AndroidIRCx
A powerful IRCv3-compliant IRC client for Android with end-to-end encryption, multi-network support, and modern features
Key Features
- Connect to multiple IRC networks and servers simultaneously
- Modern, intuitive and responsive user interface optimized for mobile
- End-to-end encrypted chat with SSL/TLS support for secure private communications
- Proxy and Tor support for anonymous connections and enhanced privacy
- Watch ads to earn free scripting time for automated bot operations
- Comprehensive support for full IRC protocol – channels, private messaging, modes, nick-changes
- Real-time channel and private messaging with seamless reconnection handling
- Customizable notifications, alerts and notification channels (for Android 8.0+)
- Foreground-service mode for persistent background connectivity
- Configurable reconnection and idle-timeout settings to suit user preferences
- Graceful handling of disconnections, network changes and reconnections
- Lightweight and efficient — optimized for minimal battery and data usage
- Support for multiple simultaneous channels and private chats per network
Security & Privacy
- End-to-end encryption for direct messages and channels with key verification
- Secure SSL/TLS encryption for all IRC server connections
- SASL authentication support for secure login to IRC servers
- Biometric authentication (fingerprint/face) and PIN app locking
- Secure storage for credentials with biometric/PIN protection
- Fingerprint verification and trust-on-first-use (TOFU) key pinning
- QR code-based key exchange for secure encrypted channel setup
- Proxy and Tor support for anonymous connections and enhanced privacy
IRC Protocol & Connectivity
- Complete IRCv3 protocol support with CAP negotiation
- Multiple servers per network with automatic failover
- DCC file transfer support for sending and receiving files
- Server-accurate timestamps for real-time message synchronization
- Auto-connect functionality for favorite servers on app startup
- Graceful handling of disconnections and automatic reconnection
- Network change detection with seamless connection recovery
- Configurable reconnection intervals and idle-timeout settings
Technical Stack & Architecture
- Built with React Native 0.82 and TypeScript 5.8.3 for cross-platform compatibility
- React-native-tcp-socket for reliable IRC network connections
- Libsodium cryptographic library for end-to-end encryption
- AsyncStorage for efficient data persistence
- Service-oriented architecture with specialized managers (ConnectionManager, IRCService, TabService)
- Event emitters for real-time service communication and updates
- Message history with 200 messages per tab for optimal performance
- Firebase integration for Crashlytics and analytics
User Interface & Experience
- Configurable channel tabs (top/bottom/left/right) for personalized navigation
- Scrollable identity profile lists for easy account management
- User list management with context menus and inline actions
- Picture-in-Picture mode for Android multitasking
- Backup and restore functionality for settings and configurations
- Enhanced settings navigation with improved organization
- Customizable notification channels for Android 8.0+ devices
- Modern, intuitive and responsive mobile-optimized interface
App Screenshots
Download AndroidIRCx
File Verification
Verify your download: After downloading, compare the SHA-256 hash of your file with the one displayed above to ensure file integrity.
On Windows: certutil -hashfile app-release.apk SHA256
On Linux/Mac: sha256sum app-release.apk
The calculated hash should match: 66c4458ff9054a0084ef447288b83679215680c0acb28f98d1b6299ec3ae1e62
System Requirements
Minimum: Android 7.0 (Nougat, API 24) or higher
Recommended: Android 11 (API 30) or higher
Target: Android 15 (API 36)
Permissions required:
• Internet access
• Camera (for QR code key exchange)
• NFC (for NFC-based key sharing, optional)
• Foreground service (for persistent connections)
• Foreground service – data sync
• Notifications permission (Android 13+)
• Ignore battery optimizations (optional but recommended)
• Wake lock (prevents disconnects during sleep)
Current Version
Version 1.4.4
The latest version includes significant improvements and new features:
• Implemented all 18 IRCv3 capabilities (BATCH, LABELED-RESPONSE, CAP-NOTIFY, ACCOUNT-TAG, SETNAME, STANDARD-REPLIES, MESSAGE-IDS, BOT, UTF8ONLY, EXTENDED-MONITOR, CHATHISTORY, MULTILINE, READ-MARKER, MESSAGE-REDACTION, REPLY, REACT, TYPING, CHANNEL-CONTEXT)
• Added typing indicator UI with auto-hide (shows "nick is typing...")
• Sends/receives +typing tags (active/paused/done states)
• Command autocomplete in MessageInput (built-in commands + aliases + history)
• Network-based key storage with secure management UI
• Key Backup-Export/Import Methods
• QR code key sharing improvements
• IRCForegroundService for improved stability