Briar is made and published by Briar Project. AppBrain is an independent app data site and isn't affiliated with Briar Project. The app name, icon, screenshots and description belong to Briar Project and are shown as published on Google Play.
AppBrain's verdict
EstablishedPopularTop 10- Rating on Google Play
- 3.35
- 4,554 ratings
- Installs
- 4.4 million
- Last updated
- October 30, 2026
- Ads
- No ads
- Size
- 48.3 MB
Briar is popular, with 4.4 million installs. Users are divided: 3.3 stars from 4,554 ratings. Its best ranking is #10 in Top Free, Communication in Brazil.
Pros & Cons
- Privacy-focused by design with decentralized, server-free messaging
- Offline-first syncing via Bluetooth, Wi‑Fi, or memory cards enhances resilience
- Tor integration adds an extra layer of privacy for network routing
- Open source with auditable, reproducible builds ensures transparency and trust
- Decentralized design may be less familiar or convenient for users accustomed to centralized, always-on messaging
- Tor-based privacy can introduce latency and a steeper learning curve for new users
- Requires a broad set of permissions (location, Bluetooth, camera, biometrics, etc.)—review permissions to match your privacy preferences
User feedback
Ratings and reviews on Google PlayComments on Briar for Android
★★★★★
Brooks “Daddio” Walker
· Jul 12, 2026
Briar is one of the unique messaging apps I've used. Its focus on privacy, security, and communication without relying entirely on centralized servers makes it stand out from the crowd. The interface is simple, setup is straightforward, and it's reassuring to have a messaging option built with resilience in mind. If privacy matters to you, Briar is absolutely worth checking out.
★★★★★
Manju Kumar
· May 4, 2026
Used on a cruise for 4 days. Works great. Great development. Hats off to the developers.
★★★★★
Sudip Mallick
· Sep 29, 2026
Make nearby device searching feature, improve connectivity and network formation using Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi direct & Bluetooth,,, totally detach from internet,,, let barrier connectivity with nearby devices and make a network of itself and every individual device act as a Server, AP & Receiver
★★★★★
Robert Kromski
· May 27, 2026
I approve it I've looked deep in to how briar works. I've used much privacy focussed messengers before and this one ranks the highest for me in terms of privacy. But some customization would be nice. For example a custom wallpaper in a contact's chat
★☆☆☆☆
Silke Gianna la Ragazza
· Feb 24, 2026
I don't get it to work. Tried three times to sign up, but always the app crashed before the sign-up could be completed. Uninstalled... although I loved the idea that it'd work via Bluetooth too, but if the sign-up doesn't even work...
★★☆☆☆
Thi Hoang
· Feb 13, 2026
It only works within a single connection mode. If you enable both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, you can chat fine. But, if you disable one of them on one device, the connection is lost. It doesn't automatically switch to the other connection as expected. Even after re-enabling both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, the connection remains broken, so the best approach right now is to enable only Bluetooth
★☆☆☆☆
Eugene Gribov
· Mar 20, 2026
Just installed. In a half of the day it uses 30% of my battery. I haven't even used it! Maybe if works as advertised, but with such battery consumption - no way.
★☆☆☆☆
Md Kuhinur Rahman
· Mar 28, 2026
I can only talk to the person when he is in another room I mean the other person!! LoL, did I download it just to talk a person living next to my room😂😂
★☆☆☆☆
Zeng Shunxi
· Jul 23, 2026
first of all... I can't able to download it on my mobile, I have full internet, storage. But still I can't able to download it
Google Play Rating history and histogram
Store listing
By Briar Project, from Google Play“Secure messaging, anywhere.”
Screenshots by Briar Project, from the Google Play listing
Description by Briar Project Written by the developer, not by AppBrain. Click to read.
Briar is a messaging app designed for activists, journalists, and anyone else who needs a safe, easy and robust way to communicate. Unlike traditional messaging apps, Briar doesn't rely on a central server - messages are synchronized directly between the users' devices. If the Internet's down, Briar can sync via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or memory cards, keeping the information flowing in a crisis. If the Internet's up, Briar can sync via the Tor network, protecting users and their relationships from surveillance.
The app features private messages, groups and forums as well as blogs. Support for the Tor network is built into the app. Everything you do in Briar is only stored on your device unless you decide to share it with other users.
There are no advertisements and no tracking. The source code of the app is completely open for anyone to inspect and has already been professionally audited. All releases of Briar are reproducible, making it possible to verify that the published source code exactly matches the app published here. Development is done by a small non-profit team.
Privacy policy: https://briarproject.org/privacy
User manual: https://briarproject.org/manual
Source code: https://code.briarproject.org/briar/briar
Recent changes:
* Upgrade Tor to 0.4.9.15
The app features private messages, groups and forums as well as blogs. Support for the Tor network is built into the app. Everything you do in Briar is only stored on your device unless you decide to share it with other users.
There are no advertisements and no tracking. The source code of the app is completely open for anyone to inspect and has already been professionally audited. All releases of Briar are reproducible, making it possible to verify that the published source code exactly matches the app published here. Development is done by a small non-profit team.
Privacy policy: https://briarproject.org/privacy
User manual: https://briarproject.org/manual
Source code: https://code.briarproject.org/briar/briar
Recent changes:
* Upgrade Tor to 0.4.9.15
Safety and technology
Found in the app by AppBrain- Ads
- No ads
- Price
- Free
- Libraries
- 34
- App size
- 48.3 MB
- Needs Android
- 5.0+
- Content rating
- Everyone
Technologies used by Briar
22 permissions
·
34 libraries
Subscribe to see full permission and library details
Releases
Updates seen on Google Play- Version
- 1.5.24
- Launched
- April 2018
Alternatives
Similar apps and more from Briar ProjectAlternatives to Briar
More from Briar Project
Installs
Tracked by AppBrain- Last 30 days
- 29 thousand
- Per day
- 970
- 30-day average
- Play install range
- 1+ million
- Launched
- April 2018
Installs over time
Briar has been installed 4.4 million times. Over the past 30 days, it averaged 970 installs per day.
Rankings
Google Play top charts- Highest rank
- #10
- Chart
- Top Free
- Communication
- Country
- Brazil
Google Play Rankings for Briar
Top rankings
| Rank | Country | Category | List |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Brazil | Communication | Top Free |
| 13 | Portugal | Communication | Top Free |
| 38 | France | Communication | Top Free |
| 44 | Belgium | Communication | Top Free |
| 124 | Canada | Communication | Top Free |
| 68 | Switzerland | Communication | Top Free |
| 145 | Germany | Communication | Top Free |
| 95 | Spain | Communication | Top Free |
| 200 | Japan | Communication | Top Free |
| 101 | Austria | Communication | Top Free |
Ranking history in Brazil
About the app and developer
About Briar
Briar is a communication app developed by Briar Project.
Download Statistics
Briar has been downloaded 4.4 million times. In the last 30 days, the app was downloaded 29 thousand times. It is ranked #10 in communication.
User Ratings
Briar is rated 3.35 out of 5 stars. The rating is based on 4.6 thousand ratings.
App Information
Briar is freely available from Google Play. The APK size is 48.34 MB. The latest APK version available is 1.5.24. The last update was on October 30, 2026.
Technical Requirements
Briar requires Android 5.0+ or higher. The app has a content rating of Everyone. The APK has been available on Google Play since April 2018.
App Performance Report
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