Connect to RetroHexChat
User Information
  • 1-16 characters
  • Must start with a letter
  • No spaces allowed
  • Case sensitive
One session per nickname

Connecting from another window ends the previous session.

Session expiry

Sessions expire after 10 failed reconnection attempts.

Nickname cleanup

Nicknames unused for 7 days are automatically released.

How Retro Hex Chat Works

How Retro Hex Chat Works

Retro Hex Chat combines a self-hosted Phoenix server with real-time chat, channel Spaces, private WebRTC peer-to-peer sessions, and self-hosted channel conferences.

Architecture overview
Your Server

One server. Fully yours.

Your database
Messages, users, channels — all stored on your machine.
Your rules
You decide who joins, what channels exist, and how moderation works.
Your backups
PostgreSQL keeps the data accessible for your own backup and migration strategy.

Anyone can run a server. Install it on a $5/month VPS, a Raspberry Pi, or your own hardware. You control everything.

Public: open to anyone who wants to join.
Private: invite-only, for your company or group.

Self-hosted
Private P2P Connections

Private sessions connect directly via WebRTC.

1 Alice wants to call Bob 2 Server exchanges signaling (SDP/ICE) 3 Direct P2P connection established 4 Voice, video, and files flow directly Alice Connected Bob Connected Server is out of the loop

For private calls, file transfer, and multiplayer games, the server only handles signaling — helping users find each other. Once connected, all data flows directly between browsers via WebRTC.

If a direct connection isn’t possible (strict firewalls), a TURN relay is used as fallback while WebRTC transport encryption remains in place.

Peer-to-peer
Virtual Spaces

Spaces are real-time map views of the same conversation.

Channel or DM
The Space attaches to the active channel or direct message; it is not a separate room.
Server-validated movement
The browser sends inputs; the server validates movement, interactions, and presence before broadcasting deltas.
Same chat history
Messages stay in the normal conversation while the Space displays them as in-map bubbles.
Space runtime
Channel Conferences

Group calls use your server as the media router.

Self-hosted SFU
Each browser sends media to the room server; the room server routes streams to the other participants.
Channel membership
Conference access follows the channel membership and moderation model.
Moderation controls
Operators can lock the room, mute participants, disable cameras, manage screen sharing, or end the conference.
SFU routed
Privacy Comparison

Big Tech vs. Retro Hex Chat.

Big Tech Retro Hex Chat
Messages Stored on their servers, mined for ads Stored on YOUR server, never leaves
Calls Routed through corporate infrastructure Private P2P, or conferences routed by your own server
Your data Trains their AI, sold to advertisers Stays in your database, period
Code Closed source — trust us Open source — verify yourself
Control They can ban you anytime You own the server — nobody can

No tracking. No profiling. No algorithms. Your conversations are your business.

Your data
Security Layers

Security at every layer.

LAYER 1 — Server Connection Browser TLS 1.3 Server Protected HTTPS / WSS · bcrypt hashing · rate limiting · CSRF protection LAYER 2 — P2P Calls (end-to-end) Browser E2E enc Browser E2E enc DTLS / SRTP P2P calls encrypted end-to-end via WebRTC Server never sees voice/video data

Server connection: HTTPS and WSS with TLS encryption.
P2P calls: DTLS-SRTP encryption built into WebRTC.
Channel conferences: WebRTC media routed by your self-hosted room server.
Passwords: bcrypt hashing, never stored in plain text.
Open source: anyone can audit the code. No backdoors.

Encrypted
About
MIT License
v0.1.0
Home How It Works Features Privacy Install Community FAQ
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