Install and open.
Download the app for each computer. Put everyone on the same Wi-Fi or wired local network, then open Local Chat.
Allow Local Network access if your operating system asks. Let the app through your firewall on trusted networks. There is no account to create or server to install.
Open Settings to choose your display name and appearance. Other running copies appear in People nearby. General is the shared starting room.
Find it later.
Press Command+K on Mac or Control+K on Windows and Linux to search saved messages. Search works locally, even when the original sender is offline.
History and unsent drafts stay on your computer. Returning peers exchange missing messages. “Saved locally” means the message is on your computer; “Shared with connected peers” means other connected computers have stored it, not that someone has read it.
Can’t see each other?
Open People nearby and choose Reconnect. The same button is always available at the bottom of the sidebar. Your conversation and draft stay in place.
- Check that both computers are on the same local network and both apps are running.
- Check Local Network permission and your firewall settings.
- Try a trusted home or office network. Guest Wi-Fi can isolate devices.
- A VPN or a router that blocks multicast discovery may prevent connections.
- Closing the window keeps the app running. Quit stops it.
If the problem continues, report a bug with your app version and operating system. Keep private conversations and credentials out of screenshots and logs.
Know your network.
Rooms are public to everyone using Local Chat on the current network. A display name is not proof of identity. Encrypted connections protect messages in transit, but local discovery is not a verified identity system.
Use a network and people you trust. Don’t send secrets or sensitive information into a public room. Other peers keep their own copies; removing your local data cannot erase theirs.
Read the privacy policy for storage, updates, and website details.