Terms of use

Mote lets people join ephemeral encrypted rooms via a single link. Content is encrypted on the client. The relay forwards opaque envelopes, presence, and WebRTC signaling. Features include chat (including your own message delete and edit), map pins with an optional attend count, short clips, still photos, optional walkie-talkie audio, offline outbox, and optional device-local passkey accounts. A room creator may kick a peer, clear chat for everyone, or End Mote (disconnect everyone and lock that mote id on the relay so the old invite cannot rejoin).

You must be 18 or older to use Mote. By creating a Mote, joining via an invite link, or creating a passkey account, you confirm that you meet this age requirement. If you are under 18, do not use the service.

You may use Mote without creating an account. Optional passkey accounts only store data on your device to reopen saved rooms. We do not provide a cross-device cloud vault as part of the default product.

Anyone with the full invite URL (including the fragment after #) can join that Mote and decrypt its content. An optional passphrase adds a second layer for messages but does not by itself stop someone from joining the relay room. You are responsible for how you share links and passphrases.

• Use Mote only for lawful purposes
• Do not harass, abuse, or harm others
• Do not attempt to disrupt, overload, or reverse-engineer the relay beyond normal use
• Do not probe or impersonate peers in ways that interfere with others’ sessions
• Do not upload illegal content (including via clips, photos, or pins)

Rate limits, room size caps, and message size caps exist to keep the relay available. Circumventing those limits, flooding rooms, or using Mote as a general-purpose file host is not allowed.

Push-to-talk may expose network addresses to peers and to any configured STUN/TURN servers. Production hosts typically run self-hosted TURN for cross-network audio; local or LAN-only setups may use host candidates only. You consent when you enable huddle after the in-app notice.

Map tiles and place/postcode lookup are provided by third-party OpenStreetMap-related services subject to their terms and usage policies. Do not abuse those APIs.

The service is provided “as is.” Live presence is in-memory; production relays typically keep a short opaque message ring in Redis (survives restarts and empty rooms for a limited TTL). Ended mote ids may be remembered on the relay for a limited time so that invite cannot rejoin. Deleting or editing a message is an encrypted update to peers — it is not a guaranteed relay erase. Your device may keep history offline, but clearing site data, Erase local data, or device loss can erase it. We do not guarantee delivery, uptime, or forensic recovery of messages.

Client-side encryption assumes a trustworthy browser and that you obtained the app from a source you trust (HTTPS). Compromised devices, malicious extensions, or a tampered client can undermine end-to-end protection. Self-hosted operators must secure their TLS, CORS, and relay configuration.

The Mote software and branding belong to their respective owners. You retain rights to content you create; by sending it into a Mote you grant other participants in that room the ability to view it as the product allows.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Mote disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. Encryption and privacy features are offered on a best-effort basis.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, operators of this instance are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for loss of data, profits, or goodwill arising from your use of Mote.

We may suspend or block access for abuse or operational necessity. You may stop using Mote at any time and delete local data via Erase local data or your browser settings.

Terms may change as features evolve. The “Last updated” date will be revised when that happens. Continued use constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

If you use a self-hosted or third-party deployment, that operator may provide additional terms. Where mandatory consumer protections apply in your country, those rights are not waived.

Questions about these terms for a given deployment should go to the operator hosting that web app and relay. To report abusive peers, use the in-room People → Report flow and the abuse page. Reports carry metadata only — operators cannot read end-to-end encrypted content.