Table of Contents
Offline Messaging
Pseudo-Offline messaging vs. Fully Offline messaging
Most clients (qTox, µTox, Toxygen, Antox, and others) implement pseudo-offline messaging. Pseudo-offline messaging essentially schedules a message to be sent to a friend the next time you are both online. While this can be convenient at times, it still requires both clients to be online at the same time for one to message the other. Fully offline, asynchronous messages would not carry this requirement.
Pseudo-offline messages work similarly to the "Pounce" feature some people may be familiar with from Pidgin. More about Pounce.
Using Pseudo-Offline messaging
- Type a message intended for an offline recipient. This message is saved and stored on your client for later delivery, when the friend becomes available.
- Wait, online, for your friend to become available. Do other stuff, read a book, play a video game, but try not to leave your computer unattended.
- When the friend comes online, the message will be sent to that friend immediately.
Other currently available options
Some people have reported setting up computers they trust to relay messages to them when they are offline, often using single-board computers and Ratox or ToxBot to set up the relay. It is up to you to decide if these are appropriate for your needs. Each of them have their own risks and benefits.
- Astonex's Tox Message Relay Relays messages on behalf of a another Tox user. Only supports one client at a time and requires you to run it on a computer which is always online.
- Toxmail's email to Tox Messaging Bridge Lets you create or authorize “Supernodes” to deliver messages on your behalf when you're offline, but compromises on decentralization.
- Scripting an interface to Tox using Ratox could allow you to home-brew a message relay Ratox AutoAnswer Nugget Ratox AutoApprove Nugget Ratox Echo Script
Relationship to Multiple Devices Proposal
Some of the Multiple Devices proposals can also help users either simulate or achieve partial offline messaging. The multiple devices proposals can be found here.
