What Is Relay

Relay is a private communication network for messaging, voice calls, video calls, and file sharing. Nothing you send passes through any company server. Your communications are encrypted and stored only in your own personal vault — a canister — on the Internet Computer, a decentralized blockchain network that no single company controls.

The Internet Computer (ICP)

The Internet Computer is the decentralized network that Relay runs on. Think of it as the infrastructure — the roads your data travels on. It is not owned by Knightsky. It is not owned by anyone. It runs on independent nodes distributed globally. This is why Relay has no central server to shut down, breach, or subpoena.

Your ICP Identity

Before you use Relay, you create an Internet Identity — a cryptographic credential stored on your device using Face ID or Touch ID. This is your login key. It proves you are you without requiring a password, phone number, or email address. Internet Identity is an ICP system, not a Relay system. Knightsky does not create it, control it, or have access to it.

How Relay Uses It

Relay uses your Internet Identity only to verify you are the owner of your account. Once verified, Relay connects you to your personal vault on the network. Your Internet Identity is never shared with anyone on Relay. Nobody you communicate with ever sees it.

Your Identity on Relay

Once logged in with your Internet Identity, you have two identifiers on the Relay network: your Network ID and your Canister ID. These are explained in detail in Understanding Your Account.

Getting Started

Step 1Create Your Internet Identity

Internet Identity is your login credential for Relay. It uses your device's Face ID or Touch ID — no password, no phone number, no email required.

When you open Relay for the first time, tap Create New Internet Identity. Your device will prompt Face ID or Touch ID to register your biometric. Once complete, you are logged in and your identity is created.

Recovery is not automatic. To ensure you can recover your account if you lose your phone, visit id.ai after setup and add a recovery method. Options include email recovery, a recovery phrase, or a hardware security key. Choose whichever method fits your situation and store it safely. Without a recovery method, losing your phone means permanently losing access to your account. Knightsky cannot recover it for you.

Step 2Choose Your Network ID

Your Network ID is your name on the Relay network. It is what you share with people who want to reach you — think of it as your new phone number. Choose something you are comfortable sharing. It does not have to be your real name. Once created it cannot be changed, so choose carefully.

Step 3Add Your First Contact

Relay has no directory and no search. Nobody can find you unless you share your Network ID with them directly. To add a contact, tap the plus icon on the Contacts screen and enter their Network ID or Canister ID exactly as they shared it with you. They must share this with you directly — in person, by text, or through another channel.

Step 4Send Your First Message

Tap a contact to open a conversation. Type your message and tap send. Your message is encrypted on your device before it leaves and can only be decrypted by the recipient. It is stored in their canister — not on any Knightsky server. Nobody at Knightsky can read it. Nobody intercepting network traffic can read it. Only the recipient can.

Understanding Your Account

Your Relay account has three identifiers. Understanding the difference between them is important for your privacy and security.

Internet Identity (ICP ID)

This is your login credential. It is a cryptographic key stored on your device, protected by Face ID or Touch ID. It proves you are the owner of your Relay account. You never share this with anyone. Nobody on the Relay network ever sees it. It is not a Relay identifier — it is an ICP system identifier used only at the moment of login.

Network ID

This is your name on the Relay network. It is what you share with people who want to communicate with you. Think of it as your new phone number. It is pseudonymous — it has no required connection to your real identity. You chose it when you created your account. Share this freely with people you want to reach you on Relay.

Canister ID

This is the address of your personal vault on the Internet Computer. It is a technical identifier that looks like this: cgg7h-wiaaa-aaaaa-qhjmq-cai. Your messages, contacts, and call history live here. You can share your Canister ID as an alternative to your Network ID when adding contacts — both lead to the same place. Your Canister ID is visible in your Account Info on the Home screen.

Network Credit & Earnings

Network Credit

Relay runs on the Internet Computer, which uses cycles — a unit of compute — to process messages, calls, and file transfers. Network credit is your balance of cycles available to use on the network. When your credit runs low, you top up by sending ICP to your deposit address shown in Account Info on the Home screen. Your Network Credit ring on the Home screen shows your remaining balance as a visual fuel gauge relative to your last top-up.

How Much Credit Do You Need

Messages consume a very small amount of credit. Voice and video calls consume slightly more. Most users find a small top-up lasts a long time.

Relay Earnings

When you turn on relay mode, your device helps route encrypted traffic for other users on the network. Every verified relay your device completes earns you a share of the network's relay pool. Your earnings accumulate in the Network Report section of the Home screen.

Payouts

Earnings accumulate from day one. Payouts begin distributing when the network reaches specific conditions — minimum active users, minimum verified relay events, minimum treasury reserve, and a minimum time since network launch. Payout Status on your Home screen shows whether the conditions have been met. Once conditions are met, earnings distribute directly to your relay wallet automatically.

Security & Privacy

What Relay Can See

Knightsky can see that canisters exist on the network, how many users are registered, and aggregate relay event counts. Knightsky cannot see who owns any canister, what messages any canister contains, who anyone is communicating with, or any personally identifying information. This is not a policy — it is architecturally impossible given how the system is built.

Your Messages

Every message is encrypted on your device before it leaves. It travels encrypted to the recipient's canister and can only be decrypted by the recipient using their private key. Nobody in between — not Knightsky, not the relay nodes carrying the traffic, not any network observer — can read it.

If You Lose Your Phone

Your account lives in your canister on the Internet Computer — not on your phone. If you lose your phone, your messages, contacts, and call history are completely intact. Download Relay on a new device, tap I already have an Internet Identity, use your recovery method, and everything is exactly as you left it.

Your Recovery Method

Your recovery method is the only way to access your Internet Identity from a new device. Set one up at id.ai after creating your account. Store it somewhere physically safe. Do not photograph a recovery phrase or store it in a cloud service. If you lose your phone and have no recovery method, your account is permanently inaccessible. Knightsky cannot recover it. There is no password reset because there is no password.

Deleting Your Account

If you choose to delete your account, all messages, contacts, call history, and personal data are permanently wiped from your canister. Any remaining ICP balance is returned to a wallet address you provide before deletion, or transferred to the network treasury if no address is provided. Your Network ID is released and may be claimed by a new user. The canister itself continues to exist on the blockchain as an empty vault — this is the nature of a decentralized network and cannot be changed.