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Session
PFS
Since Session lacks perfect-forward secrecy (PFS) and therefore does not rotate encryption keys, a compromised key can be used to decrypt every message in a chat. PFS is planned for Session V2.
File sharing
By default, attachments (images, audio, video, other files) are routed through centralized servers operated by an officially registered compliant company based in a hostile jurisdiction, rather than Session swarms. While file encryption and 3-hop routing persist, offloading attachments to these centralized servers weakens privacy and significantly increases exposure to "harvest now, decrypt later" threats.
Multi-account
Official Session apps don't support multiple accounts, so users are bound to one identity. This limitation can be circumvented by launching an app via command line with a custom account path:
session.AppImage --user-data-dir=/path/to/account/dir
Groups
Default Session group chats support up to 100 members max and don't provide an invite link, so each user should be added manually. For larger communities, it's necessary to host a Session Open Group Server (SOGS) which comes with an invite link that can be used to join the group chat.
Forum:
Session vs SimpleX: fuck the fluff (20+ comments) - A detailed analysis that points out flaws in both architectures and questions legitimacy of the Trails and Bits audit. The article was written in 2025, so a few things have changed since then, but core architectures largely remain the same. Later that year, Session published a V2 roadmap featuring PFS and PQC, but the project encountered serious financial issues in 2026, making the future uncertain.
Official:
The Future of Session - In 2026, Session's core team tried to raise $1 million to finish Session Pro, which was intended to provide sufficient revenue for the project to operate independently. The campaign only raised under $200K, forcing the team to scale back operations. Development is now being handled by a small team with significant assistance from AI.
News:
Join our Session channel to get uncensored cypherpunk news without statist propaganda.
Option 1: scan this QR code
Option 2: copy-paste the channel link into "join community" in your app
For users:
sessioncommunities.online - list of communities
sessioncommunities.info - list of communities
session.directory - list of communities
For admins:
docs.getsession.org - how to host a Session community (SOGS)
internetlifeforum.com - how to manage a Session community (SOGS)
sessioncommunities.online/handbook - Session community operator handbook
Criticism:
Session instant messenger is fraught with serious problems - A criticism of how the Session team allocated new Ethereum-based transparent SESH (ex-SENT) tokens when transitioning away from private token OXEN, which was a proof-of-stake fork of Monero, but it had a very small anonymity pool due to a low network activity at the time. The article was written in 2024 by the largest non-official operator of Session communities.