💬 Jabber/XMPP - Anonymous Chat
Secure communication via decentralized messaging protocol
Intermediate
📖 15 min
What is Jabber/XMPP?
XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol) is an open, decentralized messaging protocol.
Decentralized
No central server controls everything
OMEMO/OTR
End-to-end encryption
Tor-support
Can be used via Tor for anonymity
Recommended clients
Gajim (Desktop)
Windows/Linux - Built-in OMEMO support
gajim.org
Dino (Linux)
Modern design, OMEMO
dino.im
Conversations (Android)
Best mobile option
conversations.im
Monal (iOS)
Open source for Apple
monal-im.org
Anonymous XMPP servers
These servers allow registration without personal information:
| Server | Tor .onion | OMEMO |
|---|---|---|
| disroot.org | ✓ | ✓ |
| conversations.im | ✗ | ✓ |
| jabber.de | ✗ | ✓ |
| xmpp.jp | ✗ | ✓ |
Configure Gajim with Tor
-
Install Gajim
Download from gajim.org
-
Install OMEMO plugin
Gajim → Plugins → Search "OMEMO" → Install
-
Configure Tor proxy
Preferences → Proxy → Add:
Type: SOCKS5 Host: 127.0.0.1 Port: 9050 -
Create account
Accounts → Add → Choose server from list above
-
Enable OMEMO
In each chat: Click lock icon → OMEMO
Security tips
- ✓ ALWAYS use OMEMO/OTR for sensitive conversations
- ✓ Verify contacts' fingerprints
- ✓ ALWAYS connect via Tor
- ✓ Use unique username that can't be linked to you
- ❌ NEVER share personal info via XMPP
- ❌ NEVER log in without Tor
XMPP vs other messaging services
| XMPP | Signal | Telegram | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Requires phone | No | Yes | Yes |
| Decentralized | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| E2E encryption | OMEMO | ✓ | Optional |
| Tor-friendly | ✓ | Difficult | ✓ |