XMPP

XMPP (also known as Jabber) is the Internet Standard for instant messaging.

It supports modern chat features in a standardized and interoperable way (unlike IRC). Features include -
- Multi-device support, offline messages, multi-line messages, message styling, end-to-end encryption, message correction, message deletion, message receipts, read markers, typing notifications...
- Contact and room synchronization, avatars, file transfer, image previews, stickers, message reactions, encrypted audio and video calls, message threads...

It's federated, rather than centralized (unlike Telegram, Discord, Signal, Slack, ...). That makes it resistant to enshittification - if one operator shuts down, or goes evil/anti-user, you can switch servers and continue to access the rest of the network and using your existing apps.
It has a diverse ecosystem of free software clients and servers. (Unlike Discord, Slack, ...)
It's easy and lightweight to self-host. (Unlike Matrix.) This has given rise to a thriving network of public servers.
The clients are also lightweight and performant. (Again, unlike Matrix.)
The protocol is governed by a privacy-conscious community (the XSF) rather than a single company.

It has bridges to other chat protocols.
- Biboumi for IRC
- Bifrost for Matrix
- Slidge for Discord, Facebook Messenger, Matrix, Mattermost, Signal, Skype, Steam Chat, Telegram, and WhatsApp.
- Matterbridge: Discord, Gitter, Harmony, IRC, Keybase, Matrix, Mattermost, Microsoft Teams, Mumble, Nextcloud Talk, Rocket.chat, Slack, Ssh-chat, Telegram, Twitch, VK, WhatsApp, Zulip, Delta Chat, Discourse, Facebook messenger, Minecraft, Reddit, Counter-Strike, MatterAMXX, Vintage Story, Ultima Online Emulator, Teamspeak

Getting started

The easiest way to join the XMPP network is to install Quicksy from Google Play Store or Apple App Store. It's a flavor of the popular clients Conversations (Android) and Monal (iOS) which uses your phone number for registration, contact discovery, and password recovery. The Quicksy account works like any XMPP account and can be used from any other client.

We recommend Quicksy to the majority of people who

don't want to spend time selecting a server,
don't use a password manager, and
don't mind using their phone numbers to register.

If that's not you, you need to select a server, make an account, and install a client.

Select a server

Public server recommendations may be found at https://providers.xmpp.net/ or https://compliance.conversations.im/old/. Some servers support registering from the client (called In-Band Registration - IBR), others require you to register on their website to prevent spam.

If you're interested in self-hosting a private server, Snikket aims to make it really simple. It also rebrands popular XMPP servers and clients to provide an experience similar to centralized services.

Snikket and conversations.im also offer paid hosting.

Install a client

We recommend -

Monocles Chat or Cheogram for modern Android devices
Yaxim for old/low-end Android devices
Monal or Siskin for iOS
Gajim or Dino on the desktop
Converse.JS or Movim for the web
Poezio or Profanity in the terminal

More clients can be found at https://xmpp.org/software/

OpenStreetMap rooms on XMPP


Chat	Country	Region	Remarks
openstreetmap@conference.macaw.me	Worldwide		Not bridged to proprietary or centralized services.
openstreetmap-de@rooms.dismail.de			German-language room
openstreetmap@salas.suchat.org			Spanish-language room
mapeo_libre@chat.disroot.org			Spanish-language room
osm-fr@chat.jabberfr.org	France		French-language room
osm-bb@rooms.dismail.de	Germany	Berlin Brandenburg
osm-hh@conference.jabber.de	Germany	Nord-Deutschland Hamburg
osm@conference.movim.eu	Hungary	Budapest	Hungarian-language room. Planning mapping parties, online conferences, sharing hiking tips, interesting observations, ideas for promotion. Voicing is done manually after a few hours, please be patient. Bridged to [1] on Matrix. Not bridged to proprietary or centralized services.
osm-jeloles@conference.movim.eu	Hungary		Hungarian-language room. Coming up with new tags or applying existing ones, micromapping. Voicing is done manually after a few hours, please be patient. Bridged to [2] on Matrix. Not bridged to proprietary or centralized services.
osm-india@conference.prav.app	India		Bridged to osm-in-general on matrix and osmindia on tg
osm-in@conference.a3.pm	India		Not bridged to proprietary or centralized services.
osm-delhi@conference.jabbers.one	India	Delhi	Not bridged to proprietary or centralized services.
osmbengal@conference.conversations.im	India	West Bengal