Owla

Owla is a modern messenger built on the open Matrix protocol. Connect to your homeserver, chat securely, and stay in sync across your devices — with a familiar, WhatsApp-inspired interface.

PRIVATE BY DESIGN • End-to-end encryption (E2EE) for protected conversations • Your messages live on standard Matrix homeservers — not a proprietary Owla backend • Read receipts, typing indicators, and online presence

MESSAGING THAT FEELS RIGHT • Direct messages and group chats • Threads for focused side conversations • Replies, edits, reactions, forwards, and pinned messages • Photos, videos, files, voice notes, and custom sticker packs • @mentions with member picker • Link previews, message search, and jump-to-message

STAY ORGANIZED • Pin, archive, mute, and mark chats unread • Saved Messages for your personal notes • Activity feed for mentions, threads, and updates • Optional Google Calendar events & Tasks (read-only)

WORKS GREAT ON DESKTOP & MOBILE • Two-pane layout on tablet and Mac • Drag-and-drop files, keyboard shortcuts, swipe-to-reply • Resizable sidebar on desktop

AI ASSISTANT (OPTIONAL) • Bring your own API key (Claude, OpenAI, or Gemini) • Suggest replies, rewrite drafts, summarize chats, and extract action items

FOR TEAMS & DIRECTORIES • Directory-aware discovery for managed Owla deployments • Admin tools for organizations using a compatible homeserver

Owla is for people and teams who want secure, federated messaging without sacrificing everyday chat UX.

Note: You need access to a Matrix homeserver to sign in. Some organization features require a compatible server setup.