Echo is an innovative messaging app that lets you connect with strangers within a specific geo-radius, enabling time and location-relevant chats; ideal for environments like lecture halls, libraries, or public events. With real-time messaging that doesn’t store conversations on servers, Echo emulates the spontaneity of in-person conversations. This repository is open to community collaboration, and is divided into the frontend (React Native mobile app) and backend (Node.js server).
- Real-Time Messaging: Engage in instant conversations.
- Geo-Based Chat: Connect with people nearby for context-aware discussions.
- Privacy-Focused: Messages are transient, ensuring a private chat experience.
- Community Driven: Built as an open source project to welcome contributions from developers of all backgrounds.
As of Spring 2025, Echo is still under development. If you're interested in exploring the codebase or contributing to the project, please refer to our detailed documentation for setup instructions, prerequisites, and environment configuration. Your support can help us accelerate the release!
We invite developers from all walks of life to help shape Echo. Whether you're into coding, debugging, or enhancing UI/UX design, there are plenty of ways to get involved. Before contributing, please review our documentation and Figma design to understand our project’s structure and design philosophy. Check out our Project Board for open issues and feature requests, and visit the contributing section for more guidelines.
We are continuously working to improve Echo. Upcoming milestones include enhancing chat stability, refining the user interface, and integrating new community features. Follow our progress through the project board and documentation links provided above.
The Echo app team was founded in Fall 2023 by 💻 @h1dvp + ⚡ @doigdaniels + 🦆 @AlexanderWangY + 🍵 @Dyland88.
Our team consists of a handful of dedicated and talented developers from the University of Florida. We started out of and currently reside within UF's Open Source Club. We are always on the lookout for more developers trying to get their hands dirty on a real project! We would love to have YOU join our team! ❤️
This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 (GPL-3.0). If you intend to make a fork or a different distribution of our work, please remember to retain the same license. Other than that, happy hacking!
A big thanks to Open Source Club @ UF for hosting the development of this app! And last but not least, THANK YOU! Your contributions and commitment make the app what it is! ❤️🥳 🐊💙🧡