You Now Control Where Messages Live 💾
BurnChat room admins can now choose how messages are handled. Keep the last 100 in server RAM for late joiners. Or switch to client-only mode where the server stores absolutely nothing. One command. Instant switch. Your room, your rules.
Two modes, one command
- Server keeps the last 100 messages in RAM
- Late joiners see chat history when they enter
- Messages are still ephemeral — gone when the room burns
- Nothing ever touches disk
- Best for: community rooms, ongoing conversations, rooms where context matters
- Server stores zero messages — pure relay
- Messages exist only in each user's browser (sessionStorage)
- Late joiners see a blank room — no history
- Close the tab and messages are destroyed
- Best for: sensitive conversations, maximum privacy, paranoid mode
How to use it
Only room admins can change the storage mode. If no admin has been set yet, anyone can use it. Once someone becomes admin (/admin nickname), only admins can switch.
Type /storage client to switch to client-only mode. The header badge changes from server buffer to client only and everyone in the room sees a notification. The server immediately clears its message buffer.
Type /storage server to switch back. Messages sent after the switch will be buffered again for late joiners.
Aliases work too: /storage device, /storage local, /storage ram, /storage buffer — all do the same thing.
Combining with E2E encryption
Storage mode and E2E encryption are independent — you can use either, both, or neither. Here's what each combination gives you:
| Setup | What happens |
|---|---|
| Server buffer only | Default. Late joiners see history. Server can technically read messages in transit. Messages in RAM, gone when room burns. |
| Server buffer + E2E | Late joiners see encrypted history (decrypted if they have the key). Server holds ciphertext it can't read. |
| Client-only | Server stores nothing. Messages only in each browser. Late joiners see blank. Maximum privacy without encryption. |
| Client-only + E2E | Maximum security. Server stores nothing and can't read anything. Messages encrypted and exist only in browsers with the key. |
For the most private setup possible: /storage client then /e2e. The server becomes a blind relay that holds nothing — messages are encrypted before sending and exist only in the browsers of people who have the key.
What the header badge tells you
Every room shows a storage badge in the header so you always know the current mode:
server buffer — the server keeps the last 100 messages in RAM. Ephemeral, but buffered.
client only — the server stores nothing. Pure relay. Messages exist only in your browser.
The badge updates instantly when an admin switches modes. No refresh needed.
Why we built this
Not every conversation needs the same level of privacy. A community chat room benefits from late joiners seeing context. A sensitive private conversation benefits from zero server storage. Instead of picking one model and forcing it on everyone, we let room admins decide.
Both modes are ephemeral. Neither writes to disk. The difference is whether the server holds a short buffer in RAM or holds nothing at all. It's a tradeoff between convenience and privacy — and now it's your choice, not ours.
Your room. Your storage rules.
Create a room, set your storage mode, enable E2E. Total control.
Open BurnChat