Rebranding Loki Messenger

For the last 18 months, we’ve been hammering away at Loki Messenger, a decentralised, anonymous messaging app that uses Signal’s end-to-end encryption, Lokinet’s onion routing or proxy requests, and the Loki Storage Server infrastructure. Users generate almost no metadata when messaging using Loki Messenger. The app is fully cross-platform (with support for Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, and Linux). It supports all the features users expect from a modern messaging solution: device linking for multi-device accounts, file attachments, self-destructing messages, easy device wiping, QR code scanning, and offline (asynchronous) messages.

We are really excited by the potential of Loki Messenger. We think that alongside Lokinet, Loki Messenger will prove to be the biggest drawcard for bringing people into the Loki ecosystem. Through our work on Loki Messenger, we are providing the world with a free, open-source secure communications system that actually preserves your privacy.

However, we’ve decided to give Loki Messenger a new name. We wanted to be able to tell the story of this great product without having to explain to the average user the makeup of the entire Loki ecosystem. This meant decoupling the Loki Messenger brand from the rest of the Loki suite, and giving Loki Messenger a fresh start with a new UI, UX and an all-new brand.

Enter: Session Private Messenger.

Session is a superb standalone product. It is easy to explain to someone why they should use it. The onboarding and setup process is straightforward, and testing has shown Session to be a reliable app even in this early stage.

As the CEO, I frequently have to describe what Loki is to people from many walks of life. It can be quite difficult to succinctly describe what we do here. Between the Loki cryptocurrency, the Loki Service Node network, Lokinet, and Session (née Loki Messenger), the Loki Network has a wide — and widely-varied — portfolio, and a simple summary of ‘we build privacy tools for the internet’ leaves more questions than answers.

Creating a distinction between Loki Messenger and the rest of the Loki suite makes it much easier to describe what Session is as a standalone product.  This simpler branding is going to be hugely important for mass adoption of Session. Messaging apps largely grow their user bases through word of mouth, and we need to do everything we can to help users grow the Session user base by themselves. Explaining Loki Messenger to someone means explaining Loki itself, the Loki suite, and why anyone should actually care. Rebranding Loki Messenger to Session means anyone can quickly and easily explain that Session is a super-private messaging app — without having to wade into the weeds of the backend technologies that make it possible.

Of course, with this drastic change in branding comes the issue of tying Session back to Loki. Naturally, if the Loki network is going to power Session, how can Session’s user base benefit the network if they don’t even know it exists?

Through integrating Loki wallet functionality into Session, and providing extensive documentation on the app’s Loki-powered backend, we can help Session users find their way into other parts of the Loki ecosystem. Session users will also be able to purchase LNS names for use in Session over the Loki blockchain, which will be a great way to monetise the service for the benefit of the network as a whole. On the Session website and in Session’s documentation, we will include information regarding the operation of Loki Service Nodes, positioning service node operation as a key activity for those wanting to get more involved. Lokinet will also benefit from Session users, as large numbers of connected users will create an improved anonymity set for anyone connecting to other services on Lokinet.

We’ve been working really hard on this rebrand in preparation for the planned cross-platform launch of Session in (very) early 2020. We’re drawing back the curtains on the Session rebrand ahead of time so that we can start to generate an internet presence for the new brand, and Session itself will be available on all platforms in the first month or two of next year, provided there are no delays caused by app store approvals.

We’re finally stepping out of quiet product-development mode, and with the help of the growing team here at Loki, we’re hard at work on getting this wonderful product polished, shipped and promoted.

We’re very proud of the Session brand — and, of course, the app itself. We hope you enjoy the new brand, and can help us spread the word about one of Loki’s most promising privacy products when it lands at an app store near you very soon.