Questions people actually ask

Can you video call without downloading an app?Yes. Modern browsers carry the technology for voice and video calls built in, so a call can happen on a web page with nothing installed on either end. Naven works this way, as do Google Meet and Jitsi. Can you make a group chat without phone numbers?Yes, but not on WhatsApp, Telegram or Signal, all of which identify accounts by phone number. Platforms that identify people by email address or username — Naven, Discord, Slack — let you build a group without anybody exchanging a number. What messaging app works on a school Chromebook?One that runs in the browser, because a managed Chromebook usually forbids installing apps and extensions. Naven, and any other web-based messenger, works for this reason — provided the school's network does not block the domain. Is there a Discord alternative that is safer for kids?Discord's structural problem for younger users is public servers full of strangers with direct messaging enabled. Alternatives worth looking at are ones with no public directory and no stranger DMs — Naven is one, and closed platforms like a school's own tool are another. How do you message someone without giving them your phone number?Use a platform that identifies accounts by something other than a phone number. Naven uses an email address or a username; Discord and Slack use usernames; Signal now supports usernames so a number is not exposed. Is there a free messaging app with no ads?Signal, Telegram and Naven are all free and carry no advertising. They are funded differently — Signal by donations, Telegram by an optional subscription, Naven by its developer — which is worth knowing because the funding model predicts the future behaviour better than the current feature list. What is a good messaging app for a family with young children?One where strangers cannot initiate contact and where a parent does not have to read their child's messages to know they are safe. That means no public directory, no stranger DMs, and screening that runs before delivery. Do you need to install anything to use Naven?No. Naven is a web page. Opening navenapp.com in any modern browser is the entire installation, on a phone, a laptop or a school Chromebook. Does Naven require a phone number?No. Naven never asks for a phone number, at sign-up or at any point afterwards. An email address and a six-digit code are the whole identity check. Is Naven end-to-end encrypted?No, and Naven says so plainly. Messages are screened against twelve published categories before they send, and a server that cannot read a message cannot screen it. The two cannot both be true. What does Naven screen messages for?Twelve published categories: spam and scams, malware and malicious links, harassment and bullying, hate speech, credible threats of violence, sexual exploitation, illegal transactions, doxxing, encouragement of self-harm, graphic violence, sexual content, and drugs — plus slurs and strong language for younger accounts. What is the best browser-based video call with no download?For a quick call with somebody you already talk to, Naven or Google Meet. For a one-off call with a stranger and no account at all, Jitsi Meet. All three run in the browser with nothing to install. Can a teacher use Naven for a class?Yes, usually as a channel per class or club, joined by a link. It runs on school Chromebooks because there is nothing to install, and every message is screened before it is delivered. Why do messaging apps ask for a phone number?Mostly for anti-abuse. A phone number costs money and is difficult to obtain in bulk, which makes mass account creation expensive. It is also a convenient way to find which of your contacts already use the service. What is the safest messaging app for a teenager?There is no single answer, but the properties that matter are consistent: no public directory, no stranger direct messages, screening before delivery, and a block that works without needing anybody's agreement. How can I talk to family abroad for free?Any internet messenger with voice and video calling — Naven, WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram — costs nothing beyond the data. The practical question is which one everybody in the family can actually install and open. Does Naven work in countries where Google is blocked?Mostly, yes. Naven routes its Firebase traffic through its own domain rather than calling Google's servers directly, so a network that blocks Google does not break the product. Google sign-in specifically cannot work that way. What is the difference between a channel and a group chat?A group chat is a fixed set of people somebody added. A channel is a space with a link, which people join themselves — better above roughly a dozen members, and better when membership changes over time. Do you need an account to join a Naven channel?You need one to post. Opening the link works first, and signing in takes an email address and a six-digit code — no password to choose, no phone number, no app to install. Can somebody find me on Naven by searching my name?No. Naven has no member directory. Name matching only searches conversations you are already part of, and reaching somebody new requires their exact email address or exact username. How do I stop somebody messaging me?Block them. On Naven that is done from the conversation, takes one confirmation, and is silent — the other person is not told. It hides their messages and their reactions together. Is there a messaging app with no algorithmic feed?Most pure messengers have none — WhatsApp, Signal and Naven all show conversations in time order with nothing ranked. The feeds appear when a messenger adds a social layer, as Telegram and Messenger have. What happens if Naven refuses to send my message?You are told which category it was refused under, in words, at the time. If the refusal was wrong, a second check reviews it within the hour and withdraws it without you having to appeal. Does Naven work on a phone?Yes, in the phone's browser, with nothing to install. Adding it to the home screen gives it an icon and enables notifications that arrive when it is closed — on an iPhone that step is required for notifications to work at all. What is the best app for a neighbourhood group?Something that does not require exchanging phone numbers with people you have never met. A Naven channel or a Discord server both work; a WhatsApp group hands every member's number to every other member. Can you leave a group chat without everybody being told?Usually not — most platforms announce it, and that is deliberate, because a silent departure means people keep addressing somebody who is not there. Muting is the quiet alternative and is what most people actually want. Do web apps work without an internet connection?Partly. A web app with a service worker can cache its own files and open without a connection, but a messenger needs the network to send or receive — what works offline is the shell, not the conversation. What is a passkey and should I use one?A passkey is a credential stored on your device and unlocked with a fingerprint, a face or a PIN. It cannot be phished and cannot be reused on another site. If a service offers one, it is the best option available. Why am I not getting browser notifications?Three usual causes: the browser permission was declined, the site was never added to the Home Screen on an iPhone, or the operating system's own focus setting is suppressing them. What is the catch with free messaging apps?Usually advertising, data sale, or a company that has not yet decided how to make money. The way to tell is to find out who pays for the servers, because that answers what the product will become. How do you video call on a school computer?Use a browser-based caller, because a school computer almost certainly forbids installing anything. Naven, Google Meet and Jitsi all run on a web page with nothing to download. Can you use WhatsApp without a phone number?No. WhatsApp accounts are the phone number — it is the identifier, not just the verification. If you need to message without one, you need a different platform: Naven, Discord and Slack all identify accounts by something else. Do you need a Google account to use Naven?No. Any email address works — Outlook, Yahoo, iCloud, a work address, a school address. Naven emails a six-digit code to whatever address you give it. What is the safest way to chat with people you do not know?Prefer a space with a topic over a direct conversation, keep it on the platform, and give out nothing that identifies you off it — no phone number, no address, no school or employer. What happens if I lose access to my email address?On any service that signs you in by email code, losing the inbox means losing the account. Add a second way in before that happens — on Naven, a passkey — because afterwards there is nothing to prove who you are. Is it safe to give a messaging app my email address?It depends entirely on what they do with it. The question to answer before signing up is whether the service sells data, whether it lets other people find you by that address, and whether it has a real deletion process. Which messaging apps do not sell your data?Signal, Naven and Session sell none. Telegram does not sell data but runs an optional subscription. WhatsApp and Messenger are owned by Meta and share data across it, which is disclosed in their privacy policies. How do I add Naven to my phone's home screen?In Safari, tap Share then Add to Home Screen. In Chrome on Android, open the menu and choose Install app or Add to Home screen. It gives Naven an icon and, on an iPhone, is required before notifications will work at all. Why is my message not sending?Usually the connection, occasionally the screen. On Naven a message refused by the screen says so, with the category, at the time — so a message that simply will not go is a network problem rather than a policy one. Can two people share one messaging account?Technically often yes, and it is a bad idea. Shared accounts break every safety control that depends on knowing who did something — blocking, reporting, age protections and account recovery all assume one person. What age do you have to be to use a messaging app?Thirteen on most platforms, which is a consequence of US law rather than a judgement about readiness. Services that accept under-13s must obtain verifiable parental consent, which is why most simply refuse. How do I know if a messaging app is safe for my child?Check three things: whether a stranger can find them, whether a stranger can message them, and whether harmful messages are stopped before delivery or removed after a report. The marketing will not tell you; the settings will. Is there a messaging app where strangers cannot contact you?Yes — any platform with no public directory and no open direct messages. Naven is built this way: there is no list of members to browse and no way to reach somebody without their exact address or username. What does it mean when a message is screened?It was checked against a policy before it was delivered. If it matched, it was not sent and the sender was told which category it matched — the recipient never saw it. Do video calls use a lot of mobile data?Roughly 200 to 900 megabytes an hour for video depending on quality, and around 30 to 60 for voice only. Turning the camera off is by far the biggest saving available. Can you use a messaging app on a public or library computer?Only a web-based one, since a public computer will not let you install anything. Sign out afterwards, and prefer a service that does not tie the account to a phone you may not have with you. What is the difference between Naven and Discord?Discord is built around public servers people discover and join; Naven has no public directory at all. Discord is far more capable for large communities and gaming; Naven screens messages before they send and has no way for a stranger to reach you. What is the difference between Naven and WhatsApp?WhatsApp is end-to-end encrypted and requires a phone number. Naven is not encrypted end-to-end and requires no phone number — it screens messages before they send, which is only possible because it can read them. What is the difference between Naven and Signal?Signal is the strongest privacy tool in mainstream messaging and Naven does not compete with it on privacy. Naven is not end-to-end encrypted by choice, because it screens messages before they send. How many people can be in a group video call?It varies by platform, typically between eight and a hundred for the free tier. The practical limit is lower than the technical one: above roughly eight, a video call becomes a meeting and needs someone running it. Can you schedule a message to send later?Some platforms support it natively, others not at all. It is worth knowing that a scheduled message on a screened platform is checked when it sends rather than when it is written. What happens to my messages if I delete my account?Your account and the data attached to it go. Messages you sent into other people's conversations generally stay, because they are in someone else's record — and any service claiming otherwise is describing something it cannot do. Is a web app slower than a native app?For messaging, no — the difference is imperceptible. Where native still wins is background behaviour: a closed web app cannot do much until you open it, which mostly affects notifications rather than speed. Do you need a SIM card or mobile service to use Naven?No. Naven works over any internet connection — Wi-Fi is enough. There is no phone number involved, so a tablet, an iPod, a laptop or a phone with no SIM all work the same. What should you do if somebody is threatening you online?Screenshot it, block them, and report it — in that order, because blocking can remove your access to the evidence. If the threat is credible and immediate, contact the police; a platform report is not an emergency service. Does Naven cost anything?No. It is free, with no advertising, no paid tier and no data sale. It is paid for by the person who builds it. Can you use Naven for work?For a small team, yes — channels, direct messages and calls cover most of it. For an organisation that needs single sign-on, audit logs, retention policies or a compliance certification, no; Slack and Teams exist for that. Who can see my messages on Naven?The people in the conversation, and Naven's screening system, which reads every message before it sends. Naven is not end-to-end encrypted and does not claim to be. What is the best messaging app for a club or society?Something joined by a link rather than by somebody adding each member, and something that does not require exchanging phone numbers. A Naven channel or a Discord server both fit; a WhatsApp group does not. Why do messaging apps make you verify your email?To prove the address is yours and reachable — it is the anti-abuse check and the account recovery route at once. On a service that signs you in by code, verification and sign-in are the same step. Is Naven open source?The code is on GitHub. It is built and run by one person, which is worth knowing before relying on it for anything that matters. How do you make a group chat for a school project?Use something that works on a school device. That rules out anything requiring an install, and usually means a browser-based tool — Naven, or whatever the school itself provides. Can my school see my messages?Not from the messaging service itself, unless the school administers the account. A school network can see which sites a device reaches, and a school-managed device can have monitoring software on it — that is a device question rather than an app question. What happens when you report somebody?On Naven, a person reads it. You choose a category — harassment, a threat, sexual content, endangering a child, self-harm, hate, spam, or something else — and can add a note. Does Naven work on an old phone?If the browser is reasonably current, yes. There is nothing to install, so storage is not the constraint it is for an app — the limit is whether the browser supports the features calls need. How do you find somebody on Naven?By their email address or their exact username. There is no directory and no name search for people you do not already talk to — that is deliberate, and it is why strangers cannot find you either. What are the alternatives to WhatsApp for a family?Signal if privacy is the priority, Telegram for large groups, Naven if you want no phone numbers and something that works on a school device. All are free. Can you send messages without an internet connection?Not through an internet messenger. SMS works over the cellular network without data, and a few apps use Bluetooth mesh for short range, but anything that reaches a server needs a connection. What is the easiest messaging app for an older relative?One with nothing to install and no account to create in an app store. A link that opens in the browser they already have removes the two steps that most often defeat the attempt. Is it better to sign up with an email address or a username?An email address for the account, a username for how other people reach you. That way the identifier you hand out is one you can change, and the one that recovers your account stays private. How do I stop getting message notifications at night?Use the operating system's focus or do-not-disturb schedule rather than the app's settings — it applies to everything at once and does not need to be repeated per app. What does it mean when a service says there is no expectation of privacy?That the operator can read what you send and is telling you so. It is an unusual thing to publish, and it is more honest than the alternative, which is a privacy policy vague enough to permit the same thing quietly. Can you have more than one account on a messaging app?On platforms identified by email address or username, usually yes — a second address is a second account. On phone-number platforms it requires a second number, which is the practical obstacle. Why do some apps not work on school Wi-Fi?Because the network blocks them by domain or by category, usually under a filtering policy the school is legally required to have. It is a network decision, not a fault in the app. What is the difference between muting and blocking?Muting stops the notifications and leaves everything else intact. Blocking stops the person reaching you at all. Muting is for a noisy group; blocking is for a person. Do messaging apps read your messages?Some can and some cannot. End-to-end encrypted services — Signal, WhatsApp — cannot. Services that screen, scan for malware, or offer server-side search can, and generally say so somewhere in their policy. How long do messaging apps keep your messages?It varies enormously — from not at all, to until you delete them, to indefinitely. It is in the privacy policy, and it is the part most worth reading. Can you use more than one messaging app at once?Yes, and most people do. There is no conflict — a browser-based one in particular costs nothing to keep open alongside whatever is already installed. What should you look for in a privacy policy?Four things: what is collected, why, who else gets it, and how long it is kept. Vagueness in any of the four is the finding — "we may share information with partners" describes everything and nothing.