HexDroid is a free and open source IRC client for Android. It provides a clean, modern interface while supporting the features users expect from a desktop client — including IRCv3 capabilities, SASL authentication, TLS encryption, bouncer support, DCC file transfers, end-to-end encrypted chat, and an array of commands.
Requirements: Android 8.0 (API 26) or higher · License: GPLv3
- Multiple networks at once, each with its own nick, SASL, TLS, autojoin, and encoding
- IRCv3 (40+ caps incl. chathistory, MONITOR, typing, replies)
- Bouncer support (ZNC, soju) with profile discovery
- End-to-end encrypted chat per channel/PM: AES-256-GCM (
+AGM) and Blowfish/FiSH (+OK) - TOFU certificate pinning, SASL (PLAIN / SCRAM-SHA-256 / EXTERNAL), client certificates
- DCC SEND/CHAT, including TLS-encrypted SSEND/SCHAT. RESUME support for file transfers
irc:///ircs://link handling, image/video previews, mIRC + ANSI colour and ASCII art rendering- Per-network ignore list, channel op tools, IRCop panel
- Channel /list, lag indicator, nick
@and/commandautocompletion - Material Design 3 light, dark, and Matrix themes; adjustable fonts; 13 languages
- Backup/restore: network profiles and settings exported as JSON
HexDroid can encrypt message content end-to-end. Two schemes, selectable per target in the encryption dialog:
| Scheme | Wire prefix | Indicator | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| AES-256-GCM | +AGM |
🔒 | The modern default. Authenticated encryption, fresh random nonce per message, channel-bound against cross-channel replay. Recommended for new conversations. |
| Blowfish (FiSH) | +OK |
🐟 | interoperability with other clients that support FiSH. Reads both ECB and CBC FiSH formats, sends CBC. |
How it works
- Keys are pre-shared you generate a key on one device and share it with your contact out of band (the in-app Share sheet, in person, over another secure messenger). There is no automatic key exchange, so you control exactly who can read the conversation.
- Each key has a short safety number (e.g.
K4XR-T9BS) shown on every device that holds it. Compare it with your contact over a trusted channel to confirm you have the same key and no one tampered with it in transit. - Encrypted messages show a padlock indicator; a lock badge appears in the input while you're encrypting. Anyone without the key sees only
+AGM <ciphertext>(or+OK ...). /meactions are encrypted too, with the CTCP framing left intact so non-encrypting clients still render them correctly.
Key storage & portability
- Keys are stored on-device in
EncryptedSharedPreferences, wrapped by the Android Keystore — the same protection used for SASL credentials. - Keys are excluded from backups by design, so they never leave the device in a portable form. After a reinstall or device move you re-share keys with your contacts.
Client interoperability
+AGM: Supported clients have scripts in aes-client-plugins.+OK:fishlimplugins exist for most IRC clients.
The full +AGM wire-format specification are published here in this repository so any client author can add +AGM support.
HexDroid negotiates a comprehensive set of capabilities. All are enabled by default unless noted.
Core message infrastructure
| Cap | Notes |
|---|---|
message-tags |
Base for all tag-based features |
server-time |
Timestamps on every message, including history replay |
echo-message + labeled-response |
Outbound message confirmation; deduplication via msgid |
batch |
chathistory, event-playback, and labeled-response grouping |
message-ids |
Unique msgid per message; prevents duplicates during chathistory overlap |
standard-replies |
Structured FAIL/WARN/NOTE |
utf8only |
Signals UTF-8 intent to server |
draft/multiline |
When the server supports multiline for messages over 512 bytes |
History & read state
| Cap | Notes |
|---|---|
chathistory / draft/chathistory |
Replay on join; BEFORE paging on scroll-to-top; LATEST for unread catch-up |
draft/event-playback |
JOIN/PART/MODE events included in history batches |
draft/read-marker / soju.im/read |
Read pointer sync; drives the unread separator line |
Membership & presence
| Cap | Notes |
|---|---|
away-notify |
* nick is now away / * nick is back in every shared channel; initial away state seeded from WHOX flags on join |
account-notify |
Services login/logout notifications |
extended-join |
JOIN line shows [logged in as account] for authenticated users |
chghost |
Live ident/hostname changes reflected in nicklist |
setname |
Receive realname changes; send your own with /setname |
multi-prefix |
Full mode prefix stack in NAMES (e.g. @+nick) |
userhost-in-names |
Full nick!user@host in NAMES replies (off by default) |
invite-notify |
Notifies all channel members of /invite |
monitor / draft/extended-monitor |
Nick watch list; MONONLINE/MONOFFLINE notifications |
| WHOX (005 ISUPPORT) | WHO %uhsnfar on join seeds ident, host, account, and initial away state |
Messaging
| Cap | Notes |
|---|---|
account-tag |
Sender account exposed on every PRIVMSG/NOTICE |
draft/typing / typing |
Composing indicators; sending opt-in (off by default), receiving opt-out |
draft/message-reactions |
Emoji reactions via TAGMSG +draft/react; displayed as status lines |
+draft/reply / +reply |
Reply-to msgid threading; forwarded on PRIVMSG and NOTICE |
draft/relaymsg |
Relay bot messages attributed to the relayed nick (off by default) |
pre-away / draft/pre-away |
Sends AWAY before 001 so the session starts marked away when an away message is configured |
Channel management & bouncer / vendor caps
| Cap | Notes |
|---|---|
draft/channel-rename |
Buffer keys, nicklists, and selected buffer all updated on server-issued RENAME |
soju.im/bouncer-networks + soju.im/bouncer-networks-notify |
Multi-upstream support via soju |
soju.im/read |
soju read-marker protocol (parallel to draft/read-marker) |
soju.im/no-implicit-names / draft/no-implicit-names |
Suppress auto-NAMES on JOIN (avoids flood on reconnect) |
znc.in/server-time-iso |
Legacy ZNC < 1.7 timestamps |
znc.in/playback |
ZNC *playback module for missed-message replay |
Automatic detection starting from UTF-8.
- DCC SEND and DCC CHAT with active, passive, and auto modes
- Secure DCC SSEND and SCHAT for TLS-encrypted file transfers and chat sessions
- RESUME support resuming of "paused" file transfers
- Configurable incoming port range and download folder
- Rich transfer progress cards with one-tap accept from notification
- Incoming DCC CHAT offers create a buffer immediately and deep-link from notification
|
Google Play |
IzzyOnDroid Available via the IzzyOnDroid F-Droid repo. |
Direct APK |
Build from source:
git clone https://github.com/boxlabss/hexdroid.git
cd hexdroid
./gradlew assembleRelease- Tap Networks → + and enter a server hostname and port (
6697for TLS) - Set your nickname; optionally configure SASL credentials
- Save and tap Connect
- Use
/join #channelor tap Channel list to browse
To encrypt a conversation: open the channel or DM, tap the overflow menu (⋮) Secure Chat, generate a key, and share it with your contact. Import the same key on their device and confirm the safety numbers match. See the encryption guide for step-by-step instructions.
Full documentation at hexdroid.boxlabs.uk.
The Play Store and IzzyOnDroid releases are reproducibly buildable. The RB Status badge above links to the verification record. To verify locally:
./gradlew assembleRelease
# Compare the output APK against the downloaded release APKNo ads, analytics, crash reporters, or third-party SDKs. The app communicates only with the IRC servers you configure. All data is stored locally and deleted with the app. End-to-end encryption keys never leave the device. See the full privacy policy.
See CHANGELOG.md for the full version history.
| Where | Link |
|---|---|
| Docs | hexdroid.boxlabs.uk |
| android@boxlabs.co.uk | |
| IRC | #HexDroid on irc.afternet.org |
Bug reports and pull requests are welcome. Please open an issue before submitting a PR for non-trivial changes.
Bug reports should include:
- Device model and Android version
- HexDroid version (Settings → About)
- Steps to reproduce
- Relevant logcat output (Android Studio > Logcat, filter by
hexdroid)
Developers:
Scripts exist for HexChat, irssi and WeeChat for the +AGM spec. The wire-format specification lives under /aes-client-plugins/docs respectively; client authors wanting to interoperate with HexDroid's encryption should start there.
Translations are managed in the string resources under app/src/main/res/values-*/. If your language is missing or incomplete, a PR updating the relevant strings.xml is very welcome.
This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
(at your option) any later version.
Full license text in LICENSE.
Built with Kotlin · Jetpack Compose · Material Design 3