Delta Chat, Overview and Installation

The email messenger, Delta Chat, is a Germany communication app which everyone can use and just works friends and family even without them using the same application. This article overviews it and give installation guide for Ubuntu and Android users. Let's chat!

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What is Delta Chat?

Delta Chat is secure email-based instant messenger from Germany available in many languages and for all platforms. No server, no data collection, and no phone number required. In 2020, Russian Government requested the users' data and Delta Chat replied that they do not have user's data at all.

Features Your May Find Excellent

No registration, no phone number required.
No ads, no users' data business.
Does not have Terms of Service.
Chat and group chat.
Modern, fancy, WhatsApp-like user interface.
Can message people who do not use Delta Chat.
Video and voice call with Jitsi.
Automatic encryption with E2EE.
For users, no need to selfhost.
For selfhosters, you can use Delta with your IMAP servers.

Comparison to Other Messengers

Other ones cannot chat unless users use same messenger, Delta Chat can.
WhatsApp and alike require phone number, Delta does not.
Skype and alike depend on central servers, Delta doesn't.
Facebook and alike store users' data, Delta is not.
Google and alike could read users data, Delta could not.
Apple and alike could be forced to give users' data to government, Delta could not be, because it does not have users' data.
However, Delta Chat does not have web version yet.
It is decentralized and federated already because it is based on email.

Download Delta Chat

Delta Chat can be downloaded at the official website. For Ubuntu, download the AppImage. For Android, you can download from either Play Store or F-Droid.

Ubuntu Installation

See the AppImage file you downloaded.
Right-click it > Properties > Permissions > Executable = checked > OK.
Double-click file.
Delta Chat runs.
Use Alacarte application to put it on menu.

Android Installation

If you want to install Delta Chat from alternative app store F-Droid:

Run your F-Droid on phone.
Search and find Delta Chat.
Tap INSTALL.
Run Delta Chat.

People's Opinions

This might be interesting to you. At the time I write this article (September 2021) many influential resources have not recognized nor recommended Delta Chat including FSF Directory, FSF Privacy Pack, SecureMessagingApps, PrivacyToolsIO, PrismBreak, and DroidBreak. On the other hand, Kuketz from Germany published a comparison table that includes Delta available here.