ONYX: WardLink — here's what it actually does
ONYX: WardLink — here's what it actually does
ONYX doesn't sync your Favorite Chats through the central server. That's intentional — your saved notes, files, and drafts are yours, and routing them through a server defeats the point of a privacy-focused messenger.
But sometimes you need those notes on a different device. You wrote something on your laptop and want it on your phone. WardLink handles that locally, over your own network, without touching any server.
How it works
- Open the chat or saved message you want to transfer
- Tap Share via WardLink → Send
- A QR code appears on your screen
- Open ONYX on the second device and scan it
- The chat transfers directly, device to device
Works both ways — phone to desktop, desktop to phone.
What happens under the hood
- No account linking
- No cloud relay
- No data leaves your local network
- Connection encrypted with AES-256-GCM
- Devices find each other via UDP broadcast on your LAN
WardLink is still experimental. Right now it handles Saved Messages — broader sync support is planned. If you run into issues or have ideas for what else should transfer this way, comments are open.
One direction I'm considering: full passive LAN sync. While your devices are on the same network, all chats sync automatically in the background — no QR codes, no manual steps. Entirely local, optional, off by default. Curious whether that's something people would actually use or if it's overkill?