SOURCE_URL: https://majikah.solutions/products/majik-message/docs/contacts-documentation

---
title: "Contact Directory"
id: "contacts-documentation"
group: "majik-message"
type: "products"
version: "1.1.0"
lastUpdated: "2026-02-19T00:00:00.000Z"
difficulty: "Beginner"
time: "3-5 minutes"
tags: [contacts, directory, messaging, communication]
---

# Contact Directory

> Learn how to add, remove, and organize contacts for secure messaging

## Overview
Manage your contact directory in Majik Message. Contacts are accounts from other users that you can message and communicate with, both in real-time chat and offline messaging.

### Understanding Contacts

Contacts in Majik Message are other users' accounts stored in your directory. Unlike your own seed phrase accounts, contacts contain only public key information—no private keys are stored. You can exchange encrypted messages with contacts both in real-time chat and offline messaging. Only users in your directory can be added as recipients when sending messages.

> **NOTE:** All contact management happens in the Contacts tab (third tab in the top navigation bar).

### The Invitation System

If you receive a message from someone not in your directory, they will appear as an unknown public key. Majik Message includes a built-in Invitation System that allows you to easily send them a contact request. Sending an invite securely shares your contact card with them, and once they accept, you can add their contact card to your directory.

### Add a New Contact

1. **Open Add Contact Dialog**
   *Navigate to the Contacts tab*
   - Go to the Contacts tab in the top navigation bar
   - Click the user plus (+) icon in the upper right corner
   - A dialog window will appear prompting you for an invite key

2. **Enter Invite Key**
   *Paste the key shared by your friend*
   - Paste the invite key provided by your friend into the input field
   - The invite key is a unique identifier for their account
   - Click Add Contact to confirm

3. **Verify Contact Added**
   - The new contact will appear in your Contacts tab
   - You can now send messages to this contact
   - They can be added as a recipient in both chat and offline messages


### How to Get an Invite Key from Friends

To add someone as a contact, they need to share their invite key with you. Here's how they can generate it:

### Getting an Invite Key (Instructions for Your Friend)

1. **Navigate to Accounts Tab**
   - Ask your friend to open the Accounts tab
   - They should find the account they want to share
   - Hover over the account to reveal action buttons

2. **Copy Invite Key**
   - Click the link icon (Share button)
   - The invite key is automatically copied to clipboard
   - They can now paste and send it to you via email, messaging apps, or any communication channel


> **NOTE:** Invite keys are safe to share publicly. They contain only your public key information and cannot be used to decrypt your messages or access your account.

### Remove a Contact

1. **Locate the Contact**
   - Go to the Contacts tab
   - Find the contact you want to remove
   - Hover over the contact to reveal action buttons

2. **Delete the Contact**
   *Remove from your directory*
   - Click the delete icon on the rightmost side
   - Confirm the deletion when prompted
   - The contact will be removed from your local directory


### What Happens When You Remove a Contact

> ⚠️ **WARNING:** Removing a contact deletes them from your local directory. You won't be able to add them as a recipient in new messages. However, you can always re-add them later if you have their invite key. Past messages with this contact will remain in your message history.

### Rename a Contact

1. **Open Rename Dialog**
   - In the Contacts tab, find the contact you want to rename
   - Hover over the contact to reveal action buttons
   - Click the pencil icon on the right side

2. **Update Display Name**
   *Give your contact a memorable name*
   - Enter the new display name in the dialog
   - This name is only visible to you—it doesn't change their actual account name
   - Click Save to apply changes
   - The updated name will appear immediately in your directory


> **NOTE:** Contact names are stored locally on your device. Renaming a contact doesn't affect how they appear to other users or change their actual account information.

### Using Contacts in Messages

Once contacts are added to your directory, you can easily add them as recipients when composing messages. In the Chats tab for real-time messaging, select contacts from your directory to start a conversation. In the Message tab for offline encryption, add contacts as recipients when encrypting a message. Only users in your contact directory can be selected as recipients.

### Quick Reference: Contact Actions

| Action | Location | Button/Icon | Requirement |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Manage Invites | Contacts Tab | Handshake Icon (top right) | None |
| Add Contact | Contacts Tab | User Plus (+) icon (top right) | Valid invite key |
| Remove Contact | Contacts Tab | Delete icon (rightmost) | Hover over contact |
| Rename Contact | Contacts Tab | Pencil icon | Hover over contact |
| Get Invite Key | Accounts Tab | Link icon (Share) | Access to friend's device |
| View Contact Details | Contacts Tab | Click on contact | Contact in directory |

*Caption: Common contact management tasks and their locations*

### Contacts vs. Accounts: What's the Difference?

Accounts are your own seed phrase accounts that contain private keys and are stored in your MajikKeyStore. You use them to send and decrypt messages. Contacts are other users' accounts that only contain public key information. You use contacts to add recipients when sending messages, but they don't give you access to decrypt messages meant for those users. Think of accounts as your identities and contacts as your address book.

> **NOTE:** You can only decrypt messages if you were added as a recipient when the message was encrypted. Having someone in your contacts doesn't automatically give you access to their messages—they must explicitly include you as a recipient.