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ENCRYPTED TEAM MESSAGING

End-to-end encrypted team messaging that belongs to the operation.

Encrypted team messaging in Sinkaos lives inside the operation: one channel for everyone, one for each incident, and direct messages. Messages, photos and files are end-to-end encrypted, and when the operation closes, its conversations close with it.

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PRIVATE PHONES

The team chat runs on private phones and private numbers.

Most teams coordinate in a consumer messenger because everyone already has it, and that has a cost. To add a volunteer you need their private phone number. Group membership drifts, and people from last year’s event are still reading this year’s chat. Photos of injured people and addresses sit in personal galleries long after anyone needs them.

There is also no link between the conversation and the work. A report of a blocked road is a message among hundreds. Whoever reads it has to copy it somewhere else, and the person who sent it never learns whether anyone acted on it.

ONE JOINT EXERCISE

A water rescue exercise with a partner organisation, from eight until lunch.

  1. 08:00
    Partners join without swapping numbers
    Two water rescue teams from a partner organisation join the operation as guests by link. They sign in with a password or passkey; nobody hands out a phone number. Their access is limited in time and scope.
    GuestsNo phone number
  2. 09:20
    One channel per incident
    A capsized boat is opened as an incident. Its own encrypted channel starts with the boat crews and the operator in it. The operation-wide channel stays quiet enough to read.
    Incident channelsMentions
  3. 09:24
    A message becomes a task
    A crew lead writes that the far bank needs a second team. The operator turns the message into a task, places it on the map and assigns it. The original message links to the task.
    Message to taskMap
  4. 10:05
    Photos, without the wrong metadata
    A photo of the casualty goes into the incident channel, encrypted on the phone before it leaves. Under the operation’s policy, its location metadata is stripped. On a weak link, low-bandwidth mode lets text through first.
    Encrypted mediaMetadata policyLow bandwidth
  5. 12:30
    A lost phone, revoked
    A volunteer’s phone goes into the river. The operator revokes the device. It receives nothing new, and what it stored remains behind its screen lock and local encryption.
    Device keysRevocation
Operator view of a demo festival operation: the map with zones, teams, a camera and a people counter, and next to it incident INC-0007 "Gate N2 blocked" with its details, three tasks, the camera feed and the activity log.
An incident with its tasks and activity, next to the map. Demo data.
IN THE APP

Messaging that knows which operation it is part of.

End-to-end encrypted chats

Direct and large group chats, with messages, photos and files encrypted on the device.

Channels that follow the work

One for the whole operation, one for each incident, and direct messages. Places, incidents and tasks shared into a chat stay the same object.

Keys per device

Every phone and browser has its own key pair. Verify a device by QR or safety code, and revoke one that is lost.

No phone number needed

Sign in with a password, passkey and authenticator app, or your organisation’s single sign-on.

Encrypted calls

One-to-one and group voice and video calls.

Disappearing messages

Messages and attachments that expire, with clear wording about what can and can’t be removed from other devices.

Quieter on a bad link

Low-bandwidth mode holds back photos and video so text and alerts get through first. Messages written offline are queued.

Search that stays on the device

Search inside encrypted messages runs on your phone, so the server never needs to read them.

WHAT IS ENCRYPTED

What the server can and cannot read.

End-to-end encryption covers specific kinds of data. This is the split, as published on our Security page.

DATAPROTECTIONWHAT THE SERVER SEES
MessagesEnd-to-end encryptedThat a message was sent, by which device, to which channel, when, and its size
Photos and filesEnd-to-end encryptedFile size and when it was sent
Incidents, tasks, map objectsEncrypted in transit and at restThe content, so it can sync and raise alerts
PositionsEncrypted in transit and at restPositions of members who are sharing
LIMITS

What encrypted messaging in Sinkaos does not do.

Not everything is end-to-end encrypted
Incidents, tasks, map objects and positions are readable by the server, because it has to sync them and raise alerts. The table above shows where the line is.
Not for classified information
Sinkaos is not accredited for classified information. Use it for operational work, and keep classified traffic on the systems approved for it.
Metadata still exists
The server knows that a message was sent, from which device, to which channel, when and how large it was.
Device security is still yours
Encryption does not help if a device is left unlocked. Screen locks and quick revocation of lost devices stay your responsibility.
WHO USES IT

Teams that use it.

Rescue teams with partner organisationsSecurity operationsHumanitarian field teamsCouncil emergency centresEvent control roomsVolunteer networksCivil-military liaison
QUESTIONS

Questions about encryption, accounts and privacy.

Is everything in Sinkaos end-to-end encrypted?
Messages, photos and files are. Incidents, tasks, map objects and positions are encrypted in transit and at rest, and are readable by the server so it can sync them and raise alerts.
Do people need to share a phone number?
No. Accounts use an email or username with a password, passkeys and authenticator-app codes, or your organisation’s single sign-on.
Can the service operator read our messages?
No. Account recovery goes through a trusted device or an encrypted recovery package, and never gives us access to old messages. If your organisation needs compliance access, it appears as a visible member of the room, never as a hidden key.
What happens to messages when the operation ends?
Conversations belong to the operation. Guests lose access when it closes, and retention rules per type of data decide how long messages are kept.
Does it work without signal?
Messages are written and queued on the phone and sent when a link appears. Text and alerts go first on slow links.
Why not just use Signal or WhatsApp?
They are good messengers. If what you need is a record of incidents, tasks and positions on a shared map, read our comparison with WhatsApp and Signal.
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Try it on your next operation.

Early access is free. We set up the first operation with you and stay close while you use it.