# From zero to the first protected message. > Layergram protects important messages on your device before sharing them in chats you already use. Canonical HTML: https://layergram.app/getting-started/ Language: en Last updated: 2026-08-28 Quick Guide Step by step tutorial to get started with Layergram. Note: Depending on the device you use and the language setting in the app — Layergram is available in 42 languages, this site supports fewer — some screens may appear slightly different than those shown in this guide. ## Create your identity Welcome to Layergram! If you already know how to use a messaging app like WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, iMessage, email or any other tool to send messages, you're already in a good place: Layergram works as an additional support to protect what you want to communicate. The first thing to do is create your identity. It is not a classic registration: you do not have to create an online account, nor enter your email, telephone number or personal data. Your identity is created directly on your phone or computer and remains on your device. From there you can start using Layergram alongside the apps you already know. ## Choose the name to display Choose the name with which you want to be recognized by your contacts. It can be your name, a nickname, or any name you prefer. Don't worry too much: you can change it later too. Furthermore, each person will still be able to save you in their contact list with the name they prefer. Check the box to confirm that you have read and accepted the Terms of Service and the Privacy Policy, then press the button to create your identity. ## Keep the 24 recovery words Layergram will show you a recovery key consisting of 24 words in English. These words are very important. Write them on a piece of paper and keep them in a safe place, away from prying eyes. You can also use the same methods that are normally used to store crypto wallet recovery phrases. Warning: anyone who obtains these 24 words could recover your identity, read intercepted messages, and write others in your place. You will need them if one day you want to reinstall Layergram from scratch, or use the same identity on another device. In this case, however, remember that messages do not automatically synchronize between different devices. ## Confirm that you have saved them To make sure you copied the 24 words correctly, Layergram will ask you to enter one. Read the required word from your notes, write it in the indicated field e press the button to continue. It's a small control, but it helps avoid a serious problem: losing access to your identity. ## Your identity is ready Congratulations, you've created your Layergram identity. From this screen you can see and change your name, your identification code and the QR code which represents your contact. If you meet a person in person, you can simply show them this QR code. The other person will be able to scan it with Layergram and add you to their contacts. ## Share your contact On your identity page you will find the buttons to copy or share the link of your contact. You can send it via WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, iMessage, email or any other app. Being a simple link, you can also use it in a more permanent way: in your social media bio, in your email signature, on your personal website, on your company website or on a contact page. If you want to share it in the physical world, you can use the QR code. It's convenient to display right from your phone, but you can also print it on a business card, promotional material, or documents where you want to make it easy to add yourself on Layergram. You can also from this page view the 24 recovery words again, if you need them. Only do this in a safe place where no one can see them. ## Add a contact To communicate with someone via Layergram, you must first exchange your identities. You can send your link or show your QR code. The other person will do the same to you. In reality, when you receive a contact link, Layergram can recognize it even if you paste it directly from the main page, the Messages page. However, to start in order and better understand where your contacts are managed, in this guide we will use the Contacts page. Go to the Contacts page e press Add contact. ## Import the contact You have two possibilities. If you are in person, you can scan the QR code directly from the other person's phone. If they sent you their link via chat, email or another digital channel, you can copy it and paste it into Layergram using the appropriate button. ## Save the contact After pasting the link, press Import. Layergram will show you the contact details. Check that it is really the person you wanted to add and, if everything is correct, press Save. From that moment the contact will be available in your list. ## Manage the contact Tapping a saved contact will open its card. From here you can rename it, start a conversation, delete it or check it. Verification is important because it allows you to check that the contact has not been tampered with during the exchange. In practice, it serves to make sure that no one has gotten 'in the way' by pretending to be the other person. ## Check with the other person Verification is simple. You both need to open the verification process and compare, preferably during a phone call, numbers and emoji that you see on the screen. If the numbers and emoji match, the contact is authentic and you can confirm it. Between iPhone, Android or other systems, some emoji may appear slightly different. It doesn't matter that the design is 100% identical; What matters is that it represents the same thing, for example grapes, penguin, star or frog. ## Go to the Messages page Go to the Messages page where you can find all the conversations that have already started. By tapping an existing chat, you can reopen it and continue writing to that contact, just like you would in a regular messaging app. To start a new chat, however, you can start directly from a contact card or use the button to write a new message from the Messages screen. ## Choose the recipient When you start a new chat, Layergram will show you your contact list. Look for the person who you want to write to and select it. The screen for preparing the message will open. ## Write the cover message and the secret message With Layergram you can write two messages. The first is the cover message: it is what will be visible in the app with which you will send the text, for example WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, iMessage, email or other. The second is the secret message: it is the one that only the recipient will be able to read using Layergram. For example, a normal text could appear on WhatsApp, such as a work message or any phrase. Inside that text, however, Layergram hides the real message. If your coverage message is too short, the app will warn you and tell you how many characters you still need to add before you can send the message. If you have the Premium version and your device supports it, you can generate a cover phrase of the necessary length with just one tap. ## Copy or share the message Once your coverage message is long enough, you can proceed. You can copy the text and paste it wherever you want, for example in a chat, in an email or in another communication channel. Or you can use the Share button, if your device allows it. You don't have to always use a cover message. If you're interested in protecting your content, but don't care about it being seen that you're using Layergram, you can use link mode. This mode is faster: you don't have to invent a long enough cover text, but just write the secret message directly. The content you send will appear as a Layergram link, ready to copy or share. ## The message also remains in Layergram After copying or sharing the message, you'll also see it in your Layergram chat, already deciphered. You can leave it there if you want to keep the conversation and find it later as you would in a normal messaging app. Or you can delete it whenever you want, if you prefer not to keep it. Before sending it you can also choose a deadline or set automatic deletion after reading by the recipient. These options, along with any auto-delete features of the external app you're using, help you better protect your content. ## What does someone who looks at the message outside Layergram see When you send the message through another app, those who see it will only read the cover message. To a normal person it will seem like any other message. A technical analysis might detect the presence of hidden or special characters, but the secret content cannot be read without the correct keys used by Layergram. ## How the recipient reads the message The recipient will also receive a seemingly normal message in their messaging app. To read the secret content, you will need to copy and paste it into the Layergram Messages screen, or share it directly with Layergram. The app will recognize the message, decipher it and save it in the correct chat. ## You're done Congratulations, now you know the main steps to use Layergram! You have learned to create your identity, save recovery words, add contacts, verify them, write secure messages and read them. From here on out, using it becomes natural: you prepare the message in Layergram, send it with the app you already use every day, and the recipient reads it securely with Layergram. Layergram also includes other advanced features and settings that you can explore later. They are not part of this quick guide, because the goal here was just to get you started as easily as possible. Start free ## Protect your first message Start free. Choose one person. Invite them in a few steps.