Frequently Asked Questions

Opake itself is open-source and free to use. However, you need a Personal Data Server (PDS) to store your files. While a PDS doesn't inherently limit your storage, Opake defaults to smaller limits out of politeness to providers we don't own. You (or your provider) can increase these limits by uploading specific configuration files to your PDS.

Opake is bring-your-own-storage. Your encrypted files live on your Personal Data Server (PDS) — either self-hosted or run by a provider you trust. The app is the interface; the storage is yours to move, copy, or walk away with.

No. Encryption happens entirely on your device (browser or CLI) before any data is sent over the network. We never see the contents of your files, your filenames, your tags, or your private keys. From our perspective, your data is opaque bytes.

The recipient needs an AT Protocol identity (a DID) to receive a Grant. The grant is the file's key, encrypted just for them — and if they've never set up an account, there's no public key to encrypt it against. If you want to share with someone outside the network, help them sign up first.

If you lose your device and haven't backed up your private keys, your data is lost forever. Because Opake is end-to-end encrypted with no central authority, there is no "Forgot Password" or account recovery. We recommend using our Device Pairing feature to keep your identity on multiple trusted devices.

No. Opake is built on the AT Protocol, which is a federated social networking protocol. It uses cryptographic signatures and DIDs for identity, but it does not use a proof-of-work blockchain or tokens.

The source is on GitHub — browse the code, open issues, or send a pull request. Everything happens in the open there.