Capabilities and FAQ
What works today?
| Area | Current support |
|---|---|
| Platforms | Linux with Wayland. No X11 window backend. |
| Messaging | Text chat, replies, DMs, threads and forum conversations. |
| Rich content | Markdown, embeds, custom emoji, GIFs and stickers. |
| Uploads | Pasted images. |
| Media viewing | Image galleries and native received-video playback. |
| Profiles | Rich profiles and a profile panel in one-to-one DMs. |
| Appearance | Dark, Light and System modes; bundled and custom palettes. |
| Desktop | Tray, notification activation and reuse of the running window. |
What is not supported yet?
Voice and video calls, arbitrary file uploads, file drag-and-drop and multiple remembered accounts are not available yet. Some account, moderation and other settings or actions remain incomplete. A visible unavailable control should not be taken as a working feature.
Is video supported?
Received video attachments can play in the native viewer. Video calls and video-file uploads from the composer are separate features and are not currently supported.
Is it a browser wrapper?
No. The desktop client is written in C++23 with a native Wayland window and its own rendering stack. External links and browser sign-in open in your default browser. It does not bundle an embedded browser engine.
Is it an official client?
No. Cressida is an independent, unofficial third-party project with no platform affiliation or endorsement.
Can I use it on X11, Windows or macOS?
The current window backend targets Linux and Wayland. Those other environments are not supported.
Are there portable downloads?
Follow Installation for the supported routes and check published releases for available artifacts. The Alpine musl CI build is a dynamically linked test build, not a portable static download. These docs do not promise AppImage or Flatpak packages.
Does Cressida need zstd?
Yes. libzstd is a native dependency used for lossless animation frame caching.
See Building from source for the complete dependency list.
Does closing the window quit?
With a tray host, it hides the window and stays connected. Use tray Close to quit. Without a tray host, closing the window exits. See Desktop integration.
Can I contribute?
Yes. Bug reports, documentation improvements and focused code contributions are welcome. Start with Contributing.