What is Sibrel?
Sibrel is a messenger for private conversations, groups, communities and calls. You can join an existing host like any other service, or run your own. You do not need server administration skills to talk to people.
A host runs your account and handles its data. A community within Sibrel may also be called a “server”, but it is not a separate machine: it consists of channels, members and rules within a host.
Getting started
- Open the web app or get an app from Downloads.
- Choose a host. Before registering, check who operates it, its rules and how to contact support.
- Create an account and verify your email if the host requires it. Keep your password safe.
- Add friends, join a community through an invitation or create a group.
- Allow microphone and camera access only for calls you want to make. Set up notifications.
Photos, videos and music
Open attachments, choose a photo or video and edit it before sending. Edits affect the copy you send. Large videos take time to export; speed depends on your device, duration and output quality.
Photos support drawing, text, elements and filters. For videos, choose the start and end, change the frame or mute the sound. Review the preview and select Done.
Music activity in your profile is optional. On Android, reading the current track requires notification access; the source and available metadata depend on the player app. New native features require the corresponding app update.
Everyday features
- Send private and group messages, reply, forward, react and pin important messages.
- Create communities with text and voice channels, roles and invitations.
- Make voice and video calls, share your screen and send voice notes and video messages.
- Use emoji, stickers, themes and chat folders.
- Add bots for commands and automation when the community owner allows it.
Why does an address include a host?
An address such as @anna#example.org includes a username and home host. Federation lets connected hosts exchange messages. It is similar to email across providers, but uses Sibrel’s own protocol. Both sides need connectivity and compatible versions.
Benefits and limitations
| Benefit | What to consider |
|---|---|
| Choose a host and community rules. | Service quality and data protection depend on the operator. |
| Chats, calls, communities and automation in one client. | Some features require configured media, email and storage services. |
| Communicate across independent hosts. | Delivery may fail when a host is unavailable; there is currently no guaranteed offline queue. |
| New attachments can be encrypted before upload. | This does not mean all conversations are end-to-end encrypted. Protected files need keys and a separate password. |
| Use a browser or an app. | Not every platform has a published build; check the actual download links. |
Looking after your data
Never share your password, bot token or access keys in a chat. Keep your protected-file password safe and separate: losing your keys can make old attachments inaccessible. Recipients can save messages and files they receive.
Deleting an account anonymizes its author but keeps messages and attachments. See Security and the Privacy policy.