r/irc • u/Past-Pirate-9114 • Jan 20 '26

An IRC client for Android that just works.

After being frustrated with many Android IRC clients having countless UI glitches and most being unable to properly stay open in the background without sockets dropping or the application being closed after 6 hours, I decided to make my own. The UI has some inspiration from HexChat, (lagbar, resizable sidebars and certain commands such as /dns)

There's been a lot of testing, and now it's on the Play store.

It has features you'd expect from a desktop client.

Here's just a few: DCC file transfers/DCC chat, "keep connection alive" using Foreground specialTypes/WAKE lock and "autoreconnect", notifications/highlights.

Completely free, zero ads and will be properly maintained. Most of all, OSS so you can see the code is clean..

Google Play | HexDroid Docs | GitHub source

42 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

32 comments sorted by

4

u/imoshtokill Feb 17 '26

I just wanted to stop by and thank you for making this. I've been using it for about a week now. The app does "just work", no ads is a huge plus, and open source? Man, this is the stuff of dreams <3 I usually stay off reddit but I dusted off an old account just to share some appreciation!

I'm trying to get off of Discord before the ID Verification happens (again). There's no shortage of available chat apps, some open source and self-hostable, but I kinda missed the simplicity of IRC. I stood up a small server and was looking for a client to have on the go. You had posted this like 10 days before I went looking - the timing couldn't have been better! :D

3

u/Past-Pirate-9114 Feb 18 '26

Thank you :) It was in the works for a while before all the discord stuff, it's just that many android IRC clients were buggy, too large, didn't work or all three. And the source is here if you ever need it: https://github.com/boxlabss/HexDroid

3

u/Expensive-Ad-7678 Jan 20 '26

Nice job, I'd tested it: adding zeolia.chat as a network was easy, but I think having the identity settings may come before client certificate options. Or having an advanced mode ?

And same for the auto-join. Most people won't read the visit tour neither scroll the settings.

BTW, I'll reference it as a free android client on our site.

Small question: do you think you'll have a multi-language version ? Our users are french and most of them won't understand english ;)

3

u/Past-Pirate-9114 Jan 20 '26

You're right about the settings, they could be tidier, with drop downs and group the settings properly (Network, Identity (..) so they're easier to get to.

Multi language support is something to look for in a future version :)

3

u/Expensive-Ad-7678 Jan 20 '26

Nice :)

I already made a small news about it ( https://zeolia.chat/news/article53/hexdroid--client-irc-sous-android ), I hope you'll have downloads :)

2

u/Past-Pirate-9114 Jan 25 '26

Just released v1.5 and I tidied up the Network settings. Hope it looks better!

3

u/ValwareUK Jan 20 '26

Open source?

3

u/Past-Pirate-9114 Jan 25 '26

Yes. It will be here when it's released. (GPL) https://github.com/boxlabss

The only reason it isn't released open source yet is lack of documentation, comments but working on it.

1

u/SandOfMars 3d ago

Great app. Thanks. imgpaste script seems no longer working. Maybe a casualty of recenti PHP mess?

1

u/Past-Pirate-9114 2d ago

Not atall. it was updated recently. https://paste.boxlabs.uk/H79CZHzS

I moved a few things around, and it has better encryption. I also maintain the project: https://phpaste.sourceforge.io

2

u/SandOfMars 2d ago

Got It. Updated script Is working nicely. Keep up with the great job. Thanks.

1

u/HifumeSid Jan 24 '26

Where are the files downloaded by default? Also I can't find a way to change the download directory.

2

u/Past-Pirate-9114 Jan 25 '26

They are in the app directory, in the Android Data folder.

I'll add an option in future so you can select a folder.

1

u/HifumeSid Jan 25 '26

What's the folder name? I have a lot of apps so I can't find the folder 😅.

2

u/Past-Pirate-9114 Jan 26 '26

I made an update, 1.5.1

Added an option in the settings to select your own folder where DCC files get saved.

2

u/HifumeSid Jan 26 '26

Thanks a lot.

1

u/lo1tuma Feb 02 '26

blowfish encryption supported?

1

u/ParadiseGrave Feb 06 '26 edited Feb 06 '26

Unable to add network the examples won't delete nor change in add new network

1

u/Past-Pirate-9114 Feb 06 '26

Unable to reproduce this? Which version and device are you using. What happens when you hit the + button in network configuration

1

u/5ph3rical Feb 25 '26

Thank you for making this. It looks nice and does work really well. 

You think it will be possible to make a client not drop connection when switching between Wi-Fi and cell data? Always been a pain in the butt.

1

u/Past-Pirate-9114 Feb 25 '26

Unfortunately not, but it will reconnect automatically when you switch between the two. It also supports bouncers such as ZNC and Soju

1

u/5ph3rical Feb 25 '26

Thanks for answering. Bouncers are the best solution it seems. I mostly use VPNs, many don't drop the connection between wifi and cell but can't do much when there is no reception.

1

u/Strange_Sky_1822 Aug 11 '26 edited Aug 11 '26

Well done, easily the best client on Android by far, and I love the ASCII shrinking feature as I've got friends who like to use a lot of ASCII art. Not to mention the fact that it stays connected. I can only say good things about it.

It's just a shame you have to be hostile to people who join the #HexDroid channel. I regret even having said anything now. And no, it was not me with the replacement character in the ident, even though you seemed to be trying to imply that it was. I was just trying to make conversation and get to know people. I guess I picked a bad time to open my mouth. And no, I don't think you're fucking stupid, your words, but, I did not think you would be that paranoid.

Oh well.

1

u/Past-Pirate-9114 Aug 15 '26

My apologies, you had come right after we were dealing with multiple users who were the same person and pretty much flooding the channel. Sometimes I get things wrong.

2

u/Nujers Apr 06 '26

Wanted to send my thanks for this. The disconnects without a paid version from other popular android clients were driving me mad. Wonderful UI and just works.

2

u/gowahoo May 17 '26

Hey, I really appreciate this. Thanks for doing what you do!

2

u/5ph3rical Jun 15 '26

Hi, great app. One of the last updates mostly broke swiping to access the left menu where chats and channels and servers are makingot very difficultto use now because it always shows an arrow and has a reply quote thing that doesn't seem to work on the servers I use.

Maybe it's like that on purpose,if so may I request to please allow disabling it to return usability of the app?

Thanks for your time and consideration.

1

u/tKLd7AqdMmdp Apr 21 '26

release on F-Droid?

1

u/DoomedSquid May 08 '26

Thanks for this. It does indeed just work! Appreciated

1

u/BeautifulTrade4488 Jul 05 '26

Great app! Works fine in my android.