Getting Started

Get Zentalk up and running in just a few minutes.

Installation

Choose your platform:

Desktop

macOS


brew install zentalk

Linux


# Debian / Ubuntu
sudo apt install zentalk
 
# Arch Linux
yay -S zentalk
 
# Fedora
sudo dnf install zentalk

Windows

Download the latest installer from the releases page .

Mobile

iOS — Available on the App Store
Android — Available on Google Play and F-Droid

Using npm


npm install -g zentalk-cli

Quick Start

1. Create Your Identity

When you first run Zentalk, you need to create a local identity. This generates your encryption keys — they never leave your device.


zentalk init

You will see output like:


Creating new identity...
Generated identity: alice@zen
Public key: zk1qxy7...

Your identity is ready. Keep your recovery phrase safe!

2. Save Your Recovery Phrase

Zentalk will display a 12-word recovery phrase. Write it down and store it somewhere safe. This is the only way to recover your identity if you lose access to your device.


Recovery phrase:
apple banana cherry dragon eagle frog
garden honey igloo jacket kite lemon

3. Check Your Status

Verify everything is working:


zentalk status


Identity: alice@zen
Node: online
Peers: 3
Encryption: active

Send Your First Message

Connect to a Peer

To message someone, you need their Zentalk address. Add them as a contact:


zentalk add bob@zen

Send a Message


zentalk send bob@zen "Hey Bob, this is encrypted!"

Start a Chat Session

For an interactive chat experience:


zentalk chat bob@zen

This opens a real-time encrypted chat session.

Receive Messages

Messages are delivered automatically when you are online. Check your inbox:


zentalk inbox

Or listen for new messages in real-time:


zentalk listen

Using the Desktop App

If you prefer a graphical interface, launch the desktop app:


zentalk app

Or open Zentalk from your applications menu.

The desktop app provides:

Visual chat interface
Contact management
File sharing with drag-and-drop
Voice message recording
Group conversations

Configuration

Zentalk works out of the box, but you can customize settings:


# View current config
zentalk config list
 
# Set a display name
zentalk config set name "Alice"
 
# Enable notifications
zentalk config set notifications true

Configuration is stored locally at ~/.zentalk/config.json.

Next Steps

Now that you are up and running:

Features — Explore what Zentalk can do
Architecture — Learn how Zentalk works
Run a Node — Help strengthen the network
API Reference — Build apps with Zentalk

Troubleshooting

Cannot connect to peers

Make sure your firewall allows outbound connections on port 9000.


zentalk diagnose

Identity not found

If you see this error, initialize your identity first:


zentalk init

Need help?