# Palaver IRC — Modern IRC Client

> Modern IRC client for iOS with advanced features and a user-friendly interface. (iPhone/iPad app by COCODE LTD.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/palaver-irc/id538073623 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [COCODE LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/369711524)
- Category: Social Networking
- Price: $1.99
- Rating: 4.10/5 from 36 App Store ratings · 113 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 10.2 · 36 MB
- Languages: American English, Czech, Dutch, German (Germany), Italian, Japanese, European Spanish
- Released: 2012-08-24
- Data updated: 2026-06-10
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/palaver-irc/id538073623/reviews.md

## What is Palaver IRC?

Palaver is a modern IRC client for iPhone and iPad featuring a unique user interface which makes using IRC a pleasure. It fits you and your mobile devices perfectly. You can use Palaver on the large screen of the iPad or on the road with your iPhone. Palaver was made with the modern IRC user in mind and features IRCv3 support, ZNC integration, push notifications, and much more.

Features:
• Quick and intuitive interface.
• Auto-completion for nicknames, channels and commands.
• Customizable highlight and mention notices with alerts and vibrations.
• Complete SASL support for securely identifying to networks such as Freenode.
• Wide range of themes and styles to choose from.
• ZNC integration
• Push notifications (with a module for ZNC, see: https://github.com/palaver/znc-palaver).
• Synchronisation of preferences via iCloud.
• IRCv3 compliant.

## Key features

- Quick and intuitive interface
- Auto-completion for nicknames, channels, and commands
- Customizable highlight and mention notices
- Complete SASL support
- Wide range of themes and styles
- ZNC integration
- Push notifications

## What do users think of Palaver IRC?

Overall sentiment: mixed

**Pros**

- 🎨 Clean, modern, and intuitive user interface
- 🔗 Excellent ZNC bouncer integration and support
- 📱 Native iOS design that feels natural on Apple devices
- 🔔 Push notification support for messages
- 🖼️ Built-in image preview and Imgur upload features
- ⚡ Fast and responsive performance
- 👨‍💻 Responsive and supportive developer
- 🎯 Best IRC client available on iOS App Store
- 🌙 Adaptive theme based on screen brightness
- 📝 Message deduplication for ZNC buffer playback

**Cons**

- 🔌 Disconnects when app goes to background
- ⚠️ App requires reconnection after brief inactivity
- 🐛 Frequent crashes on startup and during use
- 📦 No longer actively maintained or updated
- 🔐 Missing security features like Face ID/passcode
- ⌨️ Autocomplete interferes with iOS keyboard
- 🚫 Limited IRC command support
- 💾 No message logging or chat history preservation
- 🎮 Lacks DCC file transfer capability
- 🔋 High battery consumption reported

**Commonly reported bugs**

- App closes connections when backgrounded
- Crashes on startup for some users
- Autocomplete adds random characters and spaces
- Keyboard fails to minimize and pops back up
- Whois queries display incorrectly
- Channel ghosting on app reopen
- Slow scrollback loading with large buffers
- Auto-scroll interferes with reading history
- Nick autocomplete capitalizes incorrectly
- Crashes when viewing channel user list
- Push notifications sent multiple times
- Notification badge counter inaccurate
- ZNC push notifications failing intermittently
- Message retention conflicts with ZNC playback
- Server messages incorrectly prefixed with nick
- Cannot join hidden channels
- Performance issues with large ZNC buffers

**Most requested features**

- Background connection persistence
- Face ID or passcode app security
- DCC file transfer support
- Blowfish encryption support
- Custom channel sorting/organization
- Message logging and chat history
- Keyboard shortcut for input focus
- Custom quit/exit messages
- SASL authentication support
- Landscape mode support
- Custom themes and color customization
- In-app browser for link preview
- Notification tone customization
- iCloud sync for settings across devices
- Persistent channel topic display
- Tab-based channel switching
- Nick autocomplete via tab key
- User list visibility while typing
- Command history navigation
- Detailed IRC command support

## Recent user reviews (10 of 113)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/palaver-irc/id538073623/reviews.md

### 2/5 — Keeps disconnecting

*2025-11-13*

Will not stay connected, even if I switch away from it for just a moment. Also doesn’t reconnect properly.

### 5/5 — Best IRC for Apple Products

*2025-01-16*

Clean and modern client that aims to bring IRC back to the masses with an easy-to-use interface.

### 3/5 — Disconnection still a problem

*2024-09-10*

The first and immediate concern is, why does the app close connections when the app isn’t in focus. Sending the app to the background will close out your connections.

The observation has been made by several other reviewers. Would like to hear from the developer.

It also seems that the app has not received a new build in quite some time.

Otherwise a solid app for the price.

### 1/5 — Don’t buy until there’s an update in 2024

*2024-05-25, version 2.10.3*

Lots of bugs. It’s currently abandonware. Don’t recommend buying until they update it for new iOS versions

### 1/5 — No Longer Maintained

*2024-02-27*

Palaver has not been updated in years and lacks many IRCv3 capabilities.

I would recommend users try Goguma.

### 1/5 — Mystified

*2023-12-31*

I paid the fee to check it out. I don’t get it at all. What’s it supposed to do?

### 5/5 — Amazing little client

*2023-08-04, version 2.10.3*

This client has ZNC support where the disconnect and reconnect are seamless, which is nice since iOS and iPadOS limit background connections. The in app link and image preview feature is great too.

### 4/5 — Znc!

*2022-08-30, version 2.10.3*

It’s great that it has znc capabilities and I have it setup with linuxserver.io docker-znc image, which includes the palaver extension. But I have to dock palaver one star because it doesn’t have Face ID or a passcode to secure the app. Maybe I’m paranoid, but I don’t want someone using my phone to have access to my IRC.

### 1/5 — Bought it for one reason, and it didn’t come with that feature…

*2022-03-25, version 2.10.3*

I bought Palaver to be able to do dcc file transfers. Unlike some other IRC programs on iOS it does not do them. I feel like I wasted my money therefore.

### 4/5 — Best irc app

*2021-11-09*

This is a great app, but I wish above any other feature, that I could automatically sort my channels without having to manually drag the channels around.

## Frequently asked questions about Palaver IRC

### What is Palaver IRC?

Palaver IRC is a modern client for the Internet Relay Chat (IRC) network, specifically designed for iPhone and iPad. It offers a unique user interface and advanced features to enhance the IRC chat experience on mobile devices.

### What are the key features of Palaver IRC?

Key features include a quick and intuitive interface, auto-completion for commands and nicknames, customizable notifications with alerts and vibrations, complete SASL support for secure identification, a wide range of themes, ZNC integration, and push notifications.

### Is Palaver IRC free to use?

Based on the provided information, Palaver IRC is a paid application. It does not have in-app purchases or advertisements, indicating a one-time purchase model.

### What devices is Palaver IRC compatible with?

Palaver IRC is designed for Apple's iOS devices, specifically compatible with both iPhone and iPad. It offers a tailored experience for each device's screen size.

### How does ZNC integration work with Palaver IRC?

Palaver IRC supports ZNC integration, which is a popular IRC bouncer. This allows for features like push notifications, ensuring you don't miss messages even when offline. A specific module for ZNC is available on GitHub.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.10.3 — 2021-10-08

Bug fixes and minor usability improvements.

### 2.10.2 — 2020-11-03

Bug fixes and minor usability improvements.

### 2.10.1 — 2020-07-17

Bug Fixes

* Prevents ZNC Playback messages from showing up in other IRC clients when connecting with Palaver.
* Add support for additional character sets, such as GBK. Including a `/charset` command to set charsets for the current network.
* Exclude ZNC buffextra playback as showing as unread messages. Messages from buffextras no longer contribute to the unread count.
* Fixed problems with IRCv3 monitor support where receiving multiple online nicks at once wouldn't be respective in the UI.
* Improves interplay with Palaver message completions with Chinese inputs.

### 2.10.0 — 2020-01-07

- Hitting return on external keyboards will no longer trigger auto completion of nicknames, instead return will send the message. On hardware keyboards, use tab can be used for completions instead.
- To save mobile data/bandwidth, image previews will now prompt for confirmation if the file is larger than 1MB on mobile data, and 10MB for Wi-Fi.
- Add support for the buffextras ZNC module.

### 2.9.3 — 2019-11-27

- Includes improvements to the image picker when uploading images.
- Enable nick actions menu (including options for whois) for your own nickname.
- Prevent a crash when opening the user actions menu from the nick list on iPad.

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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 2026-06-10.*