We know the app had a rough patch.
And we’ve heard you. Your feedback has been invaluable, and we’ve been heads down fixing bugs, improving performance, and laying the groundwork for a smoother, more secure experience.
Last month was a milestone period for WhiteNoise, our secure messaging app built on the Nostr protocol and Message Layer Security (MLS).
Between significant product releases, major conference presentations, and ongoing development work, the team has been firing on all cylinders to advance the future of private communications.
The centerpiece of August was our [v0.1.3 release] (link in the comments), aptly titled "Decentralization is Hard."
This release focused squarely on addressing user-reported issues and improving the fundamental user experience around data fetching and relay management: core challenges that anyone building on decentralized infrastructure faces.
🎯 Major Features Added
1. Search & Discovery
We significantly enhanced how users find and connect with each other:
- Comprehensive chat search --> with message highlighting for finding conversations quickly
- Chat list search --> to navigate growing contact lists effortlessly
- Enhanced QR code functionality --> including login via QR code and improved safety with npub validation
2. User Profiles & Contact Management. The social layer got major improvements:
- Enhanced user profiles --> with copy npub functionality and better group member views
- Improved group management --> allowing admins to remove users and add members to existing groups
- Streamlined connection flows --> with redesigned profile sheets
3. Network & Relay Management
Perhaps most importantly for a decentralized app, we shipped a complete relay management system:
- Real-time relay status monitoring
- Add/edit relay options with validation
- Pull-to-refresh functionality
- Improved relay selection based on the outbox model
🔧 UI/UX Improvements
The release included dozens of polish improvements.
From consistent paste/copy buttons across inputs to fixed message content wrapping, scrollable bottom sheets, and enhanced reaction displays.
We also updated splash screens for both iOS and Android with proper dark mode support.
🐛 Stability & Bug Fixes. We tackled fundamental stability issues including:
- Major metadata cleanup --> standardizing on `displayName` throughout the app
- Authentication fixes --> for login flows and profile creation
- Relay management improvements --> fixing issues where existing relay lists were getting overwritten
- Enhanced error handling --> with proper mounted checks to prevent widget disposal errors
💪 Beyond the Release: Big Refactors and Performance Work
Since v0.1.3 shipped, the team hasn't slowed down.
We've been deep in major refactoring work focused on stabilizing the app's foundation and dramatically improving reliability and performance.
While this work isn't as immediately visible as new features, it's critical for building a messaging app that users can depend on daily.
A major catalyst for this work was our team meeting in Riga, where we came together in person to brainstorm and plan the next version of WhiteNoise.
There's something irreplaceable about having the whole team in the same room, discussing architecture decisions, and aligning on priorities.
The insights and momentum from those sessions have directly shaped our current development sprint.
The next release will showcase the fruits of this labor.
Expect superior reliability and performance that reflects our growing understanding of building production-ready applications on Nostr infrastructure.
