Ricochet Refresh

Ricochet Refresh is an instant messaging application that protects identity, contacts, and conversation content. Communication occurs directly between users through the Tor network, without central servers storing metadata or logs. No entity can learn the IP addresses of the participants, who is communicating with whom, or the timing of the communication. The application generates a unique identifier (Ricochet ID) for each user, eliminating the need to provide a phone number, email address, or any personal data.

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• No central servers. Ricochet Refresh's architecture operates on a peer-to-peer (P2P) network over Tor. Each client functions as a Tor hidden service, allowing direct connections between contacts' devices. This design eliminates centralized points of failure or surveillance. There is no central database of users, messages, or metadata that can be compromised, legally intercepted, or analyzed.
• Metadata protection. The Tor network masks the source and destination IP addresses of all connections. To an external observer, the traffic appears to be going to a Tor network node, not the final contact. Connections between contacts are only possible when both clients are online and have exchanged their Ricochet IDs. The timing, frequency, and duration of communications are hidden from any entity other than the direct participant in the conversation.
• Anonymous identifiers (Ricochet ID). Each installation of the application cryptographically generates a unique identifier with the format `ricochet:********`. This ID acts as a contact address and is derived from a cryptographic key, containing no personal information. To establish contact, users exchange these IDs out-of-band, without needing to register in a public directory or link it to a real identity.
• End-to-end encryption. All chat sessions are end-to-end encrypted using the Noise protocol. Encryption is established directly between the two clients participating in the conversation. The content of messages is undecipherable to any intermediary on the Tor network or any other entity. The application does not include cloud backup functionality that could compromise this security model.
• File transfer. The application integrates a direct file transfer system between contacts. Files are transferred through the same encrypted and anonymous channel as text messages, without intermediaries. The process maintains the same privacy guarantees: no size limits imposed by a central server, and the content of the files is known only to the sender and recipient.
• No persistent conversation history. By default, messages are only displayed in the active chat window and are discarded when the application is closed. This feature prevents the recovery of past conversations if the device is seized or physically accessed. The application offers a manual option to export chat logs to a plain text file under the explicit control of the user.
• Automatic Tor integration. Ricochet Refresh incorporates an internal Tor client process. The application manages the execution and connection to the Tor network without manual configuration by the user. This design simplifies startup and ensures that all application traffic is correctly routed through the anonymity network, with no risk of traffic leaks due to misconfiguration.
• Tor bridge configuration. For environments with censorship or blocking of the Tor network, the application allows the configuration of Tor bridges (obfs4, meek, snowflake) from its settings interface. Users can enter custom bridges to bypass censorship at the internet provider level, maintaining the ability to connect to the network and use the application.
• Detachable chat interface. The conversation window can be undocked from the main application window. This feature allows organizing multiple conversations in independent windows. It is useful on desktop systems where the user manages simultaneous conversations and needs a specific arrangement of windows on their screen.
• Cross-platform support. The application is available as a native binary for Windows, macOS, and GNU/Linux operating systems. Each version shares the same codebase and functional features. This support ensures that users on different systems can communicate with each other without technical restrictions or basic functionality limitations.
• Configurable notifications. The notification system allows adjusting the volume of the alert sound for new messages. Users can completely disable audible notifications. Visual notifications appear according to the native behavior of the desktop operating system, such as the system tray or notification center.
• Visible connection states. The contact list displays a visual indicator (colored dot) next to each name. This indicator reflects the contact's real-time connection status: green for online and available, gray for offline. This information is obtained through the direct P2P connection and does not require querying a central status server.
• Connection proxy configuration. For scenarios where internet access requires a proxy, the application allows configuring SOCKS5 or HTTP proxy servers. This setting applies to the general internet connection that the application uses before connecting to the Tor network. It is a setting for corporate or restricted network environments that mandate the use of an outgoing proxy.

Development of Ricochet Refresh began in 2021 as a fork of the original blueprint-freespeech project, whose active development had ceased. The Blueprint for Free Speech organization took responsibility for maintenance and improvements. The original Ricochet project was created by John Brooks in 2014. Ricochet Refresh's code is primarily written in C++ and uses the Qt framework for the graphical user interface. The client integrates cryptographic libraries for the Noise protocol and relies on the libtor library for Tor network integration.

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