CPUNK Wiki Guides & Help

Getting Started with DNA Connect

DNA Connect is a private messenger. There is no sign-up form: no phone number, no email address, no password. Your account is created on your own device and belongs only to you.

1. Download the app

Get DNA Connect from the official download section at cpunk.io. It is available for Android, Windows, and Linux.

Tip

Only download DNA Connect from cpunk.io. Downloads from other websites may be fake or unsafe.

2. Create your identity

  1. Open the app and choose to create a new identity.
  2. The app shows you a Recovery Phrase — 24 words. Write them down on paper, in order, and keep the paper somewhere safe. This is the only way to get your account back if you lose your device.
  3. Tick the box confirming you saved your words, then pick your name — every account has one; it is how friends find you. The app checks the words only if you restore later, so be honest with that checkbox: write them down first.
Important

Those 24 words are your account. Anyone who has them can read your messages and use your wallet. Never share them with anyone, and never type them into another app or website. Read more: Your Recovery Phrase.

3. Say hello

Add a friend by their name and send your first message. Everything you send is end-to-end encrypted automatically — there is nothing to switch on and no settings to get wrong. See Messaging for how it works.

A quick tour of the app

  • Messages — your private, encrypted conversations. How messaging works
  • Contacts & Groups — add friends by name, approve requests, block anyone, create group chats. Learn more
  • The Wall — a public timeline for posts, likes, comments, and tips. Learn more
  • Wallet — DNAC and multi-chain addresses, all from your one Recovery Phrase. Learn more
  • Settings — your profile, App Lock (PIN or fingerprint), backups, and more. Security & App Lock

Already have an account?

If you are moving to a new device or reinstalling, choose the restore option instead of creating a new identity, and enter your 24-word Recovery Phrase. Your identity and name come back, your contacts sync from the network, and the app checks for an encrypted message backup — you'll have one if you turned backup on in Settings on your old device.