Troubleshooting

Connection fails

If you can't connect to a server, try these steps:

Check the host and port – Most TLS-enabled servers use port 6697. Non-TLS servers typically use 6667.
Toggle TLS – If you're unsure whether the server supports TLS, try disabling it (though this is not recommended for security reasons).
Check your internet connection – Make sure you have a working network connection.
Try a different server – Many networks have multiple servers. Try an alternative address.

SASL errors? Verify your authcid (usually your registered nickname) and password are correct, and that the server supports your selected SASL mechanism.

TLS / Certificate errors

If you're getting certificate errors, the server may be using a self-signed or expired certificate.

For self-signed certificates – You can enable "Allow invalid certificates" in the network settings. This bypasses certificate validation for that network only.
For expired certificates – Contact the server administrator. In the meantime, you can use the "Allow invalid certificates" option.

Security warning: Allowing invalid certificates disables protection against man-in-the-middle attacks. Only enable this for servers you trust.

No notifications

If you're not receiving highlight or message notifications:

Android 13+ – The app requires notification permission. Go to Settings → Apps → HexDroid → Notifications and enable them.
Check in-app settings – Make sure highlight notifications are enabled in HexDroid's settings.
Do Not Disturb – Check if your phone is in Do Not Disturb mode.
Battery optimisation – Some phones aggressively restrict background apps. See the "Always connected" section below.

"Always connected" doesn't stay connected

Some Android devices aggressively kill background apps to save battery. If HexDroid keeps disconnecting:

Disable battery optimisation – Go to Settings → Apps → HexDroid → Battery and select "Unrestricted" or "Don't optimise".
Check the persistent notification – When "Always connected" is enabled, you should see a notification showing HexDroid is running. If this disappears, the app has been killed.
Lock the app in recents – Some phones let you "lock" an app so it won't be killed. Look for a lock icon when viewing the app in the recent apps list.
OEM-specific settings – Xiaomi, Huawei, Samsung, and other manufacturers have additional battery settings. Check your phone's settings for "App launch" or "Background restrictions".
Auto-reconnect – Enable auto-reconnect in network settings. Even if the connection drops, HexDroid will automatically reconnect when possible.

Useful resource: dontkillmyapp.com has device-specific instructions for preventing background app killing.

DCC doesn't work

DCC file transfers require direct connections between you and the other user, which can be blocked by firewalls or NAT.

NAT/firewall issues – If you're behind a NAT router (most home networks), incoming DCC connections may fail. You may need to set up port forwarding.
Configure port range – In HexDroid settings, configure an incoming port range for DCC. Then forward these ports on your router.
Mobile networks – Carrier-grade NAT on mobile networks often blocks DCC entirely. Try using Wi-Fi instead.
VPNs – If you're using a VPN, it may interfere with DCC connections.

Garbled or strange characters

If you see strange characters instead of readable text:

Wrong encoding – The server may be using a non-UTF-8 encoding. Go to the network settings and try changing the encoding to match the server (e.g., windows-1251 for networks that use Cyrillic).
Auto-detect – HexDroid can auto-detect encoding in most cases. If you've manually set an encoding, try switching back to "Auto".