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You own your data
Messages are sent, received, and stored through your own mailbox. No central server keeps your chat history β no platform lock-in.
π Privacy-first Β· You own your data
Keep your data
Keep your data
truly in your own control
ICChat is a cross-platform chat app that communicates directly over the standard Email protocols (IMAP/SMTP). There is no central chat server β your messages live only in your own mailbox. Secure, self-owned, never locked in.
Alice
β End-to-end Β· Your mailbox
Hey! This message travels through our own mailboxes π¬
Right β no third-party server can see it.
So the data stays entirely in our hands?
In control. That's ICChat π
Type a messageβ¦
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Powered by Matrixworks Β· Built on the IncontrolCore engine
Why ICChat
A modern chat experience, built on the most open protocol you already own.
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Built on Email
The foundation is the mature IMAP/SMTP standard β globally interoperable, auditable, and never shut down.
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One-tap secure sign-in
Log in with Google or Microsoft OAuth (PKCE) β no need to expose your mailbox password.
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A familiar chat experience
Conversations, contacts, rich text and image messages β as natural and fluid as any messenger.
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Truly cross-platform
Android, iOS, Web, Linux, macOS, Windows β one account, synced everywhere.
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QR codes & deep links
Add contacts by scanning a QR code and jump anywhere with deep links. Connecting takes a moment.
How it works
No black box. Three steps to see why your data always belongs to you.
1
Sign in with your mailbox
Connect an existing email account via OAuth or IMAP/SMTP. ICChat doesn't create yet another identity silo.
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2
Messages are mail
Every chat message travels as a standard email between the sender's and receiver's mailboxes, carried by your mail provider.
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3
Your data stays with you
History lives in your mailbox β export, back up, or migrate it anytime. ICChat never hoards your data.
Available everywhere
Built with Flutter for a native experience across six platforms.
π±Android
πiOS
πWeb
π§Linux
π»macOS
πͺWindows
Take back control of your data
Download ICChat and start a conversation that's truly your own.
Works with Gmail, Outlook, and any standard IMAP/SMTP mailbox
Frequently asked questions
Does ICChat really not store my messages?
Correct. ICChat has no central chat database. Messages travel as email between your mailbox and your contact's, stored at each side's mail provider. The app itself does not retain your conversation content.
Does the other person also need ICChat?
For the best chat experience we recommend both sides use ICChat. Since the underlying transport is standard email, a message is still a normal email that any mail client can recognize.
Which mailboxes are supported?
Gmail and Microsoft Outlook via OAuth login, as well as any mailbox account that offers standard IMAP/SMTP service.
Do I need a phone number to sign up?
No. Your identity is your email address β no phone number to bind and no extra account to create.