💬 Chat
Your own messenger on our server in Switzerland – for family, friends and support, on the PC and the phone.
What it does for you
- Messages, groups and pictures with family and friends – without a corporation reading along or showing ads.
- Works on the PC and the phone; messages are the same on both.
- The shortest line to our support.
Who it is for: Everyone looking for an alternative to WhatsApp & co. for family or a group.
What you need: Your own chat password (set during setup). For the phone, the free app Element or the DasDing app. Included in your account.
The family group runs on WhatsApp, the pictures of the grandchild end up at Meta, and every message is tied to a phone number. The DasDing chat is your own messenger on our server in Switzerland.
How it works
The chat uses Matrix – an open standard for messengers, similar to e-mail: anyone can run a server, and the servers can talk to each other. Our server belongs to DasDing. You chat with other DasDing users, in groups and with support. Conversations are end-to-end encrypted: only the participants can read them.
On the PC the chat runs in the 💬 Chat tab, on Linux in the browser (it works more reliably there). On the phone via the DasDing app or the app Element.
Setting up
- 💬 Chat → “Create chat account” with your own chat password (at least 10 characters, best stored in the vault). It is separate from your DasDing password, because the chat also works in other apps like Element.
- “💬 Open chat”. The chat signs you in automatically the first time and stays signed in. If it does ask for a password: your user name and the chat password. If you see “Chat sign-in not possible right now”: wait a minute and open it again – the server allows only one sign-in per minute.
- Confirm the new session: if you already have the chat on your phone, it asks you after signing in on the PC whether you want to confirm the new session. Do it – otherwise encrypted messages stay unreadable on the PC.
On the phone
Easiest via the DasDing app (Chat tab, signs you in automatically). Alternatively install the app Element X → “Sign in” → enter the address from the card “📱 On the phone” as the server → user name and chat password. The older app “Element Classic” is being discontinued at the end of 2026 – if you still use it, switch to the DasDing app or Element X now.
Security key – set up once, never struggle with “confirm session” again
Chats with a lock symbol are end-to-end encrypted: the messages exist only on your devices. That is why the chat wants to confirm every new device (PC, phone, new app) once – otherwise old messages stay unreadable there (“Waiting for this message”). Comparing emojis between two devices often fails on the phone because both must stay open at the same time. The security key is easier:
- In the chat Settings → Security & Privacy → “Set up Secure Backup” (once). Store the key shown in the vault.
- On every new device, at the “Confirm session” prompt choose “Verify with security key” and paste the key. Done – no second device needed.
Chats without a lock need no confirmation; new chats are created without encryption by default. If you want to encrypt a chat, switch it on in the room settings under “Security” – this cannot be undone afterwards.
Forgot the chat password? In the tab: “Forgot / change chat password”.
Linking Signal and Telegram
If enabled for you (and with two-factor sign-in), you can connect Signal and Telegram in the card “🔗 Link accounts”. Your Signal or Telegram messages then also appear in the DasDing chat – one program for everything. Signal: Settings → Linked devices → “Link new device” → scan the code. Telegram: QR code or phone number.
Warning
linked messages run through our server and are stored there so that they appear in both apps. If you don't want that, leave the link out – the DasDing chat works without it. “Unlink” ends the link at any time.
How do I find others?
In Element or in the chat via “New conversation” and the person's chat name (it is shown in the 💬 Chat tab under “Your chat account”, for example @name:server).
This guide is also available in the program under 📖 Guides – with jump links to the other guides.