Powered by Torlando-Tech's Columba.
A Liberty Communication Systems, Inc. (LCS) distribution of Columba — native Android messaging & voice over LXMF / Reticulum (Bluetooth LE, TCP, or RNode LoRa).
Built on Columba by torlando-tech (MPL 2.0). Original design and code are theirs; LCS branding and the changes below are Liberty Communication Systems, Inc.
Current release: v1.2.1 (forked from Columba 2.0.9). The release workflow
derives the version from the tag, so tagging the build commit v1.2.1 is what
makes the in-app version and APK filenames read 1.2.1.
Full history is in CHANGELOG.md.
- Push-to-talk voice messages, interoperable with
Sideband in both directions.
Clips are sent as LXMF
FIELD_AUDIO(0x07) rather than as file attachments, which is what makes them arrive as voice messages rather than inert files. Received clips autoplay when the conversation is open, and the bubble can be tapped to replay.- Low bandwidth (default) — Codec2 1200, ~150 B/s. For LoRa/RNode links.
- High bandwidth — Opus, ~3 KB/s. For WiFi or TCP.
- The toggle selects the codec, not just the bitrate — the same choice Sideband's own high-quality PTT option makes.
- Announce button on the Chats screen, left of the search icon.
- RNode default frequency: US slot 51 = 914.875 MHz (LCS standard).
- RNode default TX power 22 dBm (the RAK / LILYGO ceiling), default interface mode Full. Per-region defaults are clamped to each band's regulatory maximum, so EU 868 still defaults to 14 dBm and EU 433 to 12.
- TX-power hint under the RNode power field: Heltec V4 max 28 dBm; RAK / LILYGO max 22 dBm.
- Long Fast badged LCS Recommended for general use; Short Fast badged Best for voice over LoRa — at ~10.9 kbps it is the slowest preset that can actually carry a live call, against Long Fast's ~1.07 kbps.
- Codec2 3200 badged Voice/PTT in the call quality picker.
- Mid-call codec switching. When the pre-dial link probe says the link is too slow for the codec in use, the call screen offers a picker covering both Codec2 and Opus, plus a push-to-talk suggestion. Switching signals the peer, so both ends move — including Sideband and MeshChat peers.
- Display Logo on RNode option removed from the wizard.
- Built-in RNode flasher entry removed from Settings — LCS ships pre-flashed hardware.
- No TCP bootstrap interface is seeded. A fresh install comes up on AutoInterface and Bluetooth LE only — nothing reaches the internet until the user adds a server or attaches an RNode. Upstream's Beleth RNS Hub seed is removed and deleted from existing installs on upgrade.
- When adding a TCP server, the list offers LCS infrastructure: public.lcs.network:4245 and iprnode.local:4545, plus Custom.
- Renamed to Liberty Chat throughout, with the LCS logo across launcher densities and a "Liberty Chat — powered by Columba" splash wordmark that renders correctly on every supported Android version.
- Liberty theme: navy / gold / silver.
- Buy RNode Radios call-to-action in Settings → About, linking to
www.lcs.network. - Share-APK serves
liberty-chat-<version>.apk. - Update checks target
daylight-hub/columba, so "Check for Updates" and "View Release" track LCS builds. - Removed: Report Bug, the GitHub / Report an Issue / About Reticulum links, and the crash-reporting opt-in popup.
- About credits torlando-tech (original) and LCS (distribution); MPL 2.0 retained.
- Build Liberty Chat APKs Actions workflow — one-click build of the four
no-Sentry
official-rns-pyAPKs.
| Component | Version |
|---|---|
| Columba | 2.0.9 (fork base) |
| RNS (Python) | 1.1.9 — torlando-tech/Reticulum, pinned commit |
| LXMF (Python) | 0.9.2 — torlando-tech/LXMF, pinned commit |
| LXST | LXST-kt v0.0.4 (Kotlin; no Python LXST) |
The kotlinBackend flavor uses reticulum-kt v0.0.21 and LXMF-kt v0.0.13
instead. LCS ships the pythonBackend flavor.
See APPLY.md for how this branch was produced and the items that need your input.
Original Columba README follows.
Columba is a simple messaging and voice app for the Reticulum network on Android. Send LXMF messages and make LXST voice calls without relying on the internet, cell towers, or any central servers.
Built with a native Android interface and Material Design 3, Columba brings mesh networking to your pocket in a familiar, easy-to-use package.
- Message without infrastructure - Send messages even when the internet is down or unavailable
- Connect multiple ways - Use Bluetooth LE to connect to those around you anywhere, Wifi for those at home, LoRa radio via RNode for those at a distance, or use TCP to connect to any Reticulum server around the world
- Stay private - End-to-end encryption with no accounts, no tracking, and no central servers
- Share location - Share your location securely with others, viewable from a dedicated map
- Download maps for offline use - Download or import map files. Supports vector and raster, in MBTiles format
- Browse NomadNetwork - Access nomadnet pages over Reticulum networks
- Build your network - Help relay traffic for others and expand the mesh
- Keep your identity - Generate your messaging identity right on your device
- Manage multiple identities - Easily swap between multiple identities
- Export and import identities - Keep an external backup of your keys, or migrate to a new device. Import from other Reticulum clients like Sideband
- Share your identity via QR Code - Built in QR code scanner and generator for sharing your identity with others
- Custom Color Themes - Don't like the default colors? Rice to your heart's content!
Download the latest release from Releases and install on your Android device. See SECURITY.md for APK verification instructions.
Alternatively, you can download the apk via NomadNet at 8d1788fdb4e9f85303cfdf7481e721c7:/page/index.mu
Reticulum is a networking stack that lets devices communicate directly with each other, forming resilient mesh networks. It is optimized for low bandwidth, high latency connections, and can communicate over nearly any medium. Columba uses LXMF (Lightweight Extensible Message Format) to send messages across the Reticulum network, and uses a native Android implementation of ble-reticulum to enable messaging over BLE with other Android and Linux devices.
Want to learn more? Visit Reticulum's documentation.
Columba, latin for "dove," is a constellation in the southern sky depicting a dove. Doves are commonly a symbol of peace and hope, and have been used as messengers throughout history.