Hush
HushNeed to talk about something private?
Hush is a private chat inside NIDEA. You both agree before it starts, you each use a random name, and messages are cleared once they have been read. Nothing can be saved.
How it works
Four steps, and both of you are in control.
- 1
Ask
Open a chat, choose Hush and pick a timer: 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute (the usual), 5 minutes or 1 hour.
- 2
They agree
Nothing starts until the other person says yes. They see what Hush turns off, the timer, and the new name they will go by. A request that is not answered lapses after 24 hours.
- 3
Talk
You each appear as a random alias, like “Calm Heron 41”. Each message is cleared a short while after it has been read, on the timer you chose.
- 4
End it
Either of you can end Hush at any time and it ends for both. A short note in your normal chat marks where it began and ended.
Calm Heron 41
- Are we still on for Friday?
- Yes. Same place, 7pm.
- Perfect. Do not tell anyone yet.
Cleared a little while after it is read
The rules
The rulesWhat changes when Hush is on.
Both of you follow the same rules. Anything sent before Hush starts, or after it ends, stays in your normal chat.
Nothing can be saved or passed on
Copy and paste, forwarding, editing and link previews are switched off.
No screenshots
Screenshots and screen recording are blocked, so the chat cannot be captured.
No real names
You each appear under a random alias, new every time and never one you use anywhere else in NIDEA.
Private notifications
A Hush message only says "You have a new message", with no name and no preview, whatever your notification settings.
Optional
Keep prying eyes out
Your choice, for each chat. The other person is not told.
Turn on the Hush lock and messages and photos stay blurred until you enter your Hush PIN. Timers start when you reveal a message. The chat locks again when you leave the app, switch the screen off or pause for about 30 seconds, and wrong tries add a wait.
Good to know
Calls
You can make voice and video calls inside Hush. They show aliases, play through the earpiece or a headset (never the loudspeaker), and leave no call history.
Kept out of your backup
Hush chats are stored separately, left out of your chat backup, and hidden when you switch between apps.
Messages not read in time
If a message is not read, or reaches someone who is offline, it is removed after 24 hours and you are told it was not read in time.
Why people use it
Say it, then let it go.
No trail
Nothing is left in the chat afterwards for anyone to scroll back through.
No name attached
Even if someone sees the screen, an alias tells them nothing about who you are.
Always agreed
Both of you say yes every time, and either of you can stop it.
Free to receive
Anyone can receive and answer Hush, free. Only starting one is Premium.
Who can use it
Free to receive. Premium to start.
- Anyone can receive and answer Hush, free.
- Starting Hush is part of Premium.
- Everyone gets a 7-day try-out of starting Hush, once per person, from inside the app.
- If Premium ends while a Hush chat is open, that chat carries on until it ends. You cannot start another.
Hush, answered.
What if someone captures my Hush chat?
Hush is built so a capture tells nobody who you are. You each go by a random alias with no name, photo or username, a new one for every chat, and screenshots and screen recording are blocked. Add a Hush PIN and messages stay blurred until you reveal them.
What if someone looks over my shoulder?
Turn on the Hush lock in the chat. Messages and photos stay blurred until you enter your Hush PIN, and they blur again when you leave the app, switch the screen off or pause for about 30 seconds. It is your choice, per chat, and the other person is not told.
Does the other person need Premium?
No. Anyone can receive Hush and answer it for free. Only the person who starts one needs Premium (or the try-out).
What if I decline?
Nothing happens. The person is not told more than “not now”, and automatic requests from them stop for a while. You can also mute Hush requests from anyone in your privacy settings.
Is Hush the same as Private mode?
No. They are different features with different screens.
More answers are in the Help Centre. The full Hush terms are in the Terms of Use.