Soma
Getting Started

Web, Desktop, or Mobile

Three ways to use iwacu and abantu, and where isoko fits — pick based on what you're doing, not just what device you have.
This is the summer 2026 guide.
Some of it has changed since. A new guide (v1) is being written.
See the new guide

Web, Desktop, or Mobile

There is no single "real" way to use these apps. Iwacu and abantu each run three ways — a website, a desktop app, and an Android app — and which one you reach for can change from one day to the next.

WebDesktop (Electron)Android
Iwacuiwacu.paramira.orgWindows / macOS / Linux installAPK or F-Droid
Abantuabantu.paramira.orgWindows / macOS / Linux installAPK or F-Droid
Isokoisoko.paramira.org (lighter — see below)— noneAPK or F-Droid, the full app

All three are the same real app underneath — same code, same protocol behaviour. The difference is where your identity's private key lives and how much friction there is to get to it.

Web

Open iwacu.paramira.org or abantu.paramira.org in any modern browser. No install, nothing to download. You can create a brand-new identity right there, or bring the one you already have:

  • Import a bundle — copy your identity from Settings/Profile on a device you already use, and paste it in.
  • Link the browser as a device — a live, QR-approved handshake from a device you're already using, no copy-pasting. See Identity and devices.

Your key lives in this browser's storage. Clearing site data, or a different browser/profile, means starting over unless you've backed up an export.

Want to try everything first, with nothing at stake? The Playground runs the same real apps against a disposable test network — no real identity needed at all.

Desktop (Electron)

Iwacu and abantu both ship as native desktop installers — an NSIS installer on Windows, a DMG on macOS, an AppImage on Linux. Once installed, it behaves like any other desktop app: its own icon, its own window, no browser involved.

The desktop app stores its data in your system's user-data directory, separate from any browser profile. Sync, relays, and every feature work identically to the web and mobile versions. See Desktop app and devices for build instructions if you're building from source rather than an installer.

Android

The original, most complete path — see Before You Begin to get started. Isoko in particular is built Android-first; web is a lighter companion for it, not a substitute.

Isoko is a little different

Isoko doesn't have a desktop build, and the isoko.paramira.org web version is intentionally lighter than the full Android app — it covers listings, deliveries, and protocols, but not chat, cells, or the safety scanner. See Isoko's web version for exactly what it covers.

Which one should you use?

  • Trying it out, or on someone else's computer? Web.
  • This is your daily machine and you want it always there? Desktop.
  • This is the phone in your pocket, and you want the full isoko feature set? Android.

They're not exclusive. A family maintainer might run iwacu on desktop while everyone else joins from their phone. Use whichever fits the moment — your identity moves with you either way.

Before you begin (Android path)

What is this?

A plain explanation of what iwacu, isoko, and abantu are, and why they are built differently from every other app you have used.

Before You Begin

What you need before installing the apps. Read this first.