public/subjects/mobile-dev/secure-messenger

Secure Messaging App

Messaging apps have become an essential part of our daily lives, allowing us to easily communicate with friends, family, and colleagues. Over the years, they evolved significantly, from simple text messaging to video calling and more. However, as messaging apps have become more popular, concerns about privacy and security have also increased. Many messaging apps have been criticized for their lack of security and the potential for users private data to be compromised.

Instructions

Build a secure mobile messaging app using Flutter and Firebase (or similar technologies). It should support both iOS and Android. The app should have biometric authentication, end-to-end encryption, and other security features to protect user data. Users should be able to send text messages, images and videos.

Make sure you implement the following features:

• Login/Signup: Implement a login/signup page and the necessary functionality for user authentication and account creation. Users should be required to authenticate using biometrics, such as fingerprint or face recognition, in order to access the app.
• User profile: Users must be able to create a profile with a profile picture, username, and other information.
• Search users: Users must be able to search for other users by username or other information.
• Add contacts: Users must be able to add contacts by searching for their username or scanning a QR code.
• Messaging: Users must be able to send text messages, images, and videos. Apart from that you must implement these features:
  • read receipts, which are indicators that show whether a message has been read by the recipient. When a user sends a message, the app should provide a visual confirmation, such as a checkmark or "Read" status, once the other user has opened and read the message.
  • typing indicators, which are visual cues that inform users when someone is in the process of composing a message. When a user starts typing a message, the app should display a notification to the recipient, such as ellipsis (...) or a typing icon, indicating that a response is being written.
  • edit or delete messages.
• Secret chats: Users must be able to start encrypted one-on-one chats with the same functionality as regular chats with one exception: all messages have to be encrypted using an end-to-end algorithm.

Bonus:

• Group messaging, where users are able to create or join group chats with multiple users having at least the same functionality as regular chats.

• Push notifications, where users can receive notifications of new messages or friend requests using the firebase_messaging package.

• Error handling, make the app provide proper error handling and error messages.

• Additional security features, make the app more secure.

• Documentation, create proper documentation and user guides for users.

• User experience, make the app responsive and user-friendly, providing a smooth user experience.

Suggested Packages for Flutter and Firebase:

• firebase_auth
• cloud_firestore
• firebase_storage
• cached_network_image
• image_picker
• video_player
• flutter_secure_storage
• encrypt
• local_auth
• firebase_messaging