In Operation
Here’s an image of Delta Chat in action.
The software uses Push-IMAP, an email protocol designed as a faster way to synchronise a mobile device like a smartphone to an email server.
Other features include:
- Supports HTML emails, images, videos and other attachments.
- Built with security in mind:
- Autocrypt is used for automatically establishing end-to-end encryption with contacts and group chats. Autocrypt uses a limited and secure subset of the OpenPGP standard.
- Secure-Join protocols are used for establishing chats with guaranteed end-to-end encryption which protects against network attacks and compromised servers.
- Data is not saved on a central server unless all users are using the same e-mail servers.
- Use Delta Chat on multiple devices at the same time.
- Share webxdc apps, attachments with an .xdc file extension.
- Database encryption (experimental).
Summary
Delta Chat is a messenger that uses the largest, most diverse and decentralized communication system ever created: the existing email server network.
Our opinion is somewhat mixed. While it’s great that we can converse with all our contacts with a single app given that it doesn’t need a centralised server, its email functionality pales compared to a good email client like Thunderbird.
Unlike Signal, Delta Chat doesn’t support Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS).
Website: delta.chat
Support: GitHub Code Repository
Developer: DeltaChat contributors
License: GNU General Public License v3.0
Delta Chat is written in TypeScript. Learn TypeScript with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Pages in this article:
Page 1 – Introduction and Installation
Page 2 – In Operation and Summary