Troubleshooting
Symptom → checks → when to escalate. Never paste your 12-word phrase or backup recovery key into email or screenshots sent to support.
Decision tree (start here)
- Account / restore? → Cannot create or restore · Move to a new phone
- Messages missing? → Messages not delivering
- Notifications? → Notifications
- Calls? → Calls
- Whisper? → Private chat vs Questions sections below
- Create blocked? → Freemium creates
- Want to leave? → Delete your account
- Looks like a global outage? → status.buzzio.dev · Service status notes
Cannot create or restore account
| Symptom | Checks |
|---|---|
| Restore fails | Confirm Buzzio ID digits and all 12 words (order + spelling). Wrong word = wrong keys. |
| “Forgot phrase” | There is no reset. Create a new account only if this identity is unrecoverable. |
| New phone empty chats | Login restores keys, not history. Unlock an encrypted backup if you made one. |
| Delete account | In-app phrase confirm — Delete your account |
Messages not delivering / not appearing
- Confirm network connectivity on both devices.
- Confirm the recipient’s app is updated and signed into the correct Buzzio ID.
- Wait for FCM wake + inbox fetch (sealed path is wake-only — body is not in the push).
- Free accounts have unlimited messages; Premium unlocks more active creates and larger files — see Premium and quotas.
- If someone blocked you, delivery may fail by design — Safety.
- Undelivered sealed envelopes are purged after ~3 days — very late online devices may miss them.
Sealed 1:1 delivery is Cloud Function–only (deliverSealedMessage). Legacy plaintext-from client writes are cut over (allowLegacyFallback = false). See Sealed sender.
Notifications silent or too revealing
- OS notification permission for Buzzio.
- In-app Notifications: message/call toggles; preview mode (Name and message / Name only / No name or message).
- Per-chat or community Mute.
- Battery / OEM “restricted background” killers on Android — allow Buzzio background activity for reliable wakes.
Sealed 1:1 pushes are designed wake-only (no message body / no sender id on the preferred path). Preview text still depends on what the client shows after fetch and your preview setting.
Calls fail or drop
- Microphone / camera permissions.
- Stable network; try Wi-Fi ↔ cellular.
- Call only from a 1-to-1 relationship path.
- Blocks prevent calling that private relationship.
- See Encrypted calls.
Block / report confusion
| Symptom | Checks |
|---|---|
| Still getting messages | Confirm block completed; ask peer to update app; see Safety |
| Cannot call someone | Block or missing 1:1 relationship path |
| Need to report abuse | Contact info → Report; never attach phrase screenshots |
Whisper private chat
| Symptom | Checks |
|---|---|
| Cannot create QR session | Free: 1 active Whisper. Premium: 200 active. Close or expire one to create another. |
| Cannot join / scan | Session may be full (scan limits), expired, or require auth. |
| Chat gone | Sessions are time-limited; expiry deletes server relay and local session data by design. |
| File too large | Free 50 MB / Premium 200 MB without Transfer plan; Transfer plan max 10 GB per file |
Do not confuse with Whisper Questions.
Whisper Questions
| Symptom | Checks |
|---|---|
| Link expired | Free links ~24h; Link Pack links ~15 days. |
| Cannot create | Need Free eligibility or a Link Pack credit. |
| Expected E2EE | Questions are owner-readable — not Whisper private chat. |
Groups / Communities / Channels create blocked
Free-tier and Premium creation gates:
| Action | Free limit | Premium limit |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy group | 1 active owned | 200 active owned |
| Open History Group | 1 active owned | 200 active owned |
| Whisper | 1 active | 200 active |
| Community | 1 active owned | 200 active owned |
| Broadcast channel | 1 active owned | 200 active owned |
Leaving, dissolving, closing, or deleting frees the slot. Details: Premium and quotas.
Backup / vault
| Symptom | Checks |
|---|---|
| Cannot unlock backup | Need the backup recovery key (not only the 12-word phrase). |
| Cloud backup locked | Premium backup lapsed; ~60-day grace then removal — renew or export while available. |
| Quota full | Free ~100 MB; Premium backup ~100 GB/year — see quotas page. |
Decrypt / session errors
Rare ratchet/session failures can require re-establishing the 1:1 session (implementation UX). Update the app on both sides. Do not share private keys when reporting.
Still stuck?
- FAQ
- status.buzzio.dev · Service status notes
- Contact — use correct subject; never send phrases/keys
- Confirm you installed from buzzio.dev only