Install Private.Ki on iPhone and Android
The native apps are coming soon to the App Store and Google Play. Until then, set up the web app in your phone's browser and sign in with a QR code.
Private.Ki has native apps for iPhone and Android. They are not in the App Store or Google Play yet — both listings are marked coming soon. You can use Private.Ki on your phone today through the web app in your browser, with the same encryption and the same phone layout the native apps use.
Everything except push notifications and PIN / biometric unlock. Those two need the native app — see Web app vs native apps.
Use the web app on your phone
- Open the web app in your phone's browser:
https://app.privateki.net. Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Samsung Internet all work; JavaScript must be on — see System requirements.1Search2Email / Chats switchWeb & desktop 
121Search2Email / Chats switchiPhone 121Search2Email / Chats switchAndroid - Sign in. The quickest way is to scan a QR code from a computer where you are already signed in — see step 3. Or tap Sign In and enter your username and password.
- Sign in by QR (recommended). On your computer, click your name at the bottom-left of the sidebar, choose My devices, then Show a code; read the warning, tick the box and click Show QR code. The code lasts 30 seconds. On the phone, tap Sign in with a QR code, then Scan their code, and point the camera at the computer screen. Compare the short codes both devices show, approve on the computer, and the phone is signed in and unlocked. Full steps: Sign in with a QR code.
1Scan their code2Ignore codes you did not ask forWeb & desktop 
121Scan their code2Ignore codes you did not ask foriPhone 121Scan their code2Ignore codes you did not ask forAndroid - Add a shortcut to your home screen (optional). In Safari tap the Share icon, then Add to Home Screen. In Chrome tap the ⋮ menu, then Add to Home screen. The shortcut opens Private.Ki in your browser; it is not a separate app.
When the native apps are available
The apps will be published under the name Private.Ki. When the listings go live, the Coming soon to the App Store and Coming soon to Google Play badges on private.ki will become download links. Check that the developer shown in the store is Private.Ki before you install.
After installing, the sign-in steps are the same as above. The native app adds:
- PIN and biometric unlock — a 4-digit PIN with Face ID or fingerprint, so you do not type your password or passphrase each time. See PIN and biometric unlock.
- Push notifications when a new email or chat message arrives while the app is closed. The notification says only New email or New chat message — never who it is from or what it says. See Push notifications.
The apps run on physical devices; push notifications do not work in simulators.
What our server sees
Cannot see
- Your mail or chats — the phone decrypts them locally, exactly like the computer
Can see
- That a second device was paired to your account (this completes the Connect your phone step in Setup)
- In the native app, a push token and the device's name, so notifications can be delivered
Common questions
Is the phone version less secure than the computer version?
No. The same code runs on both. The web app in a phone browser uses the browser's built-in cryptography; the native app runs the same cryptography in a bundled WebView. Your keys are unlocked on the device and never sent anywhere.
I signed in on my phone and now my computer asks me to unlock again. Why?
Pairing by QR hands the signed-in session to the phone. The computer stays signed in but may ask you to unlock. See Pair a second device.
Will my drafts and read state sync between phone and computer?
Yes. Both devices talk to the same account. Open messages, stars, folders and drafts appear on every device you are signed in on.
Can I get notified on my phone when using the web app?
Not today. Push notifications need the native app.