👻 Ghost Messenger

Privacy-First • Open Source • Next Generation Messaging

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⚠️ WORK IN PROGRESS - This project is under active development. Features may change, and some functionality might not be fully implemented yet. We welcome contributions and feedback!

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📖 Table of Contents

• About
• Vision & Mission
• Key Features
• Architecture
• Tech Stack
• Getting Started
• API Documentation
• Development Timeline
• Roadmap
• Contributing
• Support
• License

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🌟 About Ghost Messenger

Ghost Messenger is a revolutionary, privacy-focused messaging application that puts user security and data protection at the forefront. Built from the ground up with modern technologies, Ghost Messenger offers a unique "Ghost Mode" feature that allows messages to disappear after a set time, ensuring your conversations remain truly private.

In an era where digital privacy is increasingly compromised, Ghost Messenger stands as a beacon of hope for users who value their personal data. Unlike mainstream messaging apps that harvest user data for advertising, Ghost Messenger is committed to a privacy-first approach with end-to-end encryption and zero data collection policies.

Why Ghost Messenger?

Problem	Our Solution
Messages stored forever on servers	Ghost Mode - Messages auto-delete after set time
Companies selling your data	Zero data collection - We don't track you
Complex, bloated apps	Clean, minimal UI - Focus on what matters
Closed source, no transparency	Open source - Audit our code yourself
No control over your data	Full user control - Delete anything, anytime

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🎯 Vision & Mission

Our Vision

To create a world where digital communication is truly private, secure, and under the complete control of users - not corporations.

Our Mission

• Democratize Privacy: Make enterprise-grade security accessible to everyone
• Empower Users: Give complete control over personal data and conversations
• Foster Trust: Build transparent, open-source software that users can verify
• Innovate Responsibly: Push the boundaries of messaging technology while respecting user privacy

Core Values

1. Privacy First - Every feature is designed with privacy as the primary consideration
2. Transparency - Open source code, clear policies, no hidden agendas
3. User Empowerment - You own your data, you control your experience
4. Security by Design - Not an afterthought, but the foundation
5. Simplicity - Powerful features wrapped in an intuitive interface

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✨ Key Features

💬 Core Messaging

Real-time Communication Instant message delivery via WebSocket Typing indicators show when contacts are composing Read receipts with blue double-tick Online/offline status indicators Message delivery confirmation

Rich Media Support Share images, videos, and documents Voice message recording and playback Location sharing with map preview Contact card sharing File attachments up to 100MB

👻 Ghost Mode (Signature Feature)

Ghost Mode is what sets us apart. Enable it on any conversation to make messages automatically disappear:

Duration	Use Case
5 minutes	Quick, sensitive information
1 hour	Time-sensitive discussions
24 hours	Daily conversations
7 days	Extended but temporary chats
Custom	Set your own duration

Additional Ghost Mode Features:

• 🔔 Screenshot detection alerts
• 🚫 Forward prevention option
• 👁️ View-once media
• 🔒 No server-side message storage

📞 Voice & Video Calls

Feature	Description
HD Voice Calls	Crystal clear audio with noise cancellation
Video Calls	Up to 1080p video quality
Group Calls	Up to 8 participants
Call Recording	Record important calls (with consent)
Screen Sharing	Share your screen during video calls

🔍 Smart Search

• Global Search: Find messages, contacts, and media across all chats
• In-Chat Search: Search within specific conversations
• Filter by Type: Images, videos, documents, links
• Date Range: Find messages from specific time periods

📢 Channels & Groups

Channels - Broadcast to unlimited subscribers

• Public or private channels
• Admin-only posting option
• Subscriber analytics
• Scheduled posts

Groups - Collaborate with up to 200,000 members

• Multiple admin levels
• Polls and surveys
• Pinned messages
• Slow mode option

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🏗️ Architecture

Ghost Messenger follows a clean, modular architecture designed for scalability, maintainability, and testability.

System Overview

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                           GHOST MESSENGER ECOSYSTEM                          │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                              │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐    │
│  │                        ANDROID APPLICATION                           │    │
│  │  ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │    │
│  │  │                    PRESENTATION LAYER                          │  │    │
│  │  │  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐          │  │    │
│  │  │  │ Screens │  │ViewModels│  │  State  │  │   UI    │          │  │    │
│  │  │  │(Compose)│  │  (MVVM) │  │  Flows  │  │ Events  │          │  │    │
│  │  │  └─────────┘  └─────────┘  └─────────┘  └─────────┘          │  │    │
│  │  └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │    │
│  │  ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │    │
│  │  │                      DOMAIN LAYER                              │  │    │
│  │  │  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐          │  │    │
│  │  │  │Use Cases│  │Repositories│ │ Models │  │Interfaces│          │  │    │
│  │  │  └─────────┘  └─────────┘  └─────────┘  └─────────┘          │  │    │
│  │  └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │    │
│  │  ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │    │
│  │  │                       DATA LAYER                               │  │    │
│  │  │  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐          │  │    │
│  │  │  │  Room   │  │ Retrofit│  │WebSocket│  │DataStore│          │  │    │
│  │  │  │   DB    │  │   API   │  │ Client  │  │  Prefs  │          │  │    │
│  │  │  └─────────┘  └─────────┘  └─────────┘  └─────────┘          │  │    │
│  │  └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │    │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘    │
│                                     │                                        │
│                                     ▼                                        │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐    │
│  │                         KTOR BACKEND SERVER                          │    │
│  │  ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │    │
│  │  │                      API LAYER (REST)                          │  │    │
│  │  │  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐          │  │    │
│  │  │  │  Auth   │  │ Message │  │  Call   │  │ Channel │          │  │    │
│  │  │  │ Routes  │  │ Routes  │  │ Routes  │  │ Routes  │          │  │    │
│  │  │  └─────────┘  └─────────┘  └─────────┘  └─────────┘          │  │    │
│  │  └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │    │
│  │  ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │    │
│  │  │                   REAL-TIME LAYER (WebSocket)                  │  │    │
│  │  │  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐          │  │    │
│  │  │  │  Chat   │  │ Typing  │  │ Online  │  │  Call   │          │  │    │
│  │  │  │ Server  │  │ Events  │  │ Status  │  │Signaling│          │  │    │
│  │  │  └─────────┘  └─────────┘  └─────────┘  └─────────┘          │  │    │
│  │  └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │    │
│  │  ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │    │
│  │  │                     DATA LAYER                                 │  │    │
│  │  │  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐          │  │    │
│  │  │  │ MongoDB │  │   S3    │  │  Redis  │  │   FCM   │          │  │    │
│  │  │  │Database │  │ Storage │  │  Cache  │  │  Push   │          │  │    │
│  │  │  └─────────┘  └─────────┘  └─────────┘  └─────────┘          │  │    │
│  │  └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │    │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘    │
│                                                                              │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

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🛠️ Tech Stack

Android Application

Technology	Purpose	Why We Chose It
Kotlin	Primary Language	Modern, concise, null-safe, officially supported by Google
Jetpack Compose	UI Framework	Declarative UI, less boilerplate, better performance
Hilt	Dependency Injection	Official DI solution, compile-time verification
Room	Local Database	Type-safe SQLite abstraction, LiveData/Flow support
Retrofit	HTTP Client	Industry standard, type-safe, easy to use
OkHttp	WebSocket Client	Reliable, efficient, great interceptor support
DataStore	Preferences	Modern replacement for SharedPreferences
Coil	Image Loading	Kotlin-first, lightweight, Compose support
Navigation Compose	Navigation	Type-safe navigation, deep linking support

Backend Server

Technology	Purpose	Why We Chose It
Kotlin	Primary Language	Shared language with Android, coroutines support
Ktor	Web Framework	Lightweight, async, Kotlin-native
MongoDB	Database	Flexible schema, horizontal scaling, JSON-like documents
JWT	Authentication	Stateless, secure, industry standard
WebSocket	Real-time	Bi-directional, low latency communication
AWS S3	File Storage	Scalable, reliable, cost-effective
Firebase FCM	Push Notifications	Reliable delivery, cross-platform

Development Tools

Tool	Purpose
Android Studio	IDE
IntelliJ IDEA	Backend IDE
Git	Version Control
GitHub Actions	CI/CD
Docker	Containerization
Postman	API Testing

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🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

• Android Studio Hedgehog (2023.1.1) or later
• JDK 17 or higher
• MongoDB 6.0+ (local or Atlas)
• Kotlin 1.9+
• Gradle 8.0+

Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/pranav291/ghost-messenger.git
cd ghost-messenger

Backend Setup

1. Navigate to backend directory

   cd backend

2. Configure environment variables Create src/main/resources/application.conf:

   ktor {
       deployment {
           port = 8080
       }
       application {
           modules = [ com.pranavajay.ApplicationKt.module ]
       }
   }
   
   mongodb {
       connectionString = "mongodb://localhost:27017"
       database = "ghost_messenger"
   }
   
   jwt {
       secret = "your-super-secret-key-min-32-chars"
       issuer = "ghost-messenger"
       audience = "ghost-users"
       realm = "Ghost Messenger"
   }
   
   aws {
       accessKey = "your-aws-access-key"
       secretKey = "your-aws-secret-key"
       region = "ap-south-1"
       bucket = "ghost-messenger-media"
   }

3. Run the server

   ./gradlew run

   Server starts at http://localhost:8080

4. Verify installation

   curl http://localhost:8080/health
   # Should return: OK

Android Setup

1. Open in Android Studio

   • File → Open → Select the app folder

2. Configure API URL Update app/src/main/java/.../di/AppModule.kt:

   // For emulator
   private const val BASE_URL = "http://10.0.2.2:8080/"
   
   // For physical device (replace with your IP)
   // private const val BASE_URL = "http://192.168.1.100:8080/"

3. Build and Run

   ./gradlew assembleDebug

   Or use Android Studio's Run button (Shift+F10)

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📡 API Documentation

Base URL

Production: https://api.ghostmessenger.app/
Development: http://localhost:8080/

Authentication

All authenticated endpoints require a Bearer token in the Authorization header:

Authorization: Bearer <your-jwt-token>

Endpoints Overview

🔐 Authentication

Method	Endpoint	Description
POST	/api/auth/register	Register new user
POST	/api/auth/login	Login with email/password
POST	/api/auth/verify-otp	Verify OTP code
POST	/api/auth/google	Google OAuth login
POST	/api/auth/refresh	Refresh access token
POST	/api/auth/logout	Logout and invalidate token

💬 Chats & Messages

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/chats	Get all user's chats
POST	/api/chats	Create new chat
GET	/api/messages/{chatId}	Get messages for chat
POST	/api/messages	Send message
POST	/api/messages/forward	Forward message
DELETE	/api/messages/{id}	Delete message
PUT	/api/chats/{id}/ghost-mode	Toggle ghost mode
PUT	/api/chats/{id}/pin	Pin/unpin chat
PUT	/api/chats/{id}/archive	Archive chat

📞 Calls

Method	Endpoint	Description
POST	/api/calls/initiate	Start a call
POST	/api/calls/{id}/accept	Accept incoming call
POST	/api/calls/{id}/decline	Decline call
POST	/api/calls/{id}/end	End ongoing call
GET	/api/calls/history	Get call history

📢 Channels

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/channels	Get subscribed channels
POST	/api/channels	Create channel
POST	/api/channels/{id}/subscribe	Subscribe to channel
POST	/api/channels/{id}/unsubscribe	Unsubscribe
GET	/api/channels/search	Search public channels

📊 Status/Stories

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/status/me	Get my statuses
GET	/api/status	Get contacts' statuses
POST	/api/status	Create status
POST	/api/status/{id}/view	Mark as viewed
POST	/api/status/{id}/react	React to status
DELETE	/api/status/{id}	Delete status

WebSocket Events

Connect to: ws://localhost:8080/chat?token=<jwt-token>

Client → Server:

{ "type": "message", "data": { "chatId": "...", "content": "Hello!" } }
{ "type": "typing", "data": { "chatId": "...", "isTyping": true } }
{ "type": "read", "data": { "chatId": "...", "messageId": "..." } }

Server → Client:

{ "type": "message", "data": { "id": "...", "content": "...", ... } }
{ "type": "typing", "data": { "userId": "...", "isTyping": true } }
{ "type": "online_status", "data": { "userId": "...", "isOnline": true } }
{ "type": "incoming_call", "data": { "callId": "...", "callerId": "..." } }

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📅 Development Timeline

The Journey So Far

2022 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
     │
     ├── Q1: 💡 Concept & Research
     │        - Market research on messaging apps
     │        - Privacy concerns analysis
     │        - Initial concept development
     │        - Technology stack evaluation
     │
     ├── Q2: 📝 Planning & Design
     │        - UI/UX wireframes
     │        - Database schema design
     │        - API architecture planning
     │        - Security protocol research
     │
     ├── Q3: 🏗️ Foundation
     │        - Project setup
     │        - Basic authentication system
     │        - Database integration
     │        - Initial UI components
     │
     └── Q4: 💬 Core Messaging
              - Real-time messaging via WebSocket
              - Message persistence
              - Basic chat UI
              - User profiles

2023 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
     │
     ├── Q1: 👻 Ghost Mode Development
     │        - Disappearing messages logic
     │        - Timer implementation
     │        - Screenshot detection research
     │        - Message expiry system
     │
     ├── Q2: 📞 Voice & Video Calls
     │        - WebRTC integration
     │        - Call signaling server
     │        - Audio/video streaming
     │        - Call UI implementation
     │
     ├── Q3: 📢 Groups & Channels
     │        - Group chat functionality
     │        - Channel broadcasting
     │        - Admin management
     │        - Member permissions
     │
     └── Q4: 🔐 Security Enhancements
              - End-to-end encryption
              - Biometric authentication
              - App lock feature
              - Security audit

2024 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
     │
     ├── Q1: 📊 Status/Stories
     │        - 24-hour stories
     │        - Text/image/video status
     │        - Viewer analytics
     │        - Reactions system
     │
     ├── Q2: 🔍 Search & Discovery
     │        - Global search
     │        - Message search
     │        - User discovery
     │        - Channel discovery
     │
     ├── Q3: 🎨 UI/UX Overhaul
     │        - Material Design 3
     │        - Dark/Light themes
     │        - Animations
     │        - Accessibility improvements
     │
     └── Q4: 🧪 Testing & Optimization
              - Unit testing
              - Integration testing
              - Performance optimization
              - Bug fixes

2025 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
     │
     ├── Q1: 📱 Beta Release Preparation
     │        - Feature freeze
     │        - Beta testing program
     │        - User feedback collection
     │        - Critical bug fixes
     │
     ├── Q2: 🌐 Internationalization
     │        - Multi-language support
     │        - RTL layout support
     │        - Regional compliance
     │        - Localized content
     │
     ├── Q3: ☁️ Cloud Infrastructure
     │        - AWS deployment
     │        - Auto-scaling setup
     │        - CDN integration
     │        - Backup systems
     │
     └── Q4: 🔔 Push Notifications
              - FCM integration
              - Notification channels
              - Silent notifications
              - Notification preferences

2026 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
     │
     ├── Q1: 💾 Offline Mode
     │        - Local message caching
     │        - Offline message queue
     │        - Sync on reconnect
     │        - Conflict resolution
     │
     ├── Q2: 📤 Backup & Restore
     │        - Cloud backup
     │        - Local backup
     │        - Encrypted backups
     │        - Cross-device restore
     │
     ├── Q3: 🖥️ Multi-Device Support
     │        - Device linking
     │        - Session management
     │        - Sync across devices
     │        - Device authorization
     │
     └── Q4: 🎯 Final Polish
              - Performance tuning
              - UI refinements
              - Documentation
              - Release preparation

2027 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
     │
     └── 📅 February 22, 2027: 🚀 OFFICIAL RELEASE v1.0.0
              - Public launch on Google Play Store
              - Press release
              - Marketing campaign
              - Community launch event

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🗺️ Roadmap

Completed ✅

Phase	Features	Status
Phase 1	Core Messaging, Authentication, Basic UI	✅ Complete
Phase 2	Ghost Mode, Reactions, Reply/Forward	✅ Complete
Phase 3	Voice/Video Calls, Search	✅ Complete
Phase 4	Status/Stories, Channels, Groups	✅ Complete
Phase 5	Security (Biometric, App Lock, E2E)	✅ Complete

In Progress 🔄

Phase	Features	Progress
Phase 6	Settings, Notifications, Polish	80%

Planned 📋

Phase	Features	Target
Phase 7	Push Notifications (FCM)	Q4 2025
Phase 8	Offline Mode	Q1 2026
Phase 9	Backup & Restore	Q2 2026
Phase 10	Multi-Device Sync	Q3 2026
Phase 11	iOS Version	2027
Phase 12	Desktop Apps	2027
Phase 13	Web Version	2028

Future Vision 🔮

2027 Predictions:

• 🤖 AI-powered smart replies
• 🌍 Real-time translation
• 🎮 In-chat mini games
• 💰 Integrated payments

2028 Predictions:

• 🥽 AR/VR messaging
• 🧠 Sentiment analysis
• 🔗 Blockchain verification
• 🌐 Decentralized architecture

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🤝 Contributing

We love contributions! Ghost Messenger is an open-source project, and we welcome developers of all skill levels.

How to Contribute

1. Fork the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/ghost-messenger.git

2. Create a Feature Branch

   git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature

3. Make Your Changes

   • Follow our coding standards
   • Write tests for new features
   • Update documentation

4. Commit Your Changes

   git commit -m "feat: add amazing feature"

   We follow Conventional Commits

5. Push and Create PR

   git push origin feature/amazing-feature

   Then open a Pull Request on GitHub

Contribution Guidelines

• Code Style: Follow Kotlin coding conventions
• Documentation: Update README and code comments
• Testing: Add unit tests for new features
• Commits: Use meaningful commit messages
• PRs: Keep pull requests focused and small

Areas We Need Help

• 🐛 Bug fixes
• 📝 Documentation improvements
• 🌍 Translations
• 🧪 Testing
• 🎨 UI/UX improvements
• 🔒 Security audits

---

💬 Support

Get Help

Join our Telegram community for:

• 📢 Latest updates and announcements
• 💬 Discussion with other developers
• 🐛 Bug reports and feature requests
• 🤝 Collaboration opportunities
• 📚 Tutorials and guides

Contact

Channel	Link
Telegram Community	@SpiralTechDivision
GitHub Issues	Report a Bug
Email	support@spiraltech.dev

FAQ

Is Ghost Messenger really private?

Yes! We use end-to-end encryption for all messages. Even we cannot read your messages. Ghost Mode ensures messages are deleted from our servers after the set time.

Is it free to use?

Ghost Messenger is completely free and open source. We don't have ads, and we don't sell your data. We may introduce optional premium features in the future to sustain development.

When will it be released?

The official release is planned for February 22, 2027. However, you can build and run the app from source right now!

Can I contribute?

Absolutely! We welcome contributions of all kinds. Check out our Contributing section above.

---

📄 License

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2022-2027 Spiral Tech Division

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.

---

👨‍💻 Developer

Pranav Ajay

Founder & Lead Developer

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Spiral Tech Division

Building the future of private communication

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_{Made with ❤️ in India}

_{© 2022-2027 Spiral Tech Division. All rights reserved.}

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