Press & Reviewer Dossier
Verify our claims in three minutes.
This page gives journalists, security researchers, YouTube reviewers and software directory editors every verifiable fact about zukka — including how to test our stateless architecture yourself and what we explicitly refuse to claim.
At a glance
Product fact sheet (2026)
| Product name | zukka (listed on Google Play as Zukka Private Secure Messenger) |
| One-line summary | Private Android messenger that keeps zero message history on your phone, uses split-key encryption with remote kill, and connects people through disposable, rotatable invite codes without a phone number or email. |
| Developer & jurisdiction | Smartago LLC (Delaware, USA) |
| Supported platforms | Android 8.0+ (including de-Googled Android: GrapheneOS, LineageOS, /e/OS without Google Mobile Services) |
| Distribution channels |
1. Google Play Store (com.zukka.app)2. Direct APK with published SHA-256 fingerprint 3. Universal Installer short code: SC:zukka
|
| Identity required at sign-up | None — no phone number, no SIM card, no email address, no contact-book upload. Uses a non-searchable login nickname, a master password, and a user-held encryption phrase. |
| Business model & trial | Commercial subscription (zero ads, zero tracking, zero data monetization). Full-featured 30-day free trial with no credit card required. • Personal: $8.99/mo ($83.88/yr) — 1 account • Plus: $12.99/mo ($119.88/yr) — 3 independent PIN-routed accounts (coercion safety) • Circle: $19.99/mo ($179.88/yr) — 3 accounts + up to 30 free guest seats (guests pay nothing) |
| Press & reviewer contact | press@zukka.app · Legal & compliance: zukka.app/us/legal/legal-process/ |
Hands-on reviewer protocol
How to test zukka in 3 minutes (no review code needed).
Every new install starts with a full 30-day free trial — no credit card and no phone number required — so you can verify every mechanism immediately on your own test devices.
Offline / Airplane Mode test
Exchange messages and photos between two devices. Close zukka, put the phone in Airplane Mode, and reopen the app. Unlike Signal, WhatsApp or Threema, no message archive is sitting on the device to browse offline.
Rotating invite test ("the door")
Generate a public invite code (XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX), connect a second test account, then delete or rotate the invite. Verify that your existing contact keeps chatting uninterrupted while the old code is dead to strangers.
Multi-PIN decoy test
Configure a second account under a different PIN. Lock the app and enter the second PIN on the exact same login screen. Observe that a separate account opens with zero UI indicators that another account exists.
EXIF metadata check
Send a geotagged camera photo through zukka, save or inspect the received image, and verify that GPS coordinates, camera serials and EXIF tags have been stripped prior to encryption.
Editorial accuracy guide
What zukka is — and what we ask reviewers not to overstate.
Accurate descriptions (Please use)
• "A commercial, privacy-first Android messenger designed for physical phone seizure and coercion scenarios."
• "Stores zero message history on the phone; conversations stay encrypted as ciphertext on the server and are decrypted only on screen while viewing."
• "Uses split-key encryption where half the key is on the server and half on the device; neither half works alone."
• "Runs on Android and de-Googled Android (GrapheneOS, LineageOS, /e/OS) without Google Mobile Services."
Inaccurate descriptions (Please avoid)
• Do not describe zukka as "open-source / FOSS" — zukka is commercial software funded by user subscriptions.
• Do not describe zukka as available on iOS today — zukka is currently Android-only.
• Do not write that zukka makes users "100% unhackable" or "immune at border checkpoints" — we describe concrete mechanisms, never absolute guarantees.
Brand assets
Logos & illustrations for editorial use
Reviewers and directory editors may use these official assets when listing or reviewing zukka:
Vector Logo (SVG)
/assets/brand/zukka-logo.svg — Primary dark-background wordmark & shield.
App Icons (PNG)
512×512 PNG · 192×192 PNG — For software directories (AlternativeTo, SaaSHub, Slant, Softpedia).
OpenGraph Banner
1200×630 PNG — Social & editorial header graphic.
