Session
Session allows users to send encrypted messages, make voice and video calls, and share files across a decentralized network that collects no metadata and requires no personal identifiers to create an account.
Private messaging without the phone number — because true privacy starts before you even hit send.
Session is a free, open-source messaging app built for complete privacy. No phone number or email is needed to create an account — the app generates a random Account ID that carries no link to real identity.
Developed by the Oxen Project and now stewarded by the Session Technology Foundation, a Swiss non-profit, Session routes all messages through an onion network of independently operated Service Nodes. No single server ever knows both who sent a message and who received it.
Available on Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and Linux, Session supports text and voice messaging, file sharing, voice and video calls, group chats, and open community channels. It logs no metadata, does not store IP addresses, and collects no user data of any kind.
Apps are frequently updated and may change over time. While we aim to keep our reviews accurate and up to date, some information may become outdated or no longer reflect the current version.
Disclaimer ▽ (click open)
How to Use
Getting started with Session takes under two minutes. Download the app on any supported platform — Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, or Linux — and tap Create Account. Session immediately generates a unique Account ID: a long alphanumeric string that acts as your private identifier. No email, no phone number, no personal data is required or collected at any point.
To start a conversation, share your Account ID with the person you want to message. They paste it into the app and send you a message. The ID can be shared as a QR code, copied as text, or shared via any channel you prefer. Once connected, all messages are sent end-to-end encrypted and routed through the onion routing network, which prevents any server from tracking message origin or destination.
Session supports one-on-one chats, closed group chats (end-to-end encrypted, up to 100 members), and large open Community channels for public groups. Voice and video calls are also available within the app. Users can send text, images, voice notes, and file attachments. Disappearing messages can be configured per conversation, automatically deleting messages after a set time period on both sides.
Session also works on multiple linked devices simultaneously, allowing users to keep a desktop and mobile client in sync. The app’s open-source code is publicly available on GitHub, making it possible for anyone to inspect and audit its security independently.
Strongest Points:
✓ No phone number or email required — accounts are generated anonymously using a unique Account ID
✓ Onion routing hides both IP address and message metadata from servers and recipients
✓ Fully decentralized server network makes data breaches and centralized shutdowns significantly harder
✓ Completely free to use with no ads, no tracking, and no data monetization of any kind
✓ Open-source codebase allows independent security audits — Quarkslab completed a full audit confirming strong privacy protections
Weaker Points:
✕ Message delivery can be slower than mainstream apps due to the privacy-focused routing infrastructure
✕ Contact discovery relies on manual ID sharing — there is no way to find people by name or phone number
✕ Video calls can be unreliable, with users reporting connection issues and poor quality compared to established alternatives
✕ Small user base compared to mainstream messengers means convincing contacts to switch can be a barrier
✕ Limited customization and fewer quality-of-life features compared to apps like Telegram or Signal
How to Use
Getting started with Session takes under two minutes. Download the app on any supported platform — Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, or Linux — and tap Create Account. Session immediately generates a unique Account ID: a long alphanumeric string that acts as your private identifier. No email, no phone number, no personal data is required or collected at any point.
To start a conversation, share your Account ID with the person you want to message. They paste it into the app and send you a message. The ID can be shared as a QR code, copied as text, or shared via any channel you prefer. Once connected, all messages are sent end-to-end encrypted and routed through the onion routing network, which prevents any server from tracking message origin or destination.
Session supports one-on-one chats, closed group chats (end-to-end encrypted, up to 100 members), and large open Community channels for public groups. Voice and video calls are also available within the app. Users can send text, images, voice notes, and file attachments. Disappearing messages can be configured per conversation, automatically deleting messages after a set time period on both sides.
Session also works on multiple linked devices simultaneously, allowing users to keep a desktop and mobile client in sync. The app’s open-source code is publicly available on GitHub, making it possible for anyone to inspect and audit its security independently.
Strongest Points:
✓ No phone number or email required — accounts are generated anonymously using a unique Account ID
✓ Onion routing hides both IP address and message metadata from servers and recipients
✓ Fully decentralized server network makes data breaches and centralized shutdowns significantly harder
✓ Completely free to use with no ads, no tracking, and no data monetization of any kind
✓ Open-source codebase allows independent security audits — Quarkslab completed a full audit confirming strong privacy protections
Weaker Points:
✕ Message delivery can be slower than mainstream apps due to the privacy-focused routing infrastructure
✕ Contact discovery relies on manual ID sharing — there is no way to find people by name or phone number
✕ Video calls can be unreliable, with users reporting connection issues and poor quality compared to established alternatives
✕ Small user base compared to mainstream messengers means convincing contacts to switch can be a barrier
✕ Limited customization and fewer quality-of-life features compared to apps like Telegram or Signal
Use it For:
🔒 People who want to message privately without handing over a phone number or email address to sign up.
🌐 Users living in or communicating with people in countries with high levels of digital surveillance or censorship.
💻 Anyone who wants a secure messaging option across desktop and mobile without locking into a single platform.
👥 Small groups or communities who need encrypted group chat without sacrificing metadata privacy.
🔍 Privacy-conscious users who want a fully open-source, independently audited app they can verify themselves.
App Usable on:
Phone
Tablet
PC
TV
Applications and Features
Session’s core capability is anonymous account creation. Unlike every major messaging competitor, it generates a random Account ID at setup and never links it to a phone number, email address, or any other identifier. This single design decision eliminates a primary source of identity exposure that affects most encrypted messaging apps.
All messages travel through onion-routed paths — a layered routing system where each server in the chain only knows the next hop, never the full path. Combined with the decentralized Service Node network, this means no central authority can monitor who is talking to whom, even if a subset of servers were compromised.
Session supports a range of communication types: one-on-one encrypted chats, encrypted closed groups for up to 100 members, large open Community channels with no membership cap, voice messages, image and file sharing, and voice and video calls. Disappearing messages can be set per conversation, with automatic deletion after user-defined intervals.
The app supports multi-device linking, allowing users to run Session on both a smartphone and a desktop simultaneously with synchronized conversations. It is also fully cross-platform, running on Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and Linux. The codebase is publicly available on GitHub under open-source licenses. An upcoming Session Pro tier will introduce extended message length, larger group sizes, animated profile images, and priority badges for users who want to support the network.
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App Summary
Session occupies a specific but important space in the messaging landscape: it is built for people who take privacy seriously and want an app that does not compromise on it. The combination of anonymous account creation, onion-routed message delivery, and a decentralized server network puts it ahead of most competitors when it comes to protecting user identity and metadata.
It works best for one-on-one private conversations, small encrypted group chats, and situations where revealing a phone number or email is not acceptable. It is available free across all major platforms and is regularly updated by an active open-source community.
The main limitations are practical: slower message delivery, unreliable video calls, and the difficulty of getting contacts to switch from established apps. For users who value anonymity and metadata protection above all else, however, Session delivers a messaging experience that few apps can match at any price.
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Session is completely free to download and use on all platforms with no ads, no data collection, and no subscription required. A Session Pro tier is in development that will unlock extended features such as longer messages and larger group sizes, with pricing to be confirmed at launch.
Learning Difficulty:
Session is accessible to most users without any prior technical knowledge, though the Account ID system for adding contacts is less intuitive than phone-number-based apps and may take a moment to understand on first use.
Required Skill Sets:
Educational Content:
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1/4
Questions & Answers: ⮛ (click to open)
Do I need a phone number to sign up for Session?
No. Session generates a random Account ID during setup that has no connection to a phone number, email address, or any other personal identifier. This is one of its most significant differences from Signal and WhatsApp, both of which require a phone number to register.
Is Session truly secure, or is that just marketing?
Session has been independently audited by Quarkslab, a specialist cybersecurity research firm, which confirmed that its encryption and privacy protections are technically solid. All messages are end-to-end encrypted and routed through an onion network, and the full codebase is open-source and publicly verifiable on GitHub.
How do I add a contact if there are no phone numbers?
Each user has a unique Account ID — a long alphanumeric string — which can be shared as text or a QR code. To add someone, you paste their Account ID into the app and send an initial message. It requires manual sharing upfront but eliminates the identity exposure that comes with phone-number-based contact systems.
Can I use Session on both my phone and laptop at the same time?
Yes. Session supports multi-device linking, so you can have the app running on a smartphone and a desktop simultaneously with messages synchronized across both. It is available on Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Good to Knows: ⮛ (click to open)
• Session is stewarded by the Session Technology Foundation, a Swiss-based non-profit — not a commercial company — which means no investor pressure to monetize user data.
• The app underwent an independent security audit by the cybersecurity firm Quarkslab, which confirmed that Session’s privacy protections are technically sound.
• A Session Pro tier is in development and will be funded by optional subscriptions rather than advertising or data collection, keeping the core app permanently free.
Takeaways: ⮛ (click to open)
• Session delivers genuinely strong anonymity and metadata protection that goes beyond what most encrypted messaging apps offer, making it a credible choice for privacy-conscious users.
• The trade-off for that privacy is occasional slower performance and a smaller contact network — Session works best as a dedicated private messaging tool rather than a general WhatsApp replacement.
• Completely free and open-source, Session is one of the few apps in its category that anyone can independently verify — an important detail for users who want proof, not just promises.
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