BurnPony
Self-destructing encrypted notes. The recipient just opens a link.
New in version 1.0.1
1.0.1 fixes the F-Droid build (JVM toolchain pin removed from the core module). No user-facing changes.
Send a secret without making the other person install anything.
Write a note, set the self-destruct rules, share one link. The note is
encrypted on your device with AES-256-GCM before anything is uploaded, and
it decrypts only in the recipient's browser. The decryption key travels in
the part of the link after the #, which browsers never send to any server —
so the server stores ciphertext it cannot read, plus a note ID, a view
count, and an expiry. No accounts, no names, no analytics.
WHAT YOU CONTROL
• Views: burn after 1 reading, or allow up to 100
• Expiry: 5 minutes to 30 days, changeable later, counted from now
• Optional passphrase, stretched with PBKDF2 and mixed into the key —
send it through a different channel than the link
• Auto-hide: the revealed note re-hides after a timer
• Read receipts, disclosed to the recipient before they reveal the note —
BurnPony does not do silent read tracking
• A private label for your own list; it never leaves your device
• QR code for in-person handoff: the whole link, key included, transfers
with no network at all
HONEST LIMITS
Whoever has the full link (and passphrase, if set) can read the note. A
recipient can always copy or photograph a note while it is visible.
Self-destruction limits future access; it does not control the moment of
reading.
OPEN
The app, the server, the viewer, and the wire-format specification are
open source (Apache-2.0), with cross-implementation test vectors shared
with the iOS app and the web viewer. Self-hosters can point the app at
their own server from Settings. Protocol: https://burnpony.app/protocol
BurnPony is part of the pony family of privacy tools: encryption you can
inspect instead of taking a developer's word for it.
Write a note, set the self-destruct rules, share one link. The note is
encrypted on your device with AES-256-GCM before anything is uploaded, and
it decrypts only in the recipient's browser. The decryption key travels in
the part of the link after the #, which browsers never send to any server —
so the server stores ciphertext it cannot read, plus a note ID, a view
count, and an expiry. No accounts, no names, no analytics.
WHAT YOU CONTROL
• Views: burn after 1 reading, or allow up to 100
• Expiry: 5 minutes to 30 days, changeable later, counted from now
• Optional passphrase, stretched with PBKDF2 and mixed into the key —
send it through a different channel than the link
• Auto-hide: the revealed note re-hides after a timer
• Read receipts, disclosed to the recipient before they reveal the note —
BurnPony does not do silent read tracking
• A private label for your own list; it never leaves your device
• QR code for in-person handoff: the whole link, key included, transfers
with no network at all
HONEST LIMITS
Whoever has the full link (and passphrase, if set) can read the note. A
recipient can always copy or photograph a note while it is visible.
Self-destruction limits future access; it does not control the moment of
reading.
OPEN
The app, the server, the viewer, and the wire-format specification are
open source (Apache-2.0), with cross-implementation test vectors shared
with the iOS app and the web viewer. Self-hosters can point the app at
their own server from Settings. Protocol: https://burnpony.app/protocol
BurnPony is part of the pony family of privacy tools: encryption you can
inspect instead of taking a developer's word for it.
- Author: NorseHorse
- License: Apache License 2.0
- Website
- Issue Tracker
- Source Code
- Build Metadata
- Reproducibility Status
Versions
Although APK downloads are available below to give you the choice, you should be aware that by installing that way you will not receive update notifications and it's a less secure way to download. We recommend that you install the F-Droid client and use that.
Download F-Droid-
arm64-v8aarmeabi-v7ax86x86_64This version requires Android 7.0 or newer.
It is built and signed by the original developer, and guaranteed to correspond to this source tarball.
Download APK 1.9 MiB PGP Signature | Build Log