Getting Started with Nostr

Welcome to Nostr!

This guide will walk you through everything you need to start using Nostr - from creating your identity to making your first post. No technical knowledge required.

What you’ll learn:

How to create your Nostr identity (keys)
How to choose and set up a client
How to make your first post
How to find and follow people
Essential security practices

Let’s get started!

Step 1: Understand What You’re About to Do

Before we begin, it’s important to understand one crucial difference between Nostr and traditional social media:

You are creating a cryptographic identity, not an account.

This means:

✅ You own it completely - no company can take it away
✅ It works everywhere - use any Nostr client with the same identity
⚠️ You’re responsible for it - if you lose your keys, you lose your identity
⚠️ No password reset - there’s no “forgot password” option

Think of your Nostr keys like a physical house key. Guard them carefully!

Step 2: Choose Your First Client

A client is the application you use to interact with Nostr. Think of it like an email app - Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail all access the same emails, just with different interfaces.

Recommended Clients for Beginners

For iPhone/iPad:

Damus - Beautiful, easy to use, best iOS experience
Primal - Great design, built-in wallet

For Android:

Amethyst - Feature-rich, regular updates
Primal - Cross-platform, beginner-friendly

For Web (Desktop/Mobile):

Snort - Fast, clean interface
Iris - Simple, reliable
Primal - Polished, easy to navigate

Our Recommendation: Start with Primal (available on all platforms) or Damus (if you’re on iOS). They’re the most beginner-friendly.

👉 Browse our complete client directory for more options.

Step 3: Create Your Identity

Now for the important part: creating your cryptographic keys.

The Two Keys You’ll Get

When you create a Nostr identity, you’ll receive two keys:

1. Public Key (npub…)

This is your username/identity
Safe to share publicly
People use this to find and follow you
Starts with npub1...

2. Private Key (nsec…)

This is your password/signature
NEVER SHARE THIS WITH ANYONE
Used to sign your posts and prove you’re you
Starts with nsec1...

Creating Your Keys in Primal (Example)

Download Primal from your app store or visit primal.net
Open the app - You’ll see options to create a new account or sign in
Tap “Create Account” - The app will generate your keys
Write down your private key (nsec) - This is critical!
- Write it on paper
- Store it somewhere safe
- DO NOT screenshot it or save it in Notes/cloud storage
- Treat it like your bank account password
Verify you’ve saved it - Most apps will ask you to confirm

Creating Keys in Damus (iOS Example)

Download Damus from the App Store
Open Damus - Tap “Create Account”
Generate keys - Damus creates your key pair
CRITICAL: Save your private key
- Tap on your profile icon
- Go to Settings
- Find “Private Key” or “Keys”
- Write down your nsec key on paper
- Store it securely

Alternative: Use a Key Manager

For enhanced security, you can use a dedicated key management tool:

Alby - Browser extension (Chrome, Firefox)
Nos2x - Browser extension
Amber - Android key manager

These tools store your private key and sign messages without exposing the key to clients. More secure, but slightly more complex for beginners.

Step 4: Set Up Your Profile

Now that you have your identity, make it yours!

Essential Profile Information

Display Name:

Your preferred name (doesn’t have to be real)
Example: “Alice” or “CryptoAlice” or “Alice from Leeds”

About/Bio:

Who you are, what you’re interested in
Keep it friendly and informative
Example: “Bitcoin enthusiast, photographer, dog lover. Learning about decentralization.”

Profile Picture:

Upload from your device
Most clients support this
Make yourself recognizable

Banner Image (Optional):

Some clients support banner images
Adds personality to your profile

Lightning Address (Optional but Recommended)

Many Nostr clients integrate Bitcoin’s Lightning Network for instant tips (“zaps”). If you want to receive zaps:

Get a Lightning wallet (Alby, Wallet of Satoshi, Phoenix)
Get your Lightning address (looks like an email: you@getalby.com)
Add it to your Nostr profile

People can then send you Bitcoin micropayments instantly!

Step 5: Connect to Relays

Relays are the servers that store and distribute your posts. You need to connect to relays to see content and have others see yours.

Default Relays

Good news: Most clients come with good default relays pre-configured. You don’t need to do anything initially.

Understanding Relays

You typically connect to 5-10 relays
More relays = more reach, but also more data usage
Some relays are free, some charge a small fee (better spam filtering)
You can add/remove relays anytime

Finding Good Relays

Popular Free Relays:

wss://relay.damus.io
wss://nos.lol
wss://relay.nostr.band
wss://relay.primal.net

Paid Relays (Better Quality):

wss://nostr.wine (₿ paid, excellent spam filtering)
wss://relay.nostr.com.au (₿ paid)

Most clients let you view and manage your relay list in Settings.

👉 Browse our relay directory for more options and details.

Step 6: Make Your First Post

You’re ready to post! Here’s how:

Writing Your First Note

Find the compose button - Usually a ”+” or pencil icon
Write something - Could be:
- “Hello Nostr! Just joined from the UK 🇬🇧”
- “Testing out this decentralized social network”
- “Anyone else here interested in [your interest]?”
Post it - Tap send/post
Watch it publish - Your client sends it to your relays

Congratulations! You’ve just made your first uncensorable post.

Understanding Notes vs Posts

On Nostr, we call posts “notes” - hence the name “Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays.”

Your note is now:

Signed with your private key
Stored on multiple relays
Visible to anyone following you
Uncensorable by any single entity

Step 7: Find and Follow People

An empty feed is boring. Let’s find interesting people!

Ways to Find People

1. Search by Public Key If someone shares their npub... key, paste it in the search and follow them.

2. Browse Trending/Global Feed Most clients have a “global” or “trending” feed showing recent posts from everyone.

3. Check Who Others Follow Look at profiles of people you like and see who they follow.

4. Use NIP-05 Verification Verified users (with a checkmark or domain next to their name) are often real people worth following.

5. Interest-Based Discovery Search for hashtags: #bitcoin, #photography, #music, #UK, etc.

Following Best Practices

Start small - Follow 20-30 people to begin
Curate your feed - Unfollow freely if content doesn’t interest you
Engage - Reply to posts, start conversations
Be patient - Nostr is growing, but smaller than Twitter

Step 8: Verify Your Profile (Optional)

NIP-05 verification links your Nostr identity to a domain name you control.

Why Verify?

Makes you easier to find
Proves you control a domain
Looks more professional
Helps others know you’re a real person

How to Verify (Basic Steps)

If you own a domain:

Create a file at: https://yourdomain.com/.well-known/nostr.json
Add your public key and name
Add the verification to your Nostr profile: you@yourdomain.com

If you don’t own a domain:

Use a free NIP-05 service:

Nostr.directory
Nostr-check.com
Many others available

You’ll get an address like: yourname@nostr.directory

👉 Detailed tutorial: Profile Verification Guide

Step 9: Stay Safe and Secure

Security on Nostr is your responsibility. Follow these rules:

Key Security Rules

Never share your private key (nsec)

Not with friends
Not with “support” (there is no Nostr support team)
Not in DMs
Not anywhere online

Save multiple backup copies

Physical paper in safe place
Encrypted password manager
Maybe a second paper copy somewhere else
DO NOT save in cloud storage unencrypted

Be aware of scams

No one from “Nostr support” will DM you
No legitimate service needs your private key
If it sounds too good to be true, it is

Use a key manager for extra security

Browser extensions like Alby or Nos2x
Mobile apps like Amber (Android)
These sign messages without exposing your key

Privacy Considerations

Remember:

All posts are public by default
Your post history is permanent (relays may keep deleted posts)
Encrypted DMs exist (NIP-04) but aren’t as secure as Signal/WhatsApp
Anyone can see who you follow and who follows you

Don’t post anything you’d regret being public forever!

Step 10: Explore Advanced Features

Once you’re comfortable with basics, try:

Lightning Zaps ⚡

Set up a Lightning wallet
Add Lightning address to your profile
Send and receive instant Bitcoin tips
Reward great content

Communities and Groups

Join topic-based communities
Participate in conversations
Find like-minded people

Long-Form Content

Some clients support blog-style posts
Write articles, not just short notes
Example: Habla.news, Yakihonne

Marketplaces

Buy and sell using Nostr
Direct peer-to-peer commerce
Bitcoin integration

Common Questions

”Why isn’t anyone seeing my posts?”

Possible reasons:

Your relays aren’t well-connected (add more popular relays)
You haven’t followed many people (they won’t see you either)
It takes time to build an audience
Try engaging with others’ posts first

”I lost my private key. What do I do?”

Unfortunately, there’s no recovery. You’ll need to:

Create a new identity
Rebuild your following
Let people know your new public key

This is why backups are crucial!

”Can I use the same identity on multiple clients?”

Yes! That’s the beauty of Nostr. Sign in to any client with your private key and you’ll see the same identity, followers, and posts.

”How do I delete my account?”

There’s no “account” to delete. You can:

Stop using your keys (no one can stop you)
Request deletion of your posts (NIP-09) but relays may not honour it
Just abandon the identity

”Is Nostr safe for activists/journalists?”

Nostr is censorship-resistant, which is valuable. However:

Posts are public and permanent
Use with operational security awareness
Consider using VPN/Tor
Be aware of metadata (who you follow, when you post)

For sensitive communication, use dedicated privacy tools like Signal.

Next Steps

Now that you’re on Nostr:

Build Your Network:

Follow interesting people
Engage in conversations
Share valuable content

Learn More:

Get Involved:

Join UK Nostr community: /uk/community/
Contribute to Nostr projects
Help newcomers get started

Explore:

Try different clients
Experiment with advanced features
Discover new use cases

UK-Specific Resources

For UK users, Nostr offers particular value:

Free Speech: Learn why Nostr matters for UK users in the context of the Online Safety Act.

UK Community: Connect with other UK Nostr users in our community directory.

Local Meetups: Find UK Nostr events and gatherings.

Final Thoughts

Welcome to the decentralized web! Nostr might feel different from traditional social media:

Slower growth (but organic and real)
More technical users (but growing broader)
Fewer features (but rapid development)
More responsibility (but more freedom)

The tradeoff is worth it: you truly own your identity and content.

Take your time, experiment, ask questions, and enjoy being part of something genuinely different.

Welcome to Nostr. You’re early, and that’s exciting.

Ready to dive deeper?

How Nostr Works (Technical) - Understand the protocol
Browse Clients - Find the perfect client for you
Security Best Practices - Protect your identity
Join UK Community - Connect with UK Nostr users

Need help? Nostr is a community. Ask questions, and people will help. That’s the beauty of it.