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Show HN: EncroGram – A Privacy-Focused Messenger (encrogram.com)

1 points by truthleaks ↗ HN
Hi HN,

EncroGram is a messaging app built around a simple question: What remains visible when message content is encrypted?

Most modern messengers encrypt content but still retain significant metadata: who talks to whom, when, how often, and from where.

EncroGram is an attempt to reduce that metadata footprint as far as practically possible. The goal is not mass adoption or feature parity, but a minimal, transparent communication model.

Key points: – No tracking or analytics – No hidden data collection – Focus on architectural simplicity – Explicit threat model (what EncroGram does and does not protect against)

This is not a “Signal killer” and not designed for everyone. It’s an experiment in reducing assumptions around data retention and trust.

Website: https://encrogram.com

I’m interested in technical feedback, criticism, and discussion around the trade-offs.

8 comments

[ 0.29 ms ] story [ 31.1 ms ] thread
robtherobber
Is there a way for specialists, security journalists, and the public to audit the app, the security protocols employed, and/or the code base? And are there people who can at least vouch for Torsten's technical qualifications and character?

I think that not having sufficient information about the technology itself or the person who is behind it will forever work against the effort to popularise the app. People have been burned time and again by improper security implementations and owners who turned out not to be who they said they were.

torsten111
Yes this is for sure possible and welcome. You and all other people can contact me by E-Mail hi@encrogram.com

I will share every information including sources to make it trustfull to the world!

Best regards, Torsten

[deleted]
(comment deleted)
torsten111
For and questions feel free to ask.
tingling168
What makes this different than just a "worse Signal"?

> EncroGram is an attempt to reduce that metadata footprint as far as practically possible

Again, this is different from Signal how exactly?

erwinx71
That’s a fair question. Signal is a very good messenger, but it makes a number of explicit trade-offs that EncroGram intentionally does not. The main difference is not cryptography, but assumptions. Signal encrypts message content very well, but it still relies on: – a global, centralized service – long-lived identifiers (phone numbers) – server-side knowledge of who communicates with whom and when – push-based delivery models that inherently leak metadata EncroGram starts from a different premise: what metadata is structurally unavoidable, and what exists only because it’s convenient? The project focuses on minimizing retained and observable metadata at the architectural level, even when that comes at the cost of convenience, instant delivery, or UX polish. This does not make EncroGram “better” in a general sense. It makes it different. Signal optimizes for usability and adoption under a realistic threat model. EncroGram optimizes for users who are willing to trade convenience for a smaller metadata footprint and clearer trust boundaries. In short: – Signal is not the wrong solution. – EncroGram is for people who are dissatisfied with the remaining metadata Signal intentionally accepts. Whether that trade-off is worth it depends entirely on the user’s threat model.