HelpGetting started
What is Status?
jorge-campo
and
on May 13, 2024

The Status app is a secure communication tool and super app, combining messaging, communities, crypto wallet and a dApp (decentralized apps) browser. Status upholds and protects your privacy and rights, and promotes your sovereignty and freedom of expression.

Status is an open-source project providing the Status app software for free. You can download the app and build your community without needing permission from us or anyone else.

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Status doesn't provide any services, and you don't need to pay or subscribe to use the Status app.

At Status, privacy is the principle that shapes our design and technology. You don't need to share your personal details, such as your phone number, email address or credit card information, to use Status.

We've designed the Status app to keep your personal information inaccessible to us because what you do on our app is not our business. Only you and the people you're talking to can read your conversations, and nobody, including Status, can censor your content or restrict your access to the app.

Status firmly believes in decentralization and permissionlessness. You have complete control over your personal information, and no central authority can control it.

Status Communities are self-sovereign spaces where users are in control. Members autonomously control each community, set its rules and bear responsibility for its actions.

Communities are decentralized and powered by members using the Status desktop app. Anyone can create their own Status Community for free, and you don't need to pay to run one. Your community is entirely under your control. No one, not even Status, can shut it down, block access or interfere with its operation.

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While Status doesn't charge you fees for running a community, you may incur costs related to computer or server provision and internet bandwidth.

You can customize the look of your community, promote the community to be public or private, or make it token-gated using ERC-20 assets, collectibles (NFTs) and ENS names.

Status messaging protects your direct messages and group chats using strong end-to-end encryption (E2EE). The Status app also offers unique privacy aspects like metadata privacy, perfect forward secrecy (PFS), decentralization and permissionlessness.

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PFS
is a security feature that prevents past messages from being decrypted even if your private key is compromised.

Status messaging is fully decentralized and powered by Waku

, a peer-to-peer protocol for private, secure and censorship-resistant communication. We ensure that your conversations and the information about who you're talking to remain confidential and only available to people in the chat.

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Your Status profile and messages are temporarily saved in the Waku
peer-to-peer network and stored permanently on your device. They are not saved on the blockchain or transmitted via the Ethereum network.

Status Wallet is a self-custodial wallet for your crypto, including Ethereum-based assets and collectibles. You have complete control over your crypto, and no one can freeze or lock your tokens.

In addition to Ethereum, Status Wallet supports other Layer-2 blockchain networks fully committed to decentralization, such as Optimism and Arbitrum.

You can send and receive crypto across different networks using a simple interface. Status Wallet calculates the most cost-effective way to move tokens from one place to another, considering gas prices and bridge costs (transfer costs).

With the Status dApp browser, you can access dApps with integrated crypto wallet support.

Status desktop uses WalletConnect

to link with dApps and securely connect to web3. With this setup, you can use your favourite web browser and enjoy a familiar experience while using dApps.

Status mobile integrates a dApp browser to improve your experience. It's less convenient to switch between apps on mobile than on desktop, so we're bringing everything into one place.

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The Status dApp browser is in an early development phase.