floors, ships, planes, and anywhere else people share a network but not necessarily the internet:

One binary, no install. Drop LocalChat.exe on a desktop. Double-click. That's the whole setup.
Air-gapped friendly. Zero outbound traffic. Works on a router with no WAN.
No accounts. Pick a name, you're in. Identity is bound to a per-browser key so usernames can't be impersonated.
End-to-end encrypted DMs. The host process literally cannot read direct messages.
Persistent. Channels, members, message history, reactions and uploads survive restarts.
Tiny. ~5 MB on disk, ~5 MB RAM at 200 users / 50 channels.

Features


💬 Channels	Public, private, lobby. Create, invite, join, leave.
🔐 1:1 DMs	True end-to-end encryption.
📞 Voice & video calls	Direct peer-to-peer between users.
📎 File sharing	Drag & drop, image previews, lightbox.
↩️ Replies & reactions	Quote any message. React with any emoji.
👋 Mentions, typing, presence, read receipts	All the modern niceties.
🛡️ Admin dashboard	Live metrics, kick/ban, broadcast, settings.
🌗 Light & dark themes	Polished, mobile-friendly UI.
🔁 Auto-reconnect	Survives sleep, Wi-Fi roams, network blips.
🚫 No telemetry	Not a single outbound request.

60-second quick start

Download LocalChat.exe from the latest release.
Double-click. A tray icon appears; the host's browser opens automatically.
Allow it through Windows Firewall (Private network is enough).
Read the LAN URL from the tray tooltip — e.g. https://192.168.1.42:5000 — and share it with anyone on the same Wi-Fi.
They open the URL, pick a name, and start chatting. No install, no signup.

💡 The first visit shows a browser warning because the cert is self-signed. Click Advanced → Proceed. To replace it with a real cert, see app/scripts/.

Admin dashboard

Tray → Open admin dashboard opens the dashboard with the auto-generated admin token pre-filled. From there:

See live metrics (users, messages, uploads, uptime).
Kick or ban users.
Broadcast announcements to #general.
View and delete channels and uploaded files.
Change settings (port, max upload, history cap, autostart on boot, allow LAN admin access).

The admin API is localhost-only by default and gated by a per-install token.

Where your data lives

On first launch LocalChat opens a tiny browser page asking where to keep its data. Pick any folder you like (the default is C:\LocalChat on Windows). The chosen path is remembered in %APPDATA%\LocalChat\config.json (or ~/.config/localchat/config.json on Linux/macOS), so the exe can be moved, replaced, or upgraded without losing your data — and without asking again.

Inside the chosen folder you'll find:

localchat.db — single SQLite file holding users, channels, messages, reactions, read receipts, bans, and the per-database server_id.
uploads/ — raw uploaded blobs (atomic writes, sha-prefixed names).
tls/ — self-signed certificate + key (or your Let's Encrypt cert).
logs/localchat.log — rolling app log.
config.json — server settings, banlist, admin token.

Want a clean slate? Stop the app, delete the data folder (and the AppData config if you want to be re-prompted), restart.

Override the data folder for a single launch with LOCALCHAT_HOME=D:\path\to\folder.

Building from source

cd app
cargo run --release # tray + browser auto-open
cargo build --release --features tray # produces target/release/localchat.exe

CI publishes a single LocalChat.exe when you push a tag (git tag v2.0.0 && git push origin v2.0.0).

🛠️ Hacking on the internals? See DESIGN.md for the full architecture — concurrency model, persistence layout, E2EE protocol, wire spec, and a file-by-file map of the codebase.

Roadmap

PRs welcome.

License

MIT — do anything you want; attribution appreciated.

Built with Rust 🦀 because boring infrastructure should be fast and tiny.

LocalChat

A private, zero-install team chat that runs on your own Wi-Fi.

One ~5 MB binary. No accounts. No cloud. No telemetry. Double-click. Share the LAN URL. Done.

Why LocalChat?

Slack and Teams need internet, accounts, and SaaS pricing. IRC needs a server admin and config files. Discord owns your data.

LocalChat is the missing fourth option for offices, classrooms, hackathons, homelabs, secure facilities, factory floors, ships, planes, and anywhere else people share a network but not necessarily the internet:

One binary, no install. Drop LocalChat.exe on a desktop. Double-click. That's the whole setup.
Air-gapped friendly. Zero outbound traffic. Works on a router with no WAN.
No accounts. Pick a name, you're in. Identity is bound to a per-browser key so usernames can't be impersonated.
End-to-end encrypted DMs. The host process literally cannot read direct messages.
Persistent. Channels, members, message history, reactions and uploads survive restarts.
Tiny. ~5 MB on disk, ~5 MB RAM at 200 users / 50 channels.

Features


💬 Channels	Public, private, lobby. Create, invite, join, leave.
🔐 1:1 DMs	True end-to-end encryption.
📞 Voice & video calls	Direct peer-to-peer between users.
📎 File sharing	Drag & drop, image previews, lightbox.
↩️ Replies & reactions	Quote any message. React with any emoji.
👋 Mentions, typing, presence, read receipts	All the modern niceties.
🛡️ Admin dashboard	Live metrics, kick/ban, broadcast, settings.
🌗 Light & dark themes	Polished, mobile-friendly UI.
🔁 Auto-reconnect	Survives sleep, Wi-Fi roams, network blips.
🚫 No telemetry	Not a single outbound request.

60-second quick start

Download LocalChat.exe from the latest release.
Double-click. A tray icon appears; the host's browser opens automatically.
Allow it through Windows Firewall (Private network is enough).
Read the LAN URL from the tray tooltip — e.g. https://192.168.1.42:5000 — and share it with anyone on the same Wi-Fi.
They open the URL, pick a name, and start chatting. No install, no signup.

💡 The first visit shows a browser warning because the cert is self-signed. Click Advanced → Proceed. To replace it with a real cert, see app/scripts/.

Admin dashboard

Tray → Open admin dashboard opens the dashboard with the auto-generated admin token pre-filled. From there:

See live metrics (users, messages, uploads, uptime).
Kick or ban users.
Broadcast announcements to #general.
View and delete channels and uploaded files.
Change settings (port, max upload, history cap, autostart on boot, allow LAN admin access).

The admin API is localhost-only by default and gated by a per-install token.

Where your data lives

On first launch LocalChat opens a tiny browser page asking where to keep its data. Pick any folder you like (the default is C:\LocalChat on Windows). The chosen path is remembered in %APPDATA%\LocalChat\config.json (or ~/.config/localchat/config.json on Linux/macOS), so the exe can be moved, replaced, or upgraded without losing your data — and without asking again.

Inside the chosen folder you'll find:

localchat.db — single SQLite file holding users, channels, messages, reactions, read receipts, bans, and the per-database server_id.
uploads/ — raw uploaded blobs (atomic writes, sha-prefixed names).
tls/ — self-signed certificate + key (or your Let's Encrypt cert).
logs/localchat.log — rolling app log.
config.json — server settings, banlist, admin token.

Want a clean slate? Stop the app, delete the data folder (and the AppData config if you want to be re-prompted), restart.

Override the data folder for a single launch with LOCALCHAT_HOME=D:\path\to\folder.

Building from source

cd app
cargo run --release # tray + browser auto-open
cargo build --release --features tray # produces target/release/localchat.exe

CI publishes a single LocalChat.exe when you push a tag (git tag v2.0.0 && git push origin v2.0.0).

🛠️ Hacking on the internals? See DESIGN.md for the full architecture — concurrency model, persistence layout, E2EE protocol, wire spec, and a file-by-file map of the codebase.

Roadmap

PRs welcome.

License

MIT — do anything you want; attribution appreciated.

Built with Rust 🦀 because boring infrastructure should be fast and tiny.

LocalChat

A private, zero-install team chat that runs on your own Wi-Fi.

One ~5 MB binary. No accounts. No cloud. No telemetry. Double-click. Share the LAN URL. Done.

Why LocalChat?

Slack and Teams need internet, accounts, and SaaS pricing. IRC needs a server admin and config files. Discord owns your data.

LocalChat is the missing fourth option for offices, classrooms, hackathons, homelabs, secure facilities, factory floors, ships, planes, and anywhere else people share a network but not necessarily the internet:

One binary, no install. Drop LocalChat.exe on a desktop. Double-click. That's the whole setup.
Air-gapped friendly. Zero outbound traffic. Works on a router with no WAN.
No accounts. Pick a name, you're in. Identity is bound to a per-browser key so usernames can't be impersonated.
End-to-end encrypted DMs. The host process literally cannot read direct messages.
Persistent. Channels, members, message history, reactions and uploads survive restarts.
Tiny. ~5 MB on disk, ~5 MB RAM at 200 users / 50 channels.

Features


💬 Channels	Public, private, lobby. Create, invite, join, leave.
🔐 1:1 DMs	True end-to-end encryption.
📞 Voice & video calls	Direct peer-to-peer between users.
📎 File sharing	Drag & drop, image previews, lightbox.
↩️ Replies & reactions	Quote any message. React with any emoji.
👋 Mentions, typing, presence, read receipts	All the modern niceties.
🛡️ Admin dashboard	Live metrics, kick/ban, broadcast, settings.
🌗 Light & dark themes	Polished, mobile-friendly UI.
🔁 Auto-reconnect	Survives sleep, Wi-Fi roams, network blips.
🚫 No telemetry	Not a single outbound request.

60-second quick start

Download LocalChat.exe from the latest release.
Double-click. A tray icon appears; the host's browser opens automatically.
Allow it through Windows Firewall (Private network is enough).
Read the LAN URL from the tray tooltip — e.g. https://192.168.1.42:5000 — and share it with anyone on the same Wi-Fi.
They open the URL, pick a name, and start chatting. No install, no signup.

💡 The first visit shows a browser warning because the cert is self-signed. Click Advanced → Proceed. To replace it with a real cert, see app/scripts/.

Admin dashboard

Tray → Open admin dashboard opens the dashboard with the auto-generated admin token pre-filled. From there:

See live metrics (users, messages, uploads, uptime).
Kick or ban users.
Broadcast announcements to #general.
View and delete channels and uploaded files.
Change settings (port, max upload, history cap, autostart on boot, allow LAN admin access).

The admin API is localhost-only by default and gated by a per-install token.

Where your data lives

On first launch LocalChat opens a tiny browser page asking where to keep its data. Pick any folder you like (the default is C:\LocalChat on Windows). The chosen path is remembered in %APPDATA%\LocalChat\config.json (or ~/.config/localchat/config.json on Linux/macOS), so the exe can be moved, replaced, or upgraded without losing your data — and without asking again.

Inside the chosen folder you'll find:

localchat.db — single SQLite file holding users, channels, messages, reactions, read receipts, bans, and the per-database server_id.
uploads/ — raw uploaded blobs (atomic writes, sha-prefixed names).
tls/ — self-signed certificate + key (or your Let's Encrypt cert).
logs/localchat.log — rolling app log.
config.json — server settings, banlist, admin token.

Want a clean slate? Stop the app, delete the data folder (and the AppData config if you want to be re-prompted), restart.

Override the data folder for a single launch with LOCALCHAT_HOME=D:\path\to\folder.

Building from source

cd app
cargo run --release # tray + browser auto-open
cargo build --release --features tray # produces target/release/localchat.exe

CI publishes a single LocalChat.exe when you push a tag (git tag v2.0.0 && git push origin v2.0.0).

🛠️ Hacking on the internals? See DESIGN.md for the full architecture — concurrency model, persistence layout, E2EE protocol, wire spec, and a file-by-file map of the codebase.

Roadmap

PRs welcome.

License

MIT — do anything you want; attribution appreciated.

Built with Rust 🦀 because boring infrastructure should be fast and tiny.

LocalChat

A private, zero-install team chat that runs on your own Wi-Fi.

One ~5 MB binary. No accounts. No cloud. No telemetry. Double-click. Share the LAN URL. Done.

Why LocalChat?

Slack and Teams need internet, accounts, and SaaS pricing. IRC needs a server admin and config files. Discord owns your data.

LocalChat is the missing fourth option for offices, classrooms, hackathons, homelabs, secure facilities, factory floors, ships, planes, and anywhere else people share a network but not necessarily the internet:

One binary, no install. Drop LocalChat.exe on a desktop. Double-click. That's the whole setup.
Air-gapped friendly. Zero outbound traffic. Works on a router with no WAN.
No accounts. Pick a name, you're in. Identity is bound to a per-browser key so usernames can't be impersonated.
End-to-end encrypted DMs. The host process literally cannot read direct messages.
Persistent. Channels, members, message history, reactions and uploads survive restarts.
Tiny. ~5 MB on disk, ~5 MB RAM at 200 users / 50 channels.

Features


💬 Channels	Public, private, lobby. Create, invite, join, leave.
🔐 1:1 DMs	True end-to-end encryption.
📞 Voice & video calls	Direct peer-to-peer between users.
📎 File sharing	Drag & drop, image previews, lightbox.
↩️ Replies & reactions	Quote any message. React with any emoji.
👋 Mentions, typing, presence, read receipts	All the modern niceties.
🛡️ Admin dashboard	Live metrics, kick/ban, broadcast, settings.
🌗 Light & dark themes	Polished, mobile-friendly UI.
🔁 Auto-reconnect	Survives sleep, Wi-Fi roams, network blips.
🚫 No telemetry	Not a single outbound request.

60-second quick start

Download LocalChat.exe from the latest release.
Double-click. A tray icon appears; the host's browser opens automatically.
Allow it through Windows Firewall (Private network is enough).
Read the LAN URL from the tray tooltip — e.g. https://192.168.1.42:5000 — and share it with anyone on the same Wi-Fi.
They open the URL, pick a name, and start chatting. No install, no signup.

💡 The first visit shows a browser warning because the cert is self-signed. Click Advanced → Proceed. To replace it with a real cert, see app/scripts/.

Admin dashboard

Tray → Open admin dashboard opens the dashboard with the auto-generated admin token pre-filled. From there:

See live metrics (users, messages, uploads, uptime).
Kick or ban users.
Broadcast announcements to #general.
View and delete channels and uploaded files.
Change settings (port, max upload, history cap, autostart on boot, allow LAN admin access).

The admin API is localhost-only by default and gated by a per-install token.

Where your data lives

On first launch LocalChat opens a tiny browser page asking where to keep its data. Pick any folder you like (the default is C:\LocalChat on Windows). The chosen path is remembered in %APPDATA%\LocalChat\config.json (or ~/.config/localchat/config.json on Linux/macOS), so the exe can be moved, replaced, or upgraded without losing your data — and without asking again.

Inside the chosen folder you'll find:

localchat.db — single SQLite file holding users, channels, messages, reactions, read receipts, bans, and the per-database server_id.
uploads/ — raw uploaded blobs (atomic writes, sha-prefixed names).
tls/ — self-signed certificate + key (or your Let's Encrypt cert).
logs/localchat.log — rolling app log.
config.json — server settings, banlist, admin token.

Want a clean slate? Stop the app, delete the data folder (and the AppData config if you want to be re-prompted), restart.

Override the data folder for a single launch with LOCALCHAT_HOME=D:\path\to\folder.

Building from source

cd app
cargo run --release # tray + browser auto-open
cargo build --release --features tray # produces target/release/localchat.exe

CI publishes a single LocalChat.exe when you push a tag (git tag v2.0.0 && git push origin v2.0.0).

🛠️ Hacking on the internals? See DESIGN.md for the full architecture — concurrency model, persistence layout, E2EE protocol, wire spec, and a file-by-file map of the codebase.

Roadmap

PRs welcome.

License

MIT — do anything you want; attribution appreciated.

Built with Rust 🦀 because boring infrastructure should be fast and tiny.

LocalChat

A private, zero-install team chat that runs on your own Wi-Fi.

One ~5 MB binary. No accounts. No cloud. No telemetry. Double-click. Share the LAN URL. Done.

Why LocalChat?

Slack and Teams need internet, accounts, and SaaS pricing. IRC needs a server admin and config files. Discord owns your data.

LocalChat is the missing fourth option for offices, classrooms, hackathons, homelabs, secure facilities, factory floors, ships, planes, and anywhere else people share a network but not necessarily the internet:

One binary, no install. Drop LocalChat.exe on a desktop. Double-click. That's the whole setup.
Air-gapped friendly. Zero outbound traffic. Works on a router with no WAN.
No accounts. Pick a name, you're in. Identity is bound to a per-browser key so usernames can't be impersonated.
End-to-end encrypted DMs. The host process literally cannot read direct messages.
Persistent. Channels, members, message history, reactions and uploads survive restarts.
Tiny. ~5 MB on disk, ~5 MB RAM at 200 users / 50 channels.

Features


💬 Channels	Public, private, lobby. Create, invite, join, leave.
🔐 1:1 DMs	True end-to-end encryption.
📞 Voice & video calls	Direct peer-to-peer between users.
📎 File sharing	Drag & drop, image previews, lightbox.
↩️ Replies & reactions	Quote any message. React with any emoji.
👋 Mentions, typing, presence, read receipts	All the modern niceties.
🛡️ Admin dashboard	Live metrics, kick/ban, broadcast, settings.
🌗 Light & dark themes	Polished, mobile-friendly UI.
🔁 Auto-reconnect	Survives sleep, Wi-Fi roams, network blips.
🚫 No telemetry	Not a single outbound request.

60-second quick start

Download LocalChat.exe from the latest release.
Double-click. A tray icon appears; the host's browser opens automatically.
Allow it through Windows Firewall (Private network is enough).
Read the LAN URL from the tray tooltip — e.g. https://192.168.1.42:5000 — and share it with anyone on the same Wi-Fi.
They open the URL, pick a name, and start chatting. No install, no signup.

💡 The first visit shows a browser warning because the cert is self-signed. Click Advanced → Proceed. To replace it with a real cert, see app/scripts/.

Admin dashboard

Tray → Open admin dashboard opens the dashboard with the auto-generated admin token pre-filled. From there:

See live metrics (users, messages, uploads, uptime).
Kick or ban users.
Broadcast announcements to #general.
View and delete channels and uploaded files.
Change settings (port, max upload, history cap, autostart on boot, allow LAN admin access).

The admin API is localhost-only by default and gated by a per-install token.

Where your data lives

On first launch LocalChat opens a tiny browser page asking where to keep its data. Pick any folder you like (the default is C:\LocalChat on Windows). The chosen path is remembered in %APPDATA%\LocalChat\config.json (or ~/.config/localchat/config.json on Linux/macOS), so the exe can be moved, replaced, or upgraded without losing your data — and without asking again.

Inside the chosen folder you'll find:

localchat.db — single SQLite file holding users, channels, messages, reactions, read receipts, bans, and the per-database server_id.
uploads/ — raw uploaded blobs (atomic writes, sha-prefixed names).
tls/ — self-signed certificate + key (or your Let's Encrypt cert).
logs/localchat.log — rolling app log.
config.json — server settings, banlist, admin token.

Want a clean slate? Stop the app, delete the data folder (and the AppData config if you want to be re-prompted), restart.

Override the data folder for a single launch with LOCALCHAT_HOME=D:\path\to\folder.

Building from source

cd app
cargo run --release # tray + browser auto-open
cargo build --release --features tray # produces target/release/localchat.exe

CI publishes a single LocalChat.exe when you push a tag (git tag v2.0.0 && git push origin v2.0.0).

🛠️ Hacking on the internals? See DESIGN.md for the full architecture — concurrency model, persistence layout, E2EE protocol, wire spec, and a file-by-file map of the codebase.

Roadmap

PRs welcome.

License

MIT — do anything you want; attribution appreciated.

Built with Rust 🦀 because boring infrastructure should be fast and tiny.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
.github/workflows		.github/workflows
app		app
docs		docs
CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md		CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
DESIGN.md		DESIGN.md
LICENSE		LICENSE
LocalChat.png		LocalChat.png
LocalChatAdmin.png		LocalChatAdmin.png
README.md		README.md

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
.github/workflows		.github/workflows
app		app
docs		docs
CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md		CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
DESIGN.md		DESIGN.md
LICENSE		LICENSE
LocalChat.png		LocalChat.png
LocalChatAdmin.png		LocalChatAdmin.png
README.md		README.md

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
.github/workflows		.github/workflows
app		app
docs		docs
CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md		CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
DESIGN.md		DESIGN.md
LICENSE		LICENSE
LocalChat.png		LocalChat.png
LocalChatAdmin.png		LocalChatAdmin.png
README.md		README.md

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
.github/workflows		.github/workflows
app		app
docs		docs
CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md		CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
DESIGN.md		DESIGN.md
LICENSE		LICENSE
LocalChat.png		LocalChat.png
LocalChatAdmin.png		LocalChatAdmin.png
README.md		README.md

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
.github/workflows		.github/workflows
app		app
docs		docs
CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md		CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
DESIGN.md		DESIGN.md
LICENSE		LICENSE
LocalChat.png		LocalChat.png
LocalChatAdmin.png		LocalChatAdmin.png
README.md		README.md

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LocalChat

Why LocalChat?

Features

60-second quick start

Admin dashboard

Where your data lives

Building from source

Roadmap

License

About

Resources

Code of conduct

Stars

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LocalChat

Why LocalChat?

Features

60-second quick start

Admin dashboard

Where your data lives

Building from source

Roadmap

License

About

Resources

Code of conduct

Stars

Watchers

Forks

Releases

Packages

Contributors

Languages

Latest commit

History

Folders and files

Repository files navigation

LocalChat

Why LocalChat?

Features

60-second quick start

Admin dashboard

Where your data lives

Building from source

Roadmap

License

About

Resources

Code of conduct

Stars

Watchers

Forks

Releases

Packages

Contributors

Languages

Latest commit

History

Folders and files

Repository files navigation

LocalChat

Why LocalChat?

Features

60-second quick start

Admin dashboard

Where your data lives

Building from source