Features How it works Safety Security Our approach FAQ Get early access
Private by default

A safer place for your family to chat

Orbit is a private messaging app for families of every shape. Everyone in yours talks only to the people you've all agreed on — and messages stay between you, not with us.

Emma
Online
Hey! Want to come to the park after school? 🌳
Yes!! Let me ask my mum first
My dad already said it's ok 😊
She said yes! See you there!
Message...
Message approved
Only your family can read it

What we promise

Only your family can read it No ads, ever For every kind of family Grown-ups stay in the loop
Curious how we do it? See the details
Features

Built for families. Nothing else.

No ads. No algorithms pushing content. No strangers sliding into DMs. Just the people your family already knows.

Messages stay in the family

Only the people in a conversation can read what's said in it. Not us. Not a data broker. Not anyone who might get into our servers.

Trusted adults stay in the loop

See who's talking to whom. Get a ping when someone new wants to be added. Set word filters for the children in the family — without reading every message yourself.

You choose who's in the circle

New connection? The grown-ups in both families have to agree before a conversation opens. No open inbox. No friend-of-a-friend surprises.

Gentle word filters, when you want them

Block words you don't want anyone in the family to see. Hold iffy messages for review before they send. Or leave it open — your family, your call.

Feels like a normal chat app

Typing bubbles, reactions, read receipts. Everything you already know how to use — just without the parts that worry you.

Works on every device in the house

New phone, hand-me-down iPad, the laptop everyone shares — log in and keep going. If a device gets lost, sign it out and it forgets everything.

How it works

Set up in under 5 minutes

Three steps. Children don't even need an email address.

1

Set up your family Orbit

Sign up, add the people in your family, and connect with other families you trust. Anyone too young for an email gets a simple login code instead.

Emma
Code: A7F2
Lucas
Code: 9B3E
2

Approve who joins the conversation

When another family wants to connect, the grown-ups on both sides agree first. Everyone sees only the people you've okayed — nobody else.

Sarah wants Emma to chat with Lily
Approve Deny
3

Everyone chats privately

Messages flow encrypted between your devices. Optional content filters catch anything iffy for children. Trusted adults stay informed without hovering.

Hey, want to play tomorrow?
Yes! What time?
After lunch! 🎮
Safety first

Built to be private. Even from us.

Most chat apps protect your messages from everyone except themselves. Orbit is different — we designed it so we genuinely can't read what your family sends. Here's what that means, in plain English.

  • We can't read your messages. Not even if we tried. Messages are scrambled on the sending device before they ever reach us. Only the phones in the conversation hold the key.
  • No ads. No data mining. No selling. We make money from families paying for a product, not from your family being the product. Simple.
  • Only people your family has approved can get in. No discovery, no "people you may know," no DMs from usernames you've never heard of. Closed network, on purpose.
  • Lose a phone? Nothing readable leaves with it. Sign out remotely and the keys on that device are wiped. Old conversations stay safe.
See exactly how it works
Emma's phone
🔑
🔒
Orbit servers
????????
🔒
Lily's phone
🔑

Only the two phones in a conversation hold the key. Anything in between just sees scrambled data.

FAQ

Common questions

Who is Orbit for?

Any family. Two parents and a kid. A single parent and a teen. Co-parents across two homes. Grandparents in the group chat. Step-siblings, foster families, partners without children at all. Orbit is the same private space for any of those — and the safety features for children are there if and when you need them.

Can I read my child's messages?

Not directly — and that's on purpose. Because messages are private end-to-end, nobody in the middle can read them, including us (which also means we can't hand them to you). What you can do: see who your child is talking to, approve every new contact, set word filters, and require your approval for iffy messages before they send. Oversight without spying on every word.

Is this safe? How do I know?

Short answer: we designed Orbit so the technical guarantees match the promises on this page. We don't ask you to take our word for it — we explain how it works. See the full security breakdown →

How is this different from iMessage or WhatsApp?

Those apps are built around individuals. Anyone with a phone number can message anyone else. Orbit flips that: your family is the unit, and you decide together who's allowed in. No stories, no feeds, no ads trying to keep anyone scrolling.

What if someone in the family loses their phone?

Sign it out remotely and that device is wiped — the keys that let it read messages are gone. Issue a fresh login code (or sign in again) and the person is back up on a new device. Old messages on the old phone stay locked.

Is Orbit free?

Free while we're in beta. Long term, we plan a generous free tier plus paid plans for bigger families and extra features. No ads, no selling data — ever.

What phones does it work on?

iPhone and Android today. A web view for parents is on the way.

Ready to give your family a safer way to chat?

Join the waitlist and be the first to know when Orbit launches.

No spam. We'll email you once when we launch.