Groups
Who this is for: friends, teams, and circles who need multi-party chat. You choose how history works and how long the group lives.
What it is
Two encryption models and two lifetime styles combine independently:
| Choice | Options |
|---|---|
| History / crypto | E2E (sealed) or Open-history (shared) |
| Lifetime | Permanent or Temporary (up to ~30 days / 720 hours) |
How to use
- Create a group from the Groups flow; pick E2E or open-history, and permanent or temporary.
- Invite members (share / add as the app allows).
- Chat; use view-once where available.
- Admins manage membership and (where offered) a group password (stored as a hash).
Free accounts: 1 active privacy group and 1 active Open History Group. Premium: 200 of each — Premium and quotas.
Privacy strip
| Model | Content vs Buzzio | Late joiner history | Relay / retention |
|---|---|---|---|
| E2E groups | No readable transcript (sender-key E2EE); media client-encrypted | No full open archive | Catch-up ~2 days |
| Open-history groups | TLS in transit only. Text: plaintext at rest. Media: CDN bytes without at-rest encryption + dedup. Buzzio can read both; no server-held DEK privacy model | Yes — shared backscroll | ~365 days class |
Protocol: Groups cryptography · Shared media deduplication.
When to choose which
- E2E — operator-blind content over full continuity.
- Open-history — onboarding and backscroll matter more.
Controls
- View-once media
- Screenshot blocking is the member’s Screen security Privacy setting — not a group toggle
- Group password (hash, not a plaintext bag)
- Roles: Super Admin vs Admin
Limits
- E2E catch-up is short (~2 days) — late devices may miss messages.
- Temporary groups end when the window ends.
- Free: 1 active privacy group and 1 active Open History Group. Premium: 200 of each.
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting · create blocked by freemium gates · decrypt/session issues.