ONYX v1.2-beta - now actually comfortable to use

I've been working on ONYX for a while now, and v1.1 was honest about one thing — it was secure, but using it every day felt like a chore. This update is mostly me fixing that.

What's new

• File uploads now show a preview and progress.
• Message forwarding — took longer than it should have, but it's in
• Keyword search across chats
• Smooth send/receive animations — on by default if you search the settings, and I liked having them
• Tap a reply to jump to the original message
• Message pinning (local only for now — I want to add it for both sides in next patches)

Improved

• LAN mode stability — this one was long overdue
• General performance

Fixed

• LAN mode connection issues
• Various bug fixes

Still a lot to do.

If you want to follow what's coming — there's an update channel inside the app: 12e01467-c154-447b-84f8-133ae76684a1 (channel token)

https://github.com/wardcore-dev/onyx/releases/tag/v1.2-beta

Feedback in the comments is welcome.

What is Onyx?

A black and white banded semiprecious stone /j

a hardcore rap band

pokemon

Private and anonymous self-hosted messenger.

Yes, 16 characters minimum. Since there's no phone number, no email, and no alternative recovery method - the password is the only thing protecting your account. A weak password with no fallback is a real risk, so I set the bar higher intentionally. It also reduces brute force viability. Passphrases are supported but currently not used for login - just the password for now.

I understand it's not for everyone. But the 16-character minimum is there for a reason — your password is the only key to your account, no fallbacks, no recovery via phone or email. That requires a strong password.
There's a built-in password generator in the app — one tap, cryptographically secure, 16 characters, done. Save it once and you won't need to type it again. Think of it like a crypto wallet seed phrase — you store it once somewhere safe and that's it.
If the priority is speed over security, Telegram is a better fit. ONYX was built for people who actually care about privacy, and that comes with a slightly higher entry bar.
That said, I'll consider dropping the hard minimum to 8 characters with a strong recommendation to use 16 — so people have the choice but know the tradeoffs.

Just take four random words, misspell a few of them, and there's your long password.