General
What is StealthTalk?
StealthTalk is a private messaging application purposely designed to fulfill the high privacy demands of business professionals.
StealthTalk implements patented technology originally invented to secure the communications of emergency response services in the US, Europe, and the Middle East during mission-critical operations. It ensures privacy of communication, protection from interception and wiretapping.
Who is StealthTalk for?
The patented technology behind StealthTalk was originally invented to secure the communications of emergency response services in the US, Europe, and the Middle East. The technology was then adapted for StealthTalk to enable equally private communication for business professionals.
What makes StealthTalk special?
Instead of transferring sensitive data over a single encrypted channel (which has become a common practice among secure messaging services), StealthTalk uses a combination of data packet splitting, mixing and scrambling, and then routes separated data packets over multiple encrypted channels.
The sophisticated approach provides protection against wiretapping, man-in-the-middle and SIM-swapping attacks.
Additionally, StealthTalk does not store any sensitive user data on its servers. All user communication, information and metadata are encrypted and securely stored on the user's device.
Where does StealthTalk store my data?
Your conversations, metadata and other sensitive information are encrypted and stored on your own device only. StealthTalk does not store any sensitive information on its servers.
Why does registration require a phone number?
A phone number was deliberately chosen as the key element for StealthTalk account registration for two main reasons.
First, a phone number offers better security than email, which is typically used in account registration.
Second, unlike a username-based registration, a phone number registration allows to guard StealthTalk users who are looking to communicate privately with their trusted contacts from unverified personas who seek anonymity.
Why do I need to fill out Recovery information?
As StealthTalk does not store any of your sensitive data on its servers—including passcode information—your Recovery information is required to verify your identity upon resetting your StealthTalk account passcode.
Please note: By refusing to provide any or providing unauthentic information in your Recovery information, you risk locking yourself out of your StealthTalk account in case you lose or forget your passcode.
What is Stealth mode?
Certain features and private conversations require an even stricter approach to privacy. StealthTalk enables that extra privacy with a passcode-protected section of the application called Stealth mode.
Only while in Stealth mode you are authorized to make Stealth calls and send Stealth messages that cannot be viewed in default mode and require the recipient to enter their StealthTalk passcode to access the content.
Stealth mode also prevents unauthorized users from tinkering with the application settings when the device is left unattended.
Will my address book information be sent to StealthTalk servers?
Contact information always stays exclusively on your device. StealthTalk does not send, store or upload phone number information anywhere under any circumstances.
StealthTalk uses secure one-way hash functions to create phone number hashes based on original information in your address book. These hashes allow to match you with your contacts within StealthTalk all the while making it impossible to obtain the information about the original phone number.
Why are StealthTalk conference calls limited to three people?
The current limitation exists to ensure communication security lives up to StealthTalk security standards. Extending the number of call participants exponentially increases the strain put on bandwidth and cannot be implemented without a compromise in security. We will continue looking into solutions to extend the maximum number of participants.
What files can I send?
At this moment you can send only .jpg files in StealthTalk. Support for other files types is in the works.
How-to’s
How do I add a new contact?
There are two ways you can add a new contact to StealthTalk:
By scanning the QR code when meeting in person:
- Open the StealthTalk application and click the QR code icon.
- Scan the QR code of the person you want to add.
- Have the person scan your QR code.
Alternatively, you and the person you want to add to StealthTalk need to add each other manually in your phones’ address books. Then, upon installing the StealthTalk application, StealthTalk will automatically recognize you as contacts.
How do I remove a contact?
In order to remove your StealthTalk contact, you need to remove the contact manually in your address book and StealthTalk will automatically recognize the change in the application.
How can I change the name of a contact?
StealthTalk does not store information about your contacts, including their names. The same name assigned to a contact in your phone’s address book is used to display a corresponding contact in StealthTalk.
In order to change the name of your StealthTalk contact, you need to change the name of the contact manually in your address book and StealthTalk will automatically recognize the change.
How do I make a group call?
StealthTalk group calls support up to three participants. To make a 3-person call, follow these steps:
- Start a call with one of the participants
- During the call, tap the “Add” button
- Choose the contact you want to add to the call
How do I exchange personal encryption keys?
You can generate new encryption keys to use in Stealth mode and exchange them with your contacts via a call, using Bluetooth, or by scanning a QR code.
To exchange encryption keys, tap the profile of the contact you want to exchange the keys with and select encryption key exchange.
How do I send an attachment?
To send an attachment, tap on the “+” button at the right hand side in StealthTalk secure chat.
Security
What makes StealthTalk secure?
StealthTalk uses a combination of data packet splitting, mixing and scrambling, and then routes separated data packets over multiple encrypted channels to make data interception and decryption unachievable.
What makes StealthTalk different from other secure messengers?
Besides the field-proven technology that originated in professional telecommunications, StealthTalk features a unique approach to encryption key generation and exchange. In StealthTalk, encryption keys are generated only on user devices, while traditional secure messengers often have their encryption key server sharing the keys with user devices, which opens them up to attacks.
What is multichannel data routing?
StealthTalk transmits packets of the same session via different routes (multiple channels), while combining packets of different sessions into a single packet at random. This approach to the transfer of packets reduces the chances of data interception or decryption.
What is the difference between Default keys and Personal keys?
Default encryption keys are the keys that the application generated when you first registered in StealthTalk, while personal encryption keys are new keys generated after manual interference.
What if my encryption keys would be compromised?
StealthTalk provides perfect forward secrecy, meaning that its encryption system frequently changes the keys to encrypt and decrypt information. You can also manually generate new encryption keys with individual contacts in the StealthTalk application.
Are messages stored in encrypted form on my device?
All encryption happens locally on your device, and your data and communication information stay encrypted at all times. StealthTalk even stores the encrypted data in the app protected memory to restrict access of other apps and device operating system.
What encryption algorithms are used in StealthTalk?
StealthTalk communication security is based on patented SDNP protocol and a combination of the following encryption algorithms to secure users’ communication:
- User authentication: RSA 4K, SHA-3 512.
- Signaling channels: ECC 512, HMAC 512, AES 256.
- Media and session channels: Twofish 256.
Can StealthTalk decrypt my messages if, hypothetically, required by law enforcement?
No, StealthTalk simply does not have data to share. All your communication and metadata is encrypted and stored on your device. The information is never stored on StealthTalk servers.
Troubleshooting
What do I do if I am not getting the SMS verification code?
Some mobile carriers offer inconsistent delivery of SMS verification codes required for registration. We are already looking into solutions. In the meantime, please contact support@stealthtalk.com and we will provide assistance with the registration.
How do I reset my passcode?
If you forget your passcode, please use the ‘Forgot Passcode’ option that can be found below the passcode entry field.
You will be required to answer your security question. Upon successfully answering the security question a code will be sent to your recovery email which allows you to reset your current passcode.
What if I forgot the answer to my security question?
If you forgot the answer to your security question, please contact us at support@stealthtalk.com from your recovery email address.
In your message, please specify the phone number your StealthTalk account is registered to.
After verifying that your phone number is indeed linked to a StealthTalk account that matches the recovery email, we will send an SMS with a code. You will need to send this code back to the StealthTalk support representative who will then manually reset your security question.
What do I do if I forget my passcode and don’t have Recovery information?
If you forgot your passcode and do not have Recovery information, please contact us at support@stealthtalk.com.
In your message, please specify the phone number your StealthTalk account is registered to.
Payments
How does the free trial work?
When first registering your StealthTalk account, you automatically start your free 30-day trial. You get unlimited Stealth Mode outgoing calls and messages during the free trial. At the end of the free trial period, you will be reminded to renew your StealthTalk subscription in order to continue to be able to make secure calls and send secure messages.
How does the payment work?
StealthTalk is a subscription-based private messaging service. At the end of subscription duration, the subscription needs to be manually renewed.
There is no recurring billing. As your subscription approaches expiration date, you will receive in-app notifications reminding you to extend your subscription.
What payment methods do you accept?
For transactions, StealthTalk accepts PayPal and types of payment the platform supports in your region.
How do I cancel my StealthTalk subscription?
StealthTalk does not automatically renew your subscription. At the end of subscription duration, your subscription will be canceled automatically unless renewed manually.
Miscellaneous
Is StealthTalk available in my language?
The application is currently only available in English, but StealthTalk plans to offer support for more languages in the future.
Can I use StealthTalk on multiple devices simultaneously?
For security purposes, StealthTalk is restricted to one device only. This feature will not be added in the future as syncing between multiple devices would require StealthTalk to save communication history in order to sync it which goes against the privacy standards StealthTalk stands for.
Why is StealthTalk not open source?
StealthTalk is built on a patented closed source technology which has proven itself in professional telecommunications. Being implemented in mission-critical communication solutions used by the military and emergency response services, its reliability and security have been field-proven.
With that being said, there is little benefit to be gained from going open source.