Local-first
Messages live on the local network and in your browser's cache. No cloud round-trips, works with zero internet.
Local-first · off-grid · open source
Messaging that grows where you are.
LOAM is a messaging network with no internet, no accounts, and no cloud. One person hosts it on a laptop, a Raspberry Pi, or a phone. Everyone nearby scans a QR code and joins over local WiFi.
Runs offline. Anonymous by default. AGPL-licensed.
How it works
Three steps to a network of your own
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1
Someone hosts
Run LOAM on a laptop, a Raspberry Pi, or an Android phone. It starts a local WiFi hotspot and prints a join QR — no servers, no setup.
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2
People scan & join
Nearby devices scan the QR to connect and open LOAM in the browser. Everyone gets an anonymous, ephemeral identity — no email, no phone number.
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3
You talk, locally
Post to channels, reply in threads, DM, react — and optionally chat with a local AI assistant. Everything stays on the local network.
What you get
Small, private, and resilient
Anonymous & ephemeral
A generated name and avatar, no account. Optional disappearing-message timers keep history minimal.
Channels, threads & DMs
Public channels for coordination, threaded replies for focus, and private direct messages between two people.
Installable PWA
Add it to your home screen and keep reading against the local cache even when the signal drops.
Optional local AI
Point it at a local Ollama model and an assistant appears as a contact — answers stay on the host, offline.
Phone as the host
The Android app turns a phone into the node: it runs the server, starts the hotspot, and shows the join QR.
Who it's for
For people, where the network isn't.
LOAM is built for moments the internet can't reach — and for keeping ordinary people connected when staying in touch is what matters most.
- Communities off the grid — remote areas, boats, camps, anywhere without coverage.
- Events & gatherings — a room, a venue, a field: a private space to coordinate.
- When infrastructure fails — outages and disasters, where a hotspot is the only link.
- Organisers & helpers — a simple, no-account way to reach the people around you.
These protections exist to keep everyday people safe and connected — not to hide wrongdoing.
Open source
Yours to run, read, and improve.
LOAM is free and open source under the AGPL. Read every line, run your own node, and help build the roadmap — from encrypted storage to LoRa relays that reach beyond one hotspot.
- Fastify server · WebSocket + REST
- Preact PWA client
- SQLite storage, encrypted at rest
- Deterministic anonymous identities
- Dependency-free QR encoder
- Expo / React Native Android host