Nostr for beginners
Nostr is an open network for social media and messaging that no company owns. Here’s how it works, in plain English, and how to start without getting lost.
What is Nostr?
Nostr stands for “Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays”. It isn’t an app — it’s a shared language that many apps speak. Because of that, your account, followers and posts aren’t locked inside one company. You can switch apps and take everything with you.
Your account is a pair of keys
- Public key (npub…) — your address. Share it freely so people can follow or message you.
- Private key (nsec…) — your password and your identity. Whoever has it is you. Never share it, never paste it into a website you don’t trust, and back it up somewhere offline.
There’s no “forgot password” on Nostr, because there’s no company holding your account. That’s the trade-off for nobody being able to ban you or sell your data.
Relays: the post offices
Relays are simple servers that receive posts and pass them on. Anyone can run one, and apps usually connect to several at once. If one relay goes down or blocks you, the others still carry your posts.
A few words you’ll see
- NIP — “Nostr Implementation Possibility”, a numbered spec. For example NIP-17 is private messages, NIP-99 is classified listings.
- NIP-05 — a verified name like
[email protected], so people can find you without a long key. - Zaps — small bitcoin tips sent over the Lightning Network.
How to get started
- Pick an app. Popular ones include Damus (iPhone), Amethyst (Android), Primal (phone and web) and Reventioned (any browser, installs as an app, and adds private chat, a marketplace and payments).
- Create an account — the app makes your keys. Save your backup (in Reventioned, a 24-word recovery phrase).
- Set a name and photo. Your profile appears in every Nostr app.
- Follow a few people or browse a Discover feed, and say hello.
Want to check out a profile or switch an npub to hex? Use our free profile lookup and key converter.