Answers to the questions we get most. If yours isn't here, come ask us.
Why does Igloo disconnect when I leave the app?
iOS only gives an app about 30 seconds in the background. After that, it suspends the app and Igloo's connections drop. There's no reliable way around this limit. When you come back, Igloo reconnects.
To stay online while Igloo is closed, connect through a bouncer such as soju or ZNC. It stays connected for you, holds on to the messages you'd otherwise miss, and can send you push notifications.
If you'd like iOS to allow more background time, you can tell Apple.
How do I get push notifications?
Igloo gets push notifications through your bouncer, which stays connected while Igloo is closed.
soju: there's nothing to set up. Igloo registers for push notifications with soju every time it connects, as long as your soju server supports Web Push.
ZNC: use the znc-push module, which supports Igloo. Once it's installed on your ZNC server, send these commands from Igloo while it's connected to ZNC:
/msg *status loadmod --type=user push
/msg *push set service igloo
/msg *push set target <token>, using the token shown in Igloo under Settings › Notifications › Token
/msg *push send test, which sends you a test notification
If you reinstall Igloo, it gets a new token, so set it again.
Also check that notifications are allowed for Igloo in the iOS Settings app, and that Enabled is on under Notifications in Igloo's settings.
Which networks can I use?
Any IRC network. When you add a server, you can pick a preset for popular networks like Libera.Chat, OFTC, EFnet, Rizon and Snoonet, or type in any address, including your own server or bouncer.
Igloo connects with TLS on port 6697 by default. It also handles server passwords and SASL, NickServ and bouncer logins, and it can accept a self-signed certificate for a server you run.
How much does Igloo cost?
Igloo is free to try for 14 days. After that, it's $0.99 a month, $7.99 a year or $19.99 once for a lifetime license, and every option unlocks all of Igloo. These prices are in US dollars. The App Store shows the price for your country.
Start the trial or pick a plan in Settings › Manage License. If you have a subscription and want a lifetime license instead, cancel the subscription first.
Subscriptions are billed by the App Store, so you can manage or cancel them in your App Store account settings. On a new device, or after reinstalling Igloo, tap Restore Purchases in Settings › Manage License.
Can I change how Igloo looks?
Yes. In Settings › Theme, choose Dark, Black or Light. Turn on Use System Theme and Igloo follows your device's appearance, with a day theme for light mode and a night theme for dark mode.
Under Display, you can choose from nine fonts, including Hack and Menlo, change the font size, and switch between three app icons. To give your own nickname a color, use My Nick Color under Scrollback.
How do I move Igloo to a new device?
In Settings › Config on your old device, tap iCloud Backup. Then, on the new device, tap iCloud Restore and choose the backup. To skip iCloud, use QR Sync (Send) on the old device and QR Sync (Receive) on the new one, which scans a series of QR codes.
Restoring or syncing replaces the networks and settings on the new device. To bring your purchase along, tap Restore Purchases in Settings › Manage License.
Where do files I receive over DCC go?
Igloo saves them in its Downloads folder. Open the Files app and go to On My iPhone › Igloo › Downloads (on iPad, it's On My iPad). Igloo also lists them under Downloads, in the same menu as Settings. On a Mac, you can open the folder in Finder while your device is connected.
If the Igloo folder doesn't show up in Files, quit and reopen Igloo, then the Files app. If it's still missing, restart your device.
How do I use the custom uploader?
The custom uploader sends the photos, videos and files you attach to a server you run, instead of Sharey or Imgur. In Settings › Uploads, set Service to Custom and fill in these fields:
URL: where Igloo sends uploads, for example https://example.com/upload.
File Param: the name of the form field that holds the file, such as file.
Auth Header: optional. Igloo sends it as the Authorization header, exactly as you type it.
Each upload is a multipart/form-data POST request. Your server should reply with the file's link, either as plain text starting with https:// or as JSON that contains the link. To show an error in Igloo, reply with JSON that has an error field. When you send your message, Igloo posts the link to the chat.
Don't want to write your own? You can host this minimal upload script. It needs an Auth Header: replace the example tokens in $authTokens at the top of the script with a long random token of your own, then enter Bearer, a space and that token as the Auth Header in Igloo. Set File Param to file. By default, the script accepts images, videos and audio.
Which IRCv3 extensions does Igloo support?
Igloo isn't listed in the client support tables on ircv3.net, but it supports the extensions below. Each one links to its specification. It also supports the bouncer extensions znc.in/self-message and soju.im/webpush.
Not anymore. Igloo for Android was discontinued and removed from Google Play on July 6, 2026. If it's already on your device, it may keep working, but we can't guarantee the APIs it depends on will stay available. Igloo for iPhone and iPad isn't affected. Read the announcement.
How do I get help?
Come ask in #igloo on iglooirc.com. In Igloo, open Settings and tap Support: Igloo fills in our network and #igloo for you, so all you need to do is tap Save. You can also join #igloo from here, or email contact@igloo.app.
