Fifteen words to someone across the sea
CQCQ is a secret wire office for sending short, translated messages. Write a message of up to 15 words, in any language. It is drawn in a cipher made only for you and arrives translated into your reader's language, minutes later, like a real signal crossing the globe.
How CQCQ works
Receive
Tap the lamp and a greeting wire from another country is drawn in cipher, then decoded in your own language. No sign-up needed to receive.
Wire back
Like it? Wire back. Confirm a code sent to your email and your wire is on its way. Once they accept, the conversation begins. There is no password.
Wait for the signal
Wires take time to cross the world: about one minute per 200 km, from a few minutes to around 100. The lamp blinks while you wait.
Why people like it
Simple by design
No feed, no photos, no links and no real names. You are a callsign, and every conversation starts from one short wire.
Fifteen words is plenty
A short wire is easy to send and easy to remember. Say the one thing that matters in a single short wire.
A cipher that is only yours
Your cipher is made for you automatically the first time you write, and everyone gets a different one.
Write in any language
You write in your language; your reader sees the wire translated into theirs.
Secret wires with a lock
Write a wire, lock it with a question only your friend can answer, and share the link. Only those who know the answer can read it.
Share your cipher
Turn a wire into a card or a short video of your cipher being drawn, with the code to decode it.
Who it is for
Anyone with a short message to send across languages. Lovers of retro radio, film and handwritten letters. Anyone with a message they have been waiting to send.
Frequently asked questions
Is CQCQ free?
Yes. Receiving and sending wires is free. PLUS is an optional subscription with more wires per day and more conversations at once.
Do I need an account to read a wire?
No. You can receive wires without signing up. When you wire back, you confirm a code sent to your email. There are no passwords.
How are wires translated?
Each wire is translated by an automatic translation service into the language of the person who reads it. Because of this, our servers process wire text to translate it and to check it for safety.
Is CQCQ a secure messenger?
No. “Secret” describes the mood, not a security promise. Do not send anything you would not want a service provider to process.
How long does a wire take to arrive?
It depends on distance: roughly one minute per 200 km, from a few minutes to about 100 minutes. Money cannot speed it up.
Can I share my contact details?
Not with a stranger: links, emails, phone numbers and handles are blocked, and there are no photos or files. Secret wires are for people you know, so they are not blocked there.
Who can use CQCQ?
People aged 19 or older.
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