White Noise is a free, open source group messenger built on Nostr and the Marmot Protocol. It is aimed at people who want end-to-end encrypted group conversations without relying on a single company to store their accounts or messages. Before you install anything, know that this repository is obsolete and no longer receives updates, so treat it as a reference or learning tool rather than a daily messenger.
The program combines MLS, the Messaging Layer Security standard for group encryption, with the Nostr network for message transport. That pairing gives groups forward secrecy, meaning older messages stay protected even if a current key is later exposed. The project's documentation points to newer, maintained repositories for its mobile apps, which is where readers who want to keep using this approach should look first.
What Is the Marmot Protocol?
The Marmot Protocol combines two existing building blocks. MLS, short for Messaging Layer Security, is an IETF standard for managing encryption keys across a group, and it handles who can read what as members come and go. Nostr is a simple protocol built around signed events and relays, which gives the system a transport layer that does not depend on a single host.
Putting the two together means the encryption logic lives in the clients, while relays carry encrypted payloads they cannot read. For a reader new to the topic, the practical takeaway is that a relay operator can see that traffic exists but not what it says. That separation is the core idea behind the project.
The design is meant to support several apps, which is why the maintainers pointed users to dedicated iOS and Android repositories. Understanding the protocol helps you judge any Marmot-based app, including ones that may appear after this page was written.
Who Should Consider White Noise?
White Noise suits a fairly specific reader. Developers who want to study how MLS and Nostr fit together will find a complete, open source codebase under the AGPL-3.0 license, which means anyone can read, modify and redistribute it under the same terms. Privacy-minded people who want to understand group encryption before choosing an app may also find it instructive.
It is less suitable for someone who needs a messenger for daily conversations. The repository is obsolete, and the maintainers point to other repositories for active development. Someone who wants to experiment on a desktop may try the terminal interface, but should expect to troubleshoot without recent updates.
A common scenario is a privacy workshop, where instructors use a live encrypted group to demonstrate forward secrecy. Another is a security researcher comparing how different group messengers handle membership changes. In both cases the value lies in reading the code and seeing the design, not in long-term use.
How Group Keys Change Over Time
In a group chat, membership is never fixed. People join, leave or lose a device, and the encryption has to respond each time. MLS organizes this around epochs: each change to the group produces a new shared state, and the keys for that state are derived from the current key material of the members.
When someone is removed, the remaining members move to a new epoch that the removed person cannot compute. This is what keeps a former member out of future messages. Adding a member works differently, since the newcomer typically receives only the information needed to read messages from that point forward.
It helps to compare this with a shared password. A password stays the same until someone changes it manually, and everyone who knows it can read everything. MLS replaces that with a process that updates at each membership change. Each update has to reach every client, so the mechanics are easiest to follow in small groups.
Key features
Forward secrecy
Group end-to-end encryption
Nostr-based transport
Multiple interfaces
Supported coins
The only network named in the project documentation is Nostr. White Noise is a messenger, not a wallet or trading tool, so it does not hold coins or manage funds. Its identity keys are Nostr keys, and anyone using the app should keep those keys private, since they control the identity used in conversations.
How to install White Noise on Windows
- 1
Get the program from the official source
Download only from the official website or the project's GitHub Releases page, which is linked from the source repository at github.com/marmot-protocol/whitenoise. Avoid mirrors, forum links and file-sharing sites. Open the release list and check which files are attached, since the project lists several platforms and not every release may include a Windows build.
- 2
Verify the file
Compare the file's SHA-256 checksum with the value published alongside the release. In PowerShell, run Get-FileHash with the algorithm set to SHA256 and the file path, then check that the output matches exactly. If the release provides a signature instead, verify that as well. Do not run a file whose hash does not match.
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Install and check the result
Run the installer or extract the archive, then launch the program once to confirm it opens. Because the project is obsolete, a Windows build may be older than the latest release. If no usable Windows build exists, switch to the maintained successor repositories for mobile apps or use another Nostr program from this catalog.
How to use White Noise
White Noise is built around a chat workflow, so the basic steps are setting up an identity and joining a group. Keys and invitations need the most care, so go through the steps slowly the first time.
- Create or import a Nostr identity in the app and back up the private key in a password manager before doing anything else.
- Choose the relays the app connects to, and keep the default list unless you have a specific reason to change it.
- Create a new group, give it a name, and invite members using the identifiers the app shows you.
- Wait for each invited member to accept before sending sensitive messages, since membership changes update the group keys.
- Send a test message and check that every member sees it on their own device.
- When someone leaves, remove them from the group so the remaining members move to a new key state.
- Run a throwaway group first so you learn the interface before using it for conversations that matter.
Pros & cons
- Free and open source under the AGPL-3.0 license, so the code can be read and reviewed
- Uses MLS for group end-to-end encryption with forward secrecy
- Built on Nostr, so no single company runs the network that carries messages
- Covers several platforms in the project summary, including Android, iOS, macOS and Linux
- Useful for studying how the Marmot Protocol is designed
- The repository is obsolete and no longer receives updates
- Windows is mentioned in the documentation but is not clearly confirmed in the main platform list
- Mobile development has moved to separate repositories, so the best-maintained apps are elsewhere
- Group encryption concepts such as epochs and key rotation take time to understand
- Not a practical choice for everyday messaging given the lack of ongoing maintenance
Is White Noise safe?
White Noise handles private keys and encrypted messages, so treat installation as a security decision. Download only from the official website or the project's GitHub repository, and avoid third-party download portals or messages that promise a faster route. After downloading, compare the SHA-256 checksum with the published value, and verify a signature if one is offered. Never enter a seed phrase or private key on third-party websites, including sites that claim to restore an account or help you migrate. Because the repository is obsolete, known issues may stay unfixed here, so check the latest version on the official website and prefer the maintained successor repositories for mobile use. Keep your Nostr keys in a password manager, not in a plain text file.
- Official source only. Download from github.com/marmot-protocol/whitenoise. Ignore ads and lookalike domains.
- Check the SHA-256. Compare the installer hash with the value the developer publishes before running it.
- Never share your seed phrase. No developer, support agent or website — including CryptApps — will ever ask for it.
Alternatives
Several other Nostr programs in this catalog cover different needs. Amethyst is a Nostr client, Gossip is a desktop client written in Rust, and Coop is a Nostr client for personal messages. Those apps focus on reading and posting on Nostr or on sending personal messages, while White Noise centers on encrypted group chats built on MLS. If group privacy is your main interest, White Noise's design is the more relevant study. For everyday use, the other programs are better starting points.
Specifications
- Price
- Free
- Type
- Open source
- License
- AGPL-3.0
- Latest version
- v2026.5.22+25
- Last update
- 18 Sept 2026
- Windows support
- Unverified (Windows mentioned in docs)
- Source code
- github.com/marmot-protocol/whitenoise
Frequently asked questions
The project documentation mentions Windows, but the platforms emphasized in its summary are Android, iOS, macOS, Linux and a terminal interface, so Windows support should be treated as unconfirmed. Check the release files for a Windows build before you plan around one. If none is listed, the mobile or Linux builds, or the terminal interface, are the practical options.
It uses MLS and Nostr for encrypted group messaging, and its code is open source under AGPL-3.0, which allows independent review. Safety still depends on how you install it and protect your keys. Download only from the official source, verify the checksum, and keep the project's obsolete status in mind, since unpatched issues may remain.
No. The repository is obsolete and no longer updated, and the project points to marmot-protocol/whitenoise-ios and marmot-protocol/whitenoise-android for current development. The latest listed version is v2026.5.22+25, and the last code update to this repository is dated September 18, 2026. Use the newer repositories for active mobile development.
Create or import a Nostr identity, connect to relays, and create a group. Invite members, wait for them to accept, then send a test message before sharing anything sensitive. The how-to section lists each step in order, starting with backing up your private key.
The Marmot Protocol combines MLS, a standard for group encryption, with Nostr, a relay-based network for transmitting signed messages. Together they let groups exchange end-to-end encrypted messages without a central server holding the content. The overview section explains how the pieces fit together in practice.
Yes, the program is listed as free and is released under the AGPL-3.0 license. Free use does not mean it is current, however, because the repository is obsolete. The AGPL license lets you study, modify and share the code, provided you follow its terms, including making source available for modified versions you distribute.
Forward secrecy means that a leaked current key does not reveal messages sent before that key existed. In White Noise, keys change as group membership changes, so earlier conversations remain protected. It does not protect messages sent after a device is compromised, which is why keeping your devices secure still matters.
Similar Nostr programs in this catalog include Amethyst, Gossip, Coop and nostr-commander-rs, each with a different focus from White Noise's group encryption design. The comparison section explains those differences. Choose by the task you need, such as reading feeds, desktop use or scripting.
Verdict
White Noise is worth a look for developers, students and privacy researchers who want to see how MLS group encryption can run over Nostr. Its open source AGPL-3.0 code and forward secrecy design make it a useful study subject. It is a poor choice for everyday messaging, because the repository is obsolete and active work has moved to other repositories. If you want to use this approach in practice, start with the newer mobile repositories and keep your keys protected.