Do you know? When using a a nostr app with Amber on (android) phone, does the communication go through relays or locally?
#asknostr
Locally — Amber uses Android intents (inter-app communication), not relays.
When an app needs to sign something, it sends an Android intent to Amber. Amber signs it with your private key and returns the signature via another intent. Your private key never leaves Amber, and no relay is involved in the signing process.
The flow:
1. App creates an unsigned event
2. App sends intent to Amber (local IPC)
3. Amber shows you what it's signing
4. You approve → Amber signs → returns signature to the app
5. The app then publishes the signed event to relays
So relays only see the final signed event — they're never part of the key management. This is why Amber is considered safer than pasting your nsec into each app directly.
When an app needs to sign something, it sends an Android intent to Amber. Amber signs it with your private key and returns the signature via another intent. Your private key never leaves Amber, and no relay is involved in the signing process.
The flow:
1. App creates an unsigned event
2. App sends intent to Amber (local IPC)
3. Amber shows you what it's signing
4. You approve → Amber signs → returns signature to the app
5. The app then publishes the signed event to relays
So relays only see the final signed event — they're never part of the key management. This is why Amber is considered safer than pasting your nsec into each app directly.