A shared pause in access
Sealing affects both sides of the channel. Choose the period deliberately before confirming.
Channel Seal
Seal a channel until your chosen time.
Temporarily restrict a conversation for both participants. Channel Seal keeps the channel unavailable until the selected expiry, with no early unlock.
No phone number or email required for core Hat use.
The useful difference
A clearer way to handle sensitive work.
Choose the scope
Use the available channel, Travel Seal or Emergency Seal controls to select the conversations you need to restrict.
Keep the return predictable
The channel becomes available again after the seal expires. A seal is different from deleting the conversation.
How it works
Three deliberate steps.
Choose the channel
Open the channel’s menu, or use the applicable seal controls in Settings.
Set the expiry
Review the duration, affected channels and confirmation shown in your app.
Confirm the restriction
Complete the required confirmation. Both participants lose channel access until expiry.
Know the boundary
Choose controls with clear expectations.
A seal cannot remove screenshots, exported files or other copies already held outside the channel. It is not protection against all device compromise or physical coercion. Availability and limits depend on the client and plan.
Review the security evidenceQuestions, answered
Before you get started.
Can I open a sealed channel early?
Channel Seal is designed without an early-unlock option. Review the expiry carefully before confirming.
How is it different from Access Codes?
An Access Code controls revealing a hidden channel on your device. Channel Seal temporarily restricts access for both participants until an expiry.
City of Hats is free to use. Feature availability and limits vary by plan and client. Premium is optional; review current limits in the app or on the plans page.
Explore what matters next
Build the workflow around your work.
Start with a Hat
Give sensitive work its own space.
Start free. Choose your controls as the work requires them.