Use case
One-time chat links: a link that works exactly once
Most links you share stay valid forever, for anyone who has them. A one-time chat link works precisely once — and burning after that first use isn't a bug, it's the security model.
Get a one-time link — free, no sign-upThe link is the security, not just the delivery
Most links people share day to day are durable by default: a Google Doc link, a Dropbox share, a group invite — anyone who ever gets hold of them can open them, today or a year from now. That's fine for a document you want widely reachable. It's a problem the moment the link is meant for exactly one person, because a forwarded screenshot, a shoulder-surfed message, or a compromised inbox turns "I sent this to you" into "anyone who's seen it can use it."
A one-time chat link is built on a different assumption: the link itself is the security boundary, not just the delivery mechanism. It redeems exactly once. The instant someone opens it and claims the second seat in the room, the link is spent — it doesn't matter who opens it, or how many other people also have the URL sitting in a message thread somewhere. Possession of the link stops being a standing capability the moment it's used.
That single property changes what "leaking" a link even means. With a durable link, a leak is an open-ended risk that lasts as long as the link does. With a one-time link, a leak is bounded — at worst, someone else beats your intended recipient to opening it, and you'll know, because the link that's supposed to work for them suddenly doesn't.
Generate, send, burn
- Generate the link
From an open room, request an invite. FadeChats creates a fresh one-time link tied to that specific room, valid for a short window.
- Send it once
Share it over whichever channel is fastest — text, email, a group chat. It's a plain URL; nothing about it requires a special app to open.
- It's consumed on first open
Whoever opens it first claims the room. The link is now spent, regardless of who used it — there's no second redemption to worry about.
What makes a one-time link different
- Single redemption
The link works exactly once. After that first successful join, it's dead — reusing the same URL later does nothing.
- 10-minute expiry
An unused link doesn't stay valid indefinitely either. If nobody opens it within 10 minutes, it expires on its own.
- Regeneration in one click
A burned or expired link isn't a dead end — generating a fresh one from the same room takes a single click, no setup repeated.
- The burn signal
If the person you sent the link to says it doesn't work, that's not just a failure to shrug off — it's a signal that someone else opened it first. A dead link is information, not just an error message.
A dead link is a signal, not just a failure
Treat an unexpectedly dead one-time link as a small piece of evidence rather than a nuisance. It means the link left your control somewhere between you sending it and your recipient opening it — over a compromised inbox, a shared device, or a screenshot forwarded further than intended. Regenerating a new link is trivial; noticing why the old one burned is the part worth pausing on.
Frequently asked questions
What if I click my own link by mistake?
If it happens in the same browser you created the room in, FadeChats detects that you're the host and reconnects you without consuming the invite — the link stays valid for the person it was meant for. From a different browser or device, the app has no way to make that connection, so the link burns and you'll need to regenerate one, which takes a single click.
What if the link expires before my friend opens it?
Unused links expire after 10 minutes. If that window passes, just generate a new one from the same room — there's no penalty and no extra setup, it's a single click away.
Can a link be reused?
No. Each invite redeems exactly once. Once the second person joins the room, that specific link stops working for anyone, including the original recipient trying to reopen the same message.
Is the link itself a secret?
Yes — treat it exactly like the secret it unlocks. Anyone who opens it before your intended recipient does claims their spot in the room, so send it over the least-bad channel you have available rather than somewhere it could sit around unattended.