Getting started

This is how you get from installing the app to your first chat. It only takes a few minutes.

Install Rasum

Rasum is available for the iPhone and for Android phones.

iPhone: Rasum is currently a test version (beta) through Apple’s TestFlight app.

1. Install the TestFlight app from the App Store.
2. Open this link on your iPhone: https://testflight.apple.com/join/yf2fzHjk
3. TestFlight opens. Follow the steps there to install Rasum.

Android: Install Rasum from Google Play.

What do I see when I open the app for the first time?

When you open it for the first time, Rasum shows the start screen with the Rasum logo and a heading: iPhone: “Be in your element” · Android: “Welcome to Rasum”. Below it are two buttons:

• “Sign in” – if you already have an account.
• “Create account” – if you are new.

The app version is shown in small text at the bottom. There is no server selection. Rasum always connects to rasum.chat.

Create an account

You create a new account on the rasum.chat registration page. The app opens it for you.

1. Tap “Create account”.
2. The registration page opens in a browser window.
3. Choose a username and a password. An email address is optional.
4. Complete the registration. After that, you continue in the app.

Your username then has the form @name:rasum.chat. Other people find you by this name.

Sign in

With an existing account, you sign in on the rasum.chat sign-in page.

1. Tap “Sign in”.
2. The sign-in page opens in a browser window.
3. Enter your username and your password.
4. After signing in, you continue in the app.

You only enter your password on this sign-in page, not in the app itself.

What happens the first time I start the app after signing in?

After you sign in for the first time, Rasum guides you through up to three short steps. Which ones you see depends on whether your account is new or whether you already have another device.

1. Restore history

Rasum automatically creates a recovery key for your account. With this key, a new device can read your old encrypted messages. Rasum stores it encrypted in your Apple or Google account. If Rasum finds a key there, the app restores your history by itself.

iPhone: You see “Verlauf wird wiederhergestellt …” (currently shown in German in the app). The key comes from your iCloud Keychain. If this does not work, “Wiederherstellung fehlgeschlagen” appears with the buttons “Schlüssel manuell eingeben” and “Später” (also in German for now).

Android: You see “Restoring your message history…”. The key comes from your Google account. If this does not work, “We couldn’t restore your message history” appears with the buttons “Enter recovery key manually” and “Not now”. If you used your account on an iPhone first, “Transfer from iPhone” may also appear. How this works is explained under New phone or additional device.

For a brand-new account, this step happens invisibly in the background if the key storage is available (iCloud Keychain on the iPhone, Google account on Android). Without key storage, the app shows you the recovery key. In that case, write it down and keep it in a safe place. More under Recovery key.

2. Confirm device

If Rasum could not restore your history by itself and you already have another device, the app asks: “Confirm your digital identity”. You have three options:

• “Use another device” – you confirm with a phone on which you are already signed in.
• “Use recovery key” – you enter your recovery key.
• “Can’t confirm?” – if you have neither another device nor the key.

After that, the app shows “Device verified”. More under Confirm device.

3. Allow notifications

Finally, Rasum asks: “Allow notifications and never miss a message”. Then your phone asks for permission. Allow notifications, otherwise you will not find out about new messages and calls.

Android: This question only appears on Android 13 or later, and only if you have not yet granted or denied the permission.

You can change this later. See Notification settings.

And then?

After starting, you see the chat list. iPhone: at the top with the heading “Chats”. Android: “Chats” is selected in the bar at the bottom. If the list is still empty, it says “No chats yet.”.

• You start your first chat with “Start chat” in the bar at the bottom. See Start a new chat.
• You open the settings by tapping your own profile picture at the top left.
• The symbol guide explains what the small symbols mean.