FAQ
Short answers first. Deep links follow each topic.
Account and recovery
Do I need a phone number or email?
No. Accounts use a Buzzio ID and a 12-word recovery phrase created on your device. Optional @username is separate.
I lost my 12-word phrase. Can Buzzio reset it?
No. Buzzio never receives the phrase or private messaging keys. Without the phrase (and without an unlockable encrypted backup for history), those keys cannot be rebuilt.
Phrase vs backup recovery key?
| Key | Restores |
|---|---|
| 12-word phrase | Account identity and messaging keys |
| Backup recovery key | Encrypted chat-history backup you chose to save |
New phone with history usually needs both. See Account and backup.
How do I sign in on a new phone?
Install → restore → Buzzio ID + phrase. Identity/keys return. Full private history only if you unlock a backup. Step-by-step: Move to a new phone.
How do I delete my account?
In-app: Account → Delete account → enter your 12-word phrase → confirm. Details: Delete your account. You can also email with subject Privacy Request — Delete Account — never send the phrase.
Privacy
Can Buzzio read my private 1-to-1 chats?
No. Sealed 1:1 content is end-to-end encrypted. Readable history lives on your devices. See 1-to-1.
Can Buzzio read everything in the app?
No single rule. Shared products store more so they work: open-history groups, Communities, Broadcast, Stories (ops), Whisper Questions (owner must read answers), optional contact sync and cloud backup. That data is still not sold.
On Communities / Broadcast / open-history groups: connections use TLS in transit, but text is plaintext at rest and media is stored as CDN bytes without at-rest encryption. Buzzio can read that content; there is no server-held DEK privacy model. Stories and private chat media stay on their existing crypto paths. See Sealed vs shared · Shared media deduplication.
How are Private Vault and backups tied to my account?
You can choose seed-level account encryption: the app derives separate Vault and backup wrapping keys locally from the account master key behind your 12-word phrase. Separate domain labels prevent key reuse. The phrase is never uploaded. You can instead choose a separate 64-character recovery key for either product. See Private Vault · Account and backup.
Can people search for my Community?
Only if an owner enables the public setting. Public Communities can have an @handle and appear in global search. Private Communities stay out of public discovery and use their permitted invite/join paths. Public does not mean E2E: Community content is TLS in transit and plaintext at rest.
What does “zero metadata” mean?
1-to-1 chat and Whisper private chat are Buzzio’s zero-metadata conversation surfaces: after delivery (1-to-1) or session expiry (Whisper), Buzzio does not keep a durable server archive of who privately talked to whom or what they said. It does not mean Tor anonymity or “stores nothing.” See scoped definition · Verify zero metadata.
Is sealed sender fully finished?
Write + inbox cutover is complete for 1:1 messages, sealed controls, 1:1 call invites, and conversation-scoped presence (no legacy plaintext-from / sender_id_hint writes; sealed-only parse; legacy receipt listeners off; online under opaque presence_conv tokens). Full table: Privacy guarantees · Sealed sender.
Delivery still uses sender certificates so block and rate limits work. That is not “unfinished sealed sender” — see Why delivery still learns the sender.
Why not claim Tor-level privacy?
Buzzio runs on Firebase / FCM / CDN infrastructure. Providers can see accounts, connections, and that a recipient got a sealed wake at time T. See Threat model.
Is there end-to-end private chat in the browser?
No — and Buzzio will not add it. web.buzzio.dev is a phone-linked companion for shared rooms only (open-history groups, Communities, Broadcast). Sealed 1-to-1, E2E groups, Whisper private chat, calls, Vault, and your recovery phrase stay on the phone. See Why E2E chat is not on the web.
Will Buzzio find friends from my phone contacts?
No. Buzzio does not use a phone number as account identity and does not offer phone-book discovery. Share a Buzzio ID, @username, or QR instead. See Privacy guarantees.
Can Buzzio reset my phrase or unlock my wallet?
No. Keys and wallet are non-custodial. Optional encrypted backup is unlocked only with a recovery key you control — staff cannot restore your account for you.
Has Buzzio been independently security audited?
Not yet published. Mechanisms and open educational packages are documented for review, but that is not a formal third-party audit. Status, scoped plan, and where the public summary will live: Independent security audit. Report issues via Security disclosure.
Whisper
Whisper private chat vs Whisper Questions?
| Product | Promise |
|---|---|
| Whisper private chat | QR, time-limited, E2E, deleted after expiry |
| Whisper Questions | Anonymous ask links; owner can read answers; not E2EE like private chat |
Never treat them as the same privacy model.
Features
Which group type should I pick?
- Maximum secrecy → E2E groups
- Shared backscroll for late joiners → Open-history groups
See Groups.
Do you record calls?
No server call recording archive. Media prefers peer-to-peer; history list is local (~24 hours on the Call tab). See Encrypted calls.
Secure View vs disappearing vs once-view?
Different tools — see Glossary.
How do freemium limits work?
Free accounts: unlimited messages; 1 active of each create type (Whisper, privacy group, OHG, community, broadcast); files up to 50 MB. Premium: 200 active of each create type; 200 MB files (Transfer plan / Rocket Drop up to 10 GB per file). Buzzio Premium, backup Premium, Private Vault, and Link Packs are separate products. Full table: Premium and quotas.
Are bots end-to-end encrypted?
No. Bot chats (and Forge) are cloud / shared by design. Buzzio and the bot developer’s server can see the text while Buzzio retains it (~7 days). Do not send secrets to a bot. See Bots · Bot Privacy.
How do I create a bot?
Open @forge_bot → /newbot → choose Service or Worker → copy the token → connect on developers.buzzio.dev. API: Bot API.
How do I add sticker packs from another app or site?
Use Add to Buzzio in a sticker app, or an Add to Buzzio link on a publisher site. Packs copy onto your phone; Buzzio does not host the publisher’s files. See Stickers · Sticker import API.
Is Vault the same as encrypted chat backup?
No. Vault is a personal encrypted file locker. Chat backup restores messaging history. Different products and keys — Private Vault · Account and backup.
Is Buzzio down?
Check the live board at status.buzzio.dev. If it shows all systems operational, try Troubleshooting — single-device issues are usually not site-wide outages. More: Service status.
Still stuck?
Troubleshooting · Status · Delete your account · Legal and policies · Contact and support · Quickstart