Ghostline Chat
A private, end-to-end encrypted messaging server running on the same infrastructure as everything else here. No phone number, no advertising, no company reading your messages — the server is ours and we run it ourselves.
What this actually is
Think of it as WhatsApp or Discord, except the server is ours rather than a corporation's. The technology is called Matrix — an open standard for chat — and the app you use to talk to it is called Element. "Ghostline" is simply the name of our server. You will see all three words; they refer to different layers of the same thing.
- End-to-end encrypted. Private conversations are encrypted on your device and decrypted on theirs. We run the server and still cannot read them.
- No phone number required. You pick a username. Nothing links the account to your identity unless you choose to add it.
- Works everywhere. Browser, Android, iPhone, Windows, macOS, Linux — with your history synced between them.
- It is federated. Like email, you can talk to people on other Matrix servers, not only to people on ours.
Creating your account
Unlike the media library, chat registration is open — you do not need an invitation from us.
Go to element.karafa.net in any browser. You will see a welcome screen with Sign in and Create Account.
The homeserver is already set to Ghostline — you do not have to type a server address, and you should not change it. If it says anything else, you are on the wrong page.
Your full address ends up looking like @yourname:ghostline — that is what you
give people so they can find you. An email address is optional but worth adding, because
without one there is no way to recover a forgotten password.
Element will offer you a recovery key (a long code) or let you set a security phrase. Store it somewhere safe — in a password manager, or written down. Because the encryption is genuine, losing it means your old encrypted messages become permanently unreadable, even to us. This is the one step people skip and later regret.
Getting it on your phone
The browser works, but for messaging you want notifications, so install the app.
- Install Element from Google Play or the App Store.
- Open it and choose Sign in.
- Tap Edit next to the homeserver — by default the app points at the public matrix.org server, which is not where your account is.
- Enter
element.karafa.netas the homeserver, then sign in with your username and password. - Verify the new device from a device you are already signed in on, so it can read encrypted messages.
A new device cannot decrypt old conversations until an existing one confirms it is really you. Element shows a row of emoji on both screens — check they match, then confirm. Without this you will see "Unable to decrypt" on older messages.
Talking to people
| You want to | Do this |
|---|---|
| Message one person | Click the + next to People and enter their full address, e.g. @michal:ghostline. |
| Create a group | Use + → New room. Keep it private unless you specifically want it findable. |
| Invite someone | Open the room, go to People, and click Invite. They need an account first. |
| Send files or photos | The paperclip in the message box. Files are encrypted the same way messages are. |
| Voice or video call | The call icons at the top right of a conversation. |
Common questions
Is this the same account as Jellyfin?
No. Chat is completely separate — a different account, a different password, and you can use one without the other. You do not need a media library account to use chat.
Can you read my messages?
Not the encrypted ones, which is every private conversation by default. As the server administrators we can see that accounts exist and that traffic happens — metadata such as who is in which room and when — but not the contents. Rooms deliberately created as unencrypted public rooms are, of course, readable, as they are for everyone.
It says "Unable to decrypt" on old messages.
That device has not been verified, or you signed in fresh without your recovery key. Verify it from a device that is already signed in. If you no longer have one and lost the key, those specific messages cannot be recovered — new messages will work normally.
Can I talk to friends on matrix.org?
Yes. Matrix is federated, so just use their full address, for example @someone:matrix.org. It works like emailing someone at a different provider.