# Monal — XMPP Chat — Open source XMPP Messenger

> Open source XMPP messenger with OMEMO encryption and group chat. (iPhone/iPad app by Thilo Molitor.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monal-xmpp-chat/id317711500 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Thilo Molitor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1508738269)
- Category: Social Networking, Entertainment
- Price: Free
- Rating: 3.73/5 from 133 App Store ratings · 202 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 14.0 · 69 MB
- Languages: Arabic, Basque, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German and 22 more
- Released: 2009-06-15
- Data updated: 2026-07-22
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monal-xmpp-chat/id317711500/reviews.md

## What is Monal?

There has never been a better time to get into XMPP, a free public chat network no one controls or owns. Monal is a fast and user friendly way to use XMPP. Just download the app,  login or register and you are ready to chat in minutes. It looks and works the way other apps do, so there is no need to “learn XMPP” or even care what it is.

Notable features:
- Open Source
- No Ads! Strong focus on privacy. Does not phone home and does not have software "metrics" 
- Does not read any personal information
- With a direct connection to your server, your password and all other info are never sent to a third-party
- OMEMO encrypted chat
- Will work with corporate XMPP servers that require VPN
- Multi user chat (MUC) support for group chats
- Audio/Video calls

Implements certain XMPP extensions intended to improve mobile communication:
- XEP-0357: Push Notifications
- XEP-0280: Message Carbons keep messages in synch between clients
- XEP-0198: Stream Management to quickly reconnect
- XEP-0199: XMPP Ping to maintain connections
- XEP-0313: Message Archive Management to download chat history
- XEP-0352: Client State Indication for dramatic reduction on power use
- XEP-0363: HTTP File Upload to send images in conversations

## Key features

- Open Source
- No Ads
- OMEMO encrypted chat
- Multi user chat (MUC)
- Audio/Video calls
- File sharing

## What do users think of Monal?

Overall sentiment: neutral

**Pros**

- 🚀 Works well
- 🔒 Secure XMPP client
- 👍 Best XMPP client on iOS
- 🚀 Robust and dependable
- 👍 Actively developed

**Cons**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔒 Encryption problems
- 👎 Buggy UI and UX
- 🔍 Missing basic features (copy/paste, etc.)
- 🔋 High battery consumption

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Disconnects frequently
- Incompatible with some XMPP servers
- Crashes when sending messages
- Issues with loading contact lists

**Most requested features**

- Add OTR/PGP encryption support
- Improve group chat functionality
- Allow customization of sounds and notifications
- Optimize for older iOS versions

## Recent user reviews (10 of 202)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monal-xmpp-chat/id317711500/reviews.md

### 1/5 — My thoughts about your enforced certificates

*2026-07-11, version 6.4.21*

Your software your rules. My choice what security level to pick AND not to use your software.
Also maybe check your patronizing smug attitude.

### 3/5 — Very buggy!

*2026-07-10, version 6.4.21*

This app is really hard to use. Wish there was a better option.

### 1/5 — Bad experience

*2026-07-02, version 6.4.21*

Continuous tls banner message spam when something is wrong that covers the save button in the configuration screen making it hard to fix. Uninstalled.

### 5/5 — been great

*2026-06-09, version 6.4.21*

been great, I hope the devs never stop working on this project, because the xmpp clients on ios aren’t good

### 1/5 — Never been able to connect my account.

*2026-06-03, version 6.4.21*

Unfortunately, I’ve never been able to simply log into my account in Monal. My credentials are fine; they function perfectly on a web browser. The problem is with Monal. Hour+ of troubleshooting and I got nowhere. Don’t waste your time.

### 4/5 — No searching feature

*2026-06-02, version 6.4.21*

The main problem - no searching feature in the app.

### 5/5 — Probably the best xmpp iOS client

*2026-05-30, version 6.4.21*

I’ve been doing nothing but banging my head against the wall with most iOS xmpp clients, Monal was the only one that worked pretty much out of the box. I can guarantee compatibility with self hosted prosody, most of the online clients(they have their own issues), conversations on android, Dino and gajim. Don’t forget to get OMEMO and run prosody features check. I found it has barely any compatibility with Siskin IM

### 2/5 — Шифрование

*2026-05-01, version 6.4.20*

Постоянно вываливает в час ошибку шифрования, прошу довести приложение до должного уровня, спасибо.

### 3/5 — good xmpp chat but cant copy paste

*2026-02-16, version 6.4.18*

thats all thats the review

### 5/5 — Does everything a jabber/XMPP app should do

*2025-12-23, version 6.4.16*

I saw some reviews of people having issues receiving messages and the server not fetching them properly that’s primarily because of the Server that you’re using for that it’s kind of out of Monals hands if the server that your jabber account is using is unstable you can verify that on the XMPP website where they provide server addresses to use or even create your own server then you won’t have to worry about it being unstable. But overall wonderful app is the best of the best. In my opinion you’re not gonna really get a modern looking one because jabber is just so old and I’m surprised it’s even still around lol

## Frequently asked questions about Monal

### What is Monal?

Monal is a fast and user-friendly open-source messenger designed for the XMPP public chat network. It allows you to chat privately and securely without ads or data collection.

### What are the key features of Monal?

Key features include OMEMO end-to-end encryption for secure chats, multi-user chat (MUC) for group conversations, audio/video calls, and the ability to send files like images. It also supports XMPP extensions for improved mobile communication and power efficiency.

### Is Monal free to use?

Yes, Monal is completely free to use. It is an open-source application with no ads and no in-app purchases, focusing on user privacy.

### What devices is Monal compatible with?

While the provided description doesn't explicitly state compatibility, it is designed as a mobile application, implying it is intended for smartphones and tablets. It works with corporate XMPP servers that may require a VPN.

### How does Monal ensure privacy?

Monal prioritizes privacy by being open source, not phoning home, and not collecting any personal information. With a direct connection to your server, your password and other sensitive data are never sent to third parties.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 6.4.21 — 2026-05-27

- Show last usage timestamp of OMEMO keys
- Use the iOS 18 UI in the share sheet
- Allow using any language in the Display Name field in account settings
- Try to improve location sharing accuracy
- Improve contact last activity timestamps
- Fix several bugs

### 6.4.20 — 2026-04-22

- Fixed speaker not turning on for video calls on some devices
- Now forcing SASL2+SCRAM for yax.im (already forced for conversations.im)
- Fixed display of messages containing a list of urls
- Fixed crash when receiving files with too long filenames
- Fixed rare case not connecting to a server after bringing the app from foreground to background too fast
- Fixed rare OMEMO devicelist publishing loop (thanks renegade)
- Fixed list of contacts in share sheet to not contain contacts only known from groupchats (thanks Kati)
- Fixed very rare OMEMO identity regeneration when receiving a push after device reboot but before entering the passcode for the first time
- Notes about new/deleted OMEMO devices of chat partners aren't displayed anymore for TOFU devices (no device explicitly trusted/untrusted by the user)
- Fixed some more small bugs

### 6.4.19 — 2026-03-14

- Fixed omemo devicelist updates not published properly
- Fixed endless loop adding/removing devices from omemo devicelist
- Fixed audio recording timer visibility in dark mode
- Fixed audio playback not working after recording a voice message
- Accelerated connection establishment
- Fixed joining of groups/channels after a longer period of being offline
- Fixed long delay when sometimes answering an incoming call
- Fixed internal state updates taking too long
- Fixed crash when opening a new chat that wasn't listed as active before
- Moved heavy deallocation work to a background task to make initial connection faster
- Don't try to retrieve messages older than our autodelete timeout, if active
- Allow users to ping the push appserver for debugging notification problems
- Improved accessibility if users configure a dynamic font in settings (bigger text sizes)

### 6.4.18 — 2026-02-08

- Fixed crash when receiving broken OMEMO bundles
- Better fix for audio/video codec issues (aka black video stream)
- Fixed broken video calls by fixing bug in Mozilla's webrtc-sdp library
- Reworked complete OMEMO trust management
- Fixed spurious "new OMEMO device found" notifications and status messages
- Introduced some new OMEMO expert settings
- Improved UI responsiveness in some rare cases
- Made sure to periodically advance the OMEMO DH-ratchet even on devices only used for receiving messages, not sending
- Made sure to remove old OMEMO devices not seen for more than 90 days from own devicelist

### 6.4.17 — 2026-01-05

- Removed christmas special again
- Added Estonian and Telugu translations
- Fixed random black video feed on video calls
- Make it harder for spammers to mention everybody: ignore mentions if more than 5 participants are mentioned per message
- Properly display Visitor role in Channels
- Add "Request Voice" button to contact details of moderated Channels

## Apps similar to Monal

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Berty Messenger](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/berty-messenger/id1535500412) | 3.0 (22) | Free | Social Networking |
| [Siskin IM](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/siskin-im/id1153516838) | 3.7 (33) | Free | Social Networking |
| [Jami](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jami/id1306951055) | 3.7 (90) | Free | Social Networking |
| [Element X - Secure Chat & Call](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/element-x-secure-chat-and-call/id1631335820) | 3.4 (145) | Free | Social Networking |
| [xPal Ultra Secure Messenger](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xpal-ultra-secure-messenger/id1536908440) | 4.7 (130) | Free | Social Networking |
| [SimpleX Chat: secure messenger](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplex-chat-secure-messenger/id1605771084) | 4.3 (255) | Free | Social Networking |

## More apps by Thilo Molitor

- [KWO Messenger](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kwo-messenger/id1508738270)
- [KWO Messenger B](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kwo-messenger-b/id1586413438)
- [Quicksy](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quicksy/id6538727270)

All apps by Thilo Molitor: https://appshunter.io/developer/1508738269

## Related topics

[xmpp](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/xmpp) · [xmpp messenger](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/xmpp-messenger) · [jabber](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/jabber) · [xmpp chat](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/xmpp-chat) · [openlp](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/openlp) · [x911notification](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/x911notification) · [bwmessenger](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/bwmessenger)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-07-22.*