Your first Session account: a careful five-minute setup

Create an Account ID

Choose the new-account option when Session opens. The client generates account keys and a randomized Account ID on the device; it does not ask for a mobile number or email address. A display name can be a real name, a role, or an unrelated alias. That choice should follow the context in which the account will be used, not a software requirement.

Store the recovery password before chatting

Write down the recovery password immediately and keep it offline in a controlled location. Do not paste it into a chat, an unprotected cloud note, or a screenshot that will be backed up automatically. The phrase can reconstruct the same Account ID, so anyone who obtains it may be able to impersonate you. Treat it as a master key, not as a routine login password.

Verify the person behind the ID

Exchange Account IDs over a channel you already trust; scanning a QR code face to face is the clearest option. For important contacts, compare the beginning and end of the ID over a second channel. A successful first message proves that someone controls the key. It does not, by itself, prove that the person is who you expect.