EPYKS 0.5.3 | WINDOWS x64 | EARLY BETA

1. Extract the entire ZIP into a writable folder you control, such as
   Documents\Epyks. Keep every included file together. Do not run from the ZIP.
2. Open Epyks.exe. No administrator privileges or separate Node installation
   are required. This is a portable app, not an installer.
3. Create an account using a username and a strong, unique password.
   Your assigned full handle includes a #number. Share it to identify the
   correct account. Accept friend requests only from people you intend to add.
4. Store your recovery key privately using the recovery option in the app.
   Someone with that key can take over your account. Recovery preserves your
   handle, resets your password, and starts with empty messages and contacts.
   It does not restore your history. Friends must re-add the recovered account.

The relay is https://relay.epyks.org/. Internet access is required. Messages
wait encrypted on the sender's device when the recipient is unavailable;
both clients must be unlocked and connected for delivery. With the 0.5.3 relay,
an unlocked client renews its 15-minute access credentials automatically.
Renewal uses a separate secret held only in memory and replaces both credentials.
Background renewal does not prevent inactivity locking. Login is still required
after eight hours, on app restart, after a lock, or if renewal fails or expires.
Passwords are required when opening a locally remembered account. Older relay
versions retain the previous 15-minute expiry behavior.

Messages, contacts, encryption keys, and queued messages live in the local
encrypted vault. Local account selectors also store handles and profile IDs.
The app writes local data under Epyks\data\hosted-beta. Anyone who compromises
an unlocked device may access messages. OS backups, memory, crash capture,
and another participant's copy are outside the local wipe button's reach.
Wiping is not a guarantee of forensic erasure. Forgotten vault passwords
cannot be used to recover the old message history through the server.

Use a VPN if it fits your needs. Avoid sharing your real name or personal
information. A VPN does not make you anonymous to everyone. Do not use Epyks
for criminal activity. Unique handles do not independently authenticate a
person or their encryption keys; pairing uses first-contact trust. An optional
fingerprint check offers an additional check through a trusted channel.

This is an unsigned early beta, without an independent security audit.
Windows may show an unknown-publisher warning. Verify the download's SHA-256
against the checksum from the official HTTPS download page; do not disable
your security software. If Windows prevents launch, retain the exact error.
Repair-Epyks.cmd is included for the previously observed sandbox permissions
issue. It closes this folder's running Epyks processes and may discard a draft.
It does not change vault access permissions. Close the app yourself first.

UPDATING: Close Epyks. Extract a new official build into a separate folder,
then copy your existing data folder into it only if the new build explicitly
supports this vault version. Keep the original folder until the new build
opens correctly. Launching a fresh folder without that data cannot restore
your chat history simply by logging in. Avoid cloud-synced folders.

Only Windows x64 is included. Linux, Android, and iOS builds are pending.
For reproducible problems, retain the app version, exact error text, and steps.
Never include passwords, recovery keys, private keys, or vault files in reports.

Development and network support: https://github.com/sponsors/RememberGlizz
Privacy details: https://epyks.org/privacy.html
