Private messaging for conversations that stay private
Not every conversation belongs in a public feed. Private messaging is where you talk directly with the people you choose, and, in Gonchat, where those conversations aren't meant to stay forever.
What is private messaging?
Private messaging is communication between specific people rather than something published to a public feed, post or comment section. Instead of broadcasting to an audience, you are talking to someone: one person, or a small group.
Private messaging vs public social media
Social platforms are built around visibility: posts, likes, comments and reach. That's great for reaching an audience, but it's the opposite of a private conversation. Private messaging removes the audience. There is no public thread, no comment section, no feed. Just the conversation.
Why private conversations don't always need to be permanent
A lot of what we say day to day was never meant to become a permanent record. Private messaging with
disappearing messages treats those exchanges like real conversations: they happen, and then they don't linger. If you want the concept behind that, see
ephemeral messaging.
Is private messaging the same as secure or encrypted?
They're related but not identical. "Private" is about who a conversation is for; keeping it that way depends on how the app is built and on the people in the chat. We avoid absolute claims: no app can promise a message can never be saved or seen by the person you sent it to. What Gonchat does is keep conversations off public feeds and design them to disappear by default.
Private messaging for creators
Frequently asked questions
What is private messaging?
Private messaging is communication between specific people rather than something published to a public feed, post or comment section, meant to be seen only by the people in the conversation.
What is the difference between private messaging and encrypted messaging?
They answer different questions. "Private" is about who a conversation is for: specific people rather than a public audience. "Encrypted" is about how the data is protected in transit or storage. A conversation can be private without being end-to-end encrypted, and the two terms should not be treated as the same thing.
Do I need a phone number to use Gonchat?
No. You sign up with an email address and a username, no phone number required.
Are private messages kept forever?
Not in Gonchat. Conversations are designed to be ephemeral, so they clear themselves rather than building up an indefinite record.