Realtime Private Chat

A realtime, private, self-destructing chat application built using Next.js, Redis, and Upstash Realtime.

Create a temporary chat room, share the link with a friend, and start chatting instantly.
Rooms automatically expire and all messages are permanently deleted.

Features

• Private chat rooms
• Self-destructing rooms (auto TTL)
• Realtime messaging using WebSockets
• Max 2 users per room
• Auto-generated anonymous usernames
• One-click room link copy
• Manual "destroy room" option
• Automatic cleanup using Redis TTL

Tech Stack

• Next.js (App Router)
• React
• Upstash Redis
• Upstash Realtime
• Elysia (API routing)
• Zod (validation)
• Tailwind CSS
• React Query

How It Works

1. User creates a room
2. A unique room ID is generated
3. Redis stores room metadata with TTL
4. Realtime connections are established
5. Messages are broadcast instantly
6. Room auto-destroys when TTL expires
7. All messages are permanently deleted

Running Locally

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/realtime_chat.git
cd realtime_chat

2. Install dependencies

npm install

3. Setting up environment variables

UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_URL=your_url
UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_TOKEN=your_token
NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL=http://localhost:3000

4. Start development server

npm run dev