MingleChat is an encrypted end-to-end messaging application that ensures private communication between users. In today’s world, digital footprints are increasingly prevalent and concerns about surveillance or the selling of data to corporations and AI models are rising. The need for a secure messaging platform where your data will not be used for ulterior purposes has never been more critical. With MingleChat, user messages are end to end encrypted and cannot be viewed by anyone not even the creators of the app.

MingleChat is a mobile app developed with the Flutter framework and tested on an Android emulator within Android Studio. Flutter was used to create the frontend UI, while the backend was created with Google Firebase, with Firestore acting as the database to manage user accounts and friend connections. Firebase Authentication is used to implement a secure system for account creation and sign-ins. The messaging feature leverages Firestore’s real-time capabilities to enable instant communication. Additionally, user avatars are stored using Firebase Storage. All messages are encrypted and decrypted using public and private keys.

Building this app was a significant learning experience, as I had to dive into Firebase and Flutter from scratch. Although the app is functional, there’s room for improvement, such as adding features like message reactions and direct replies.

In conclusion, the app offers a private and secure way to communicate, avoiding the surveillance and data collection practices common among larger social media platforms.