This RFC proposes how freeq DMs become private without becoming losable. Each conversation encrypts under a stable key; the server stores only ciphertext; all conversation keys live in an encrypted keyring, unlocked by a secret that only the user's own devices ever hold — carried to a new device by an add-device handoff, or restored after total loss from a user-held recovery secret. The per-message ratchet retires as the DM transport. The PDS holds nothing — neither secret nor backup: preferences are readable and writable by every app the user has ever authorized (§5). The keyring synchronization model — device-local working copies, one home-server serializer, restore-only backups — and its open questions are §7.
Draft v0.1, 2026-08-07 — for contributor discussion.