FAQ

The basics

Where can I find the white paper for bitMessage?

The pdf can be found Here

Where can I find the technical paper for bitMessage?

The pdf can be found Here

Installation and configuration

How do I install bitMessage?

Simply download the executable from the main page and run it. Currently bitMessage is Windows only. Other platform support is still under development.

How do I setup bitMessage to work with Tor?

To get bitMessage to use Tor as a proxy follow these steps. If you are using Tor Browser Bundle please skip to the next section.

• Navigate to Settings > Network Settings and select SOCKS5 from the Type: drop down under the Proxy server / Tor section.
• Next to 'Server hostname:' enter 'localhost' and next to 'Port:' enter '9050'.
• Select ok.
• Restart bitMessage.

If you are using Tor Browser Bundle, follow the steps above but use port '9150' instead.

Usage

How many connections should I have?

As long as you have at least one connection, you can communicate with the network. If your connection indicator is yellow, you can have a maximum of 8 connections.

How does bitMessage compare?

Here is a table comparing bitMessage to other common messaging services.

Comparison of Messaging Services

	Bitmessage	Standard Email	Email + GPG	OTR	TorChat	Skype	Scayl	I2P Bote	CryptoCat	IRC	SMS
Trustless	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
P2P	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Open Source	MIT	Depends	Depends	GPL V2.1	GPL	No	No	GPL V3	GPL	Yes	No
Requires Proof of Work	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Hide Sender?	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
Hide Receiver?	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
Mobile Version	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Alpha	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Application or Web Based	Application	Both	Application	Application	Application	Application	Application	Application	Both	Both	Application
Text Only Messages		No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Attachments	Small only	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Very Large	Yes	No	No	Yes
Acknowledge delivery	Yes	No	No								No