zrok Proxy Service

zrok is a modern, open-source sharing platform built on OpenZiti. It's an alternative to Cloudflare or Ngrok for BlueBubbles users who need high bandwidth and stable connections.

zrok Benefits

• High bandwidth: zrok offers a 5GB data transfer limit per 24 hours on their free tier, with pricing options to purchase more bandwidth if needed.

• No domain required: Automatically provides a public URL.

• Open source and self-hostable: zrok is fully open-source on GitHub. You can use the managed service at zrok.io or host it yourself for total data sovereignty and unlimited bandwidth.

• Zero-trust security: Unlike traditional proxies, zrok is built on OpenZiti, providing a secure, outbound-only connection without opening firewall ports.

• Built-in: The zrok client is already integrated directly into the BlueBubbles Server.

Step 1: Sign up for zrok

1. Go to myzrok.io and sign up for a free account. Follow the email instructions to set your password.

2. Log into the zrok dashboard and copy your Account Token from the portal.

Step 2: Set up BlueBubbles Server

Option A: Configure via the Setup Wizard (New Install)

Firebase is required to sync your tunnel URL with your mobile devices and to deliver real-time notifications.

Firebase Configuration

You can configure Firebase either automatically via Google Login or manually by uploading JSON files. For automatic configuration, click Continue with Google. For manual configuration, click the Manual Setup tab and follow these steps:

1. Create a project in the Firebase Console.

2. Register an Android app using the package name com.bluebubbles.messaging.

3. Download the google-services.json file from the General tab in your Firebase Project Settings.

4. Go to the Service accounts tab and click Generate new private key to download your service account JSON file.

5. Drag both JSON files into the BlueBubbles setup wizard.

6. Click Next to proceed to the Connection slide.

   

   Firebase manual config

Configure zrok

1. Enter a Server Password and click the floppy disk save icon.

2. In the Proxy Setup dropdown, select zrok.

3. Paste your Account Token into the token field and click the floppy disk save icon.

4. Confirm that a *.share.zrok.io URL appears, then click Next and proceed through the wizard.

   

   zrok BlueBubbles setup

Option B: Configure via Settings (Existing Install)

If you've already completed the initial setup and configured Firebase, you can switch to zrok in the settings:

1. Open the BlueBubbles Server app and navigate to Settings > Connection Settings.

2. Change the Proxy Service dropdown to zrok.

3. Paste your Account Token into the text field.

4. Click the floppy disk save icon next to the token.

5. Click Save at the bottom of the page and Restart the server when prompted.

Connect your Clients

1. Find the public URL (e.g., https://*.share.zrok.io) at the top of the server home screen once you've finished the setup.

2. Use this URL or the displayed QR code to link your Android, Windows, or Linux clients to the server.

3. Log into your zrok portal to verify the connection is active.

   

   Successful zrok connection

For production-grade environments requiring even more advanced networking, zrok is also available as a managed service called Frontdoor.