Sam
Xzpvlhy ki otter-qwemk-8302.
About three words at a time
Read under your thumb
Only the words under the glass are clear.
iPhone and Android · from $5 a month
Messages you read once. Then they're gone from both phones.
Poof shows a message only under the reader's thumb, blocks screenshots and screen recording, and deletes it from both phones once you've both read it. No "message deleted" line is left behind.
Maya Lindqvist1 sealed message
Poof keeps no chat history. Each message leaves both phones once it's read.
Sealed · reads once
Press and slide across the message to read it
Read. It's gone from Maya's phone and yours, with nothing left in the chat.
- No account or phone number. You add a contact by scanning their QR code in person.
- Encrypted on your phone. Our servers only pass on locked messages.
- Nothing goes into backups, notification previews or the keyboard's memory.
Poof next to WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal
They're all good messengers. Poof does one narrower job: a message that can be read once and then leaves no copy anywhere.
| With default settings | Poof | Telegram | Signal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Needs a phone number | No. You add contacts by QR code or a private invite link | Yes | Yes, can hide it behind a username | Yes, can hide it behind a username |
| End-to-end encrypted | Yes | Yes | Only in secret chats | Yes |
| Read-once text messages | Every message | No. View once covers photos, videos and voice | No. One-time view covers photos and videos | No. View-once covers photos and videos |
| Screenshot of a text chat | Blocked, saves a blank frame | Allowed | Allowed. Secret chats block it on Android | Allowed. Screen security can block it on Android |
| Photo of the screen from another phone | About three words | Whole conversation | Whole conversation | Whole conversation |
| Disappearing messages | Always. Gone once you've both read it, no timer | Off. Timer of 24 hours, 7 or 90 days from sending | Off. Auto-delete timer from sending | Off. Timer starts once read |
| What a deleted message leaves | Nothing | "This message was deleted" | Nothing | "This message was deleted" |
| Copies in backups or the cloud | None on your phone. Our server keeps only a locked copy until it's read | iCloud or Google Drive backup, if turned on | Regular chats are kept on Telegram's servers | Only an encrypted backup, if turned on |
| Lock screen preview | "New message" only | Shows the message | Shows the message | Shows the message |
Based on each app's default settings for one-to-one text chats. Most of these can be changed in each app's settings.
Built for things you'd only say once
Photos
Poof
Screenshot · 9:42
Screenshots come out blank
Screen recordings too. Every frame is black.
9:41
Thursday 30 October
PoofNew message
nowNothing on the lock screen
No name, no words. Just "New message".
Maya
wkx qf pmo ytrr aj ixu.Sent Tue · sealed
Waiting, no timer
No countdown
It waits until it's read, however long that takes.
Add contact
Scan Sam's code in person
No phone number, no username
Contacts by QR only
Nobody can look you up or find you.
poof
App switcher
Blacks out when you leave
Coming back asks for Face ID or your passcode.
One message, start to finish
The same door-code message at each step.
Maya
Locked before it leaves
kxr'q 8302# wvh'k aorj dfm qiwn ope.Delivered, sealedMaya is reading
No messages
Code's 4471#. Key's under the blue pot.↑
Message↑
Sam
No messages
kxr'q 8302# wvh'k aorj dfm qiwn ope.Sealed · reads once
Ewbt'z 4471#. Qvh'k wnjou aox xdfm qiw.Reading · 60%
No messages
Message↑
It's encrypted on your phone. Only Maya's phone can open it.
On Maya's phone, the lock screen only said "New message". The bubble stays scrambled until she reads it.
A few words at a time. A screenshot or recording of this screen comes out black.
When Maya finishes, it's deleted from her phone and yours together, with no line saying it was there.
One plan. Pay monthly or ahead.
Every plan has everything. Pay ahead and you get months free.
Monthly
$5 a month
Cancel any time.
6 months 1 month free
$25 for 6 months
Pay for 5 months, get 6.
12 months 2 months free
$50 for 12 months
Pay for 10 months, get 12.
- Read-once messages under your thumb
- Screenshots and recordings come out black
- Gone from both phones, with no trace
- iPhone and Android, no phone number needed
Download Poof and subscribe in the app. Payment goes through the App Store or Google Play.
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers about privacy, messages and paying.
Privacy
Can't someone just photograph the screen with another phone?
They can, but they'll get about three words. The whole message is never on screen at once, so there's nothing more to capture.
Can Poof read my messages?
No. Each message is locked on your phone with a key only your contact's phone has. Our server passes on the locked copy and can't open it.
What do you keep on your servers?
Only the locked copy of a message, and only until it's read or taken back. Then it's deleted. We don't keep your contacts or your chats.
Why no phone number or username?
So nobody can look you up, and your contact list can't leak. You add people by scanning their QR code or opening a private invite link they send you.
Messages
What if they never read it?
It waits, sealed. There's no timer, so it won't vanish before they see it.
Can I take a message back?
Yes, any time before it's read. It disappears from both phones at once.
Can a message be read twice?
No. Once most of it has been read and the thumb lets go, it's deleted. If you lift your thumb early, you can carry on where you stopped.
Can I send photos or voice notes?
Not yet. Poof is text only for now, one to one.
Account and price
What if I lose my phone or get a new one?
Your key lives only on that phone, so nothing can be opened anywhere else. On a new phone you start fresh and add your contacts again.
What does it cost?
$5 a month. Or $25 for 6 months (1 month free), or $50 for 12 months (2 months free). Every plan has every feature.
Can I cancel?
Yes, any time, in the App Store or Google Play. You keep Poof until the end of the period you paid for.
Where do I get it?
On the App Store for iPhone and Google Play for Android. You subscribe inside the app.