tinyclientNetworks & terms
What tinyclient does on each network, and how each network treats third-party clients, so you can decide for yourself.
tinyclient is an independent project. It is not made or endorsed by Slack, Discord, Telegram, Microsoft or Signal.
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Slack
tinyclient signs in the way Slack’s web app does and uses that session. Slack doesn’t offer an API for full clients, so a change on Slack’s side can break this until we catch up. Work workspaces may have their own policy on clients.
Sign-in Slack’s web sign-in page; every workspace that sign-in holds Reading Sections, channels, threads, DMs, avatars, files, reactions, pins Writing Text, replies, files, reactions, edit, delete, own status, mute Calls Huddles open in Slack -
Discord
Discord’s terms disallow third-party clients on user accounts. In practice its enforcement goes after automation, self-bots and spam. tinyclient automates nothing: it only does what you do, and asks for members and presence only for what is on screen, like the official app.
It identifies as Discord’s web client in a browser, the same one you signed in with.
Sign-in Discord’s web sign-in page, in its own window Reading Servers, channels, threads, DMs, friends with presence, avatars, images, files, link cards, reactions, replies, pins, profiles Writing Text, replies, threads, files, reactions, edit, delete, friend requests, own status, mute, leave Calls Voice in DMs and voice channels, with Discord’s end-to-end encryption. Stage channels are not joined. -
Microsoft Teams
tinyclient signs in as Microsoft’s own Teams client. Your organization’s policy applies, and an organization can turn third-party sign-ins off. Work and school accounts.
Sign-in Microsoft’s sign-in page, in its own window Reading Teams, channels, chats, reply chains as threads, presence Writing Text, files (through OneDrive), reactions, edit, delete, mute Calls Calls and meetings open in Teams -
Telegram
Telegram welcomes third-party clients. Its rules mean read receipts and typing indicators are always sent.
Telegram asks every client to register an app id, and a build carries the id of whoever built it (details).
Sign-in A QR code scanned with Telegram on your phone, or phone number and code; then your cloud password, if set Reading Chats, folders, topics, photos, pins Writing Text, files, reactions, edit, delete, mute, leave Calls Open in Telegram. Secret chats are not supported. -
Signal
tinyclient links as one more device, like Signal Desktop, using Signal’s own libsignal through presage. It never registers a phone number. It receives what arrives after it is linked, and signing out removes the device. Read receipts and typing are sent only as your Signal settings allow.
Sign-in Linked as a device: Settings › Linked devices › Link new device on your phone, then scan Reading Direct and group chats, replies, mentions, reactions, edits, deletes. Photos and files appear as a labelled line, not shown. Writing Text, replies, reactions, edit and delete your own Calls Not built yet
How tinyclient behaves on every network
- One identity per session, the same in the sign-in window, HTTP requests and the socket.
- Nothing automated. Friend requests, new DMs, joins, reactions and edits happen only when you make them; one click, one request.
- No enumeration. No whole-server member lists and no history crawl; members and presence only for what is on screen.
- No polling. Sockets push; requests trace to something you did or to the socket.
- Respect limits. On a rate limit, it waits the full time the network asks. On a captcha, phone or password check, it lets you finish in the official app.
The project is early. We are building a community devoted to a quality experience and full feature parity with the official apps. Join the Discord, or send a change.