Germ DM for AT Protocol is Live!
It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for. Germ DM for AT Protocol is here!
Germ DM for atproto is live in public beta for all to enjoy, and Bluesky users can now drop directly into end-to-end encrypted DMs from Germ DM buttons on friends’ profiles. As Bluesky experiments with integrating compatible apps from across the AT Protocol Atmosphere, Germ DM becomes its first connected end-to-end encrypted messaging service. Get it all set up in the Germ DM app, available in the App Store.
Germ DM is an end-to-end encrypted messaging app for iOS that integrates with Bluesky via the AT Protocol. Users don’t need a separate Germ account or identity; they can message people in Germ using their Bluesky handles, starting in our app or launching from Bluesky.
Germ DM doesn't even require a phone number. Instead, our open-source communicator protocol integrates into external identities like AT Protocol handles to serve flexible relationship management over time in a way that phone-number based messengers cannot
Because AT Protocol is an open protocol that supports an ecosystem of apps, this integration extends beyond Bluesky itself. With this public release, we have also shared implementation guidelines for any atproto developer to link their product to Germ. This lays the foundation for Germ to serve as an end-to-end encrypted companion messenger for users across the AT Protocol ecosystem. Check out our developer guidance here.
We’re so excited to meet the AT Protocol community’s demand for end-to-end encrypted messaging, whose importance Bluesky PBC has upheld for years. E2EE technologies encrypt content on the sender's device, the first “end,” so that only the recipient, the other "end," can decrypt it. Messages cannot be decrypted in transit by service operators, including Germ Network or Bluesky. This stands in contrast to phone calls, direct messages, and other common communication tools, whose contents are accessible to service operators under a range of conditions.
End-to-end encrypted messaging is the daily standard for half of the world already using Signal, iMessage, and WhatsApp for chats, voice, and video. At Germ, our goal is to build on that success to make secure messaging more flexible, accessible, and useful. It should be seamless and simple for you to start private conversations with the people you want to talk to, wherever you meet them.
You’ve been with us since August as we’ve tested our AT Protocol integration in private beta, launched by magic links in your bios. Now, our collaboration with the Bluesky product team lets you launch messaging in Germ straight from a button on your friends’ profiles. If you were a beta tester with a link in your bio, you'll be able to delete it with an upcoming Germ DM release. And if you’re an atproto dev, remember to check out our guidance for bringing the Germ DM UX into users’ profiles in your own app!
Over the coming weeks and months, we plan to bring more features into Germ DM. It’s still a young product, and we have so many exciting features in the works for you.
Find us across the Atmosphere @germnetwork.com, and let us know what you’re looking forward to.
