ONYX 2.0 Removes Central Servers for Fully Decentralized Tor-Based Messaging and Calls
ONYX 2.0-beta marks a major shift from its previously centralized design to a serverless architecture that relies entirely on Tor for all communications. Each user account is now represented solely by a cryptographic key pair generated on first launch, with recovery handled through a 12-word seed phrase. Devices connect directly via onion services, and the application bundles its own Tor daemon on desktop platforms while using tor-android on mobile devices. Voice calls are supported through an embedded local TURN server, delivering acceptable quality with 1-3 second latency despite the anonymity overhead. Message delivery now depends on recipient availability, with undelivered messages stored locally on the sender and retried automatically. The update deliberately removes features such as HTTP or SOCKS5 proxies and link previews to prevent IP leaks or external traffic. Developers released the beta to gather feedback on stability across network changes and multi-device scenarios.
HabrOct 10, 2026Translated from Russian