Welcome to TimeSeed v3

TimeSeed is a simple, privacy-first encryption system that needs no servers, no key pairs, and no accounts. You and your correspondent only share a pre-agreed secret (the TimeSeed and optional pepper password) to derive strong encryption keys on any device.

Version 3 adds full post-quantum protection while keeping the same easy workflow. It builds on the proven Argon2id key derivation from v2 and layers the official NIST post-quantum standard ML-KEM (formerly Kyber) on top for future-proof security.

All processing happens in your browser — online or offline, nothing leaves your device.

How TimeSeed v3 Works

The core idea remains deterministic key derivation from shared secrets:

TimeSeed (50-char) + optional Pepper password + Date → Strong encryption key

In v3, the key derivation is now hybrid post-quantum:

• First, Argon2id (memory-hard, 128 MiB) creates a strong classical key — exactly as in v2.
• Then, ML-KEM is used to encapsulate/derive an additional post-quantum key component.
• The final symmetric key is a secure combination of both (classical + PQ), fed into AES-256-GCM for encryption.

This hybrid approach protects against both current attacks and future quantum computers, while staying fast and compatible with browsers.

Key elements (unchanged from v2):

• TimeSeed: 50-character anchor (generated or custom).
• Pepper password: Your secret extra entropy (highly recommended).
• Date: Daily re-keying at 00:00 UTC or long-term (Jan 1 / Jul 1 semesters).
• Salt & IV: Automatic randomness for unique ciphertexts.

Compatibility & Silent Fallback

Ciphertexts include a short version header (e.g., “545334...” for v2, new header for v3).

TimeSeed v3 is backward-compatible with v2:

• When you paste a v2 ciphertext, the tool automatically detects the old header and silently falls back to pure Argon2id derivation (no ML-KEM step).
• Decryption works exactly as before — no extra steps needed.
• New encryptions in v3 use the full hybrid PQ mode and the new header.

Note: v2 and older tools cannot decrypt v3 ciphertexts (they will show an error). Always use the latest version for new messages.

The Workflow (Same as v2)

Public TimeSeed Method

Safe for journalists, NGOs, or public drop pages — anyone can encrypt to you without prior contact.

Private TimeSeed Method

Maximum security: keep everything secret between trusted parties.

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Generate a strong 50-character TimeSeed
   Open TimeSeed v3 → “Generate random seed” → copy.
2. (Optional) Publish the TimeSeed for the public method.
3. Create a strong secret pepper — your real master secret (Diceware, unique sentence). Never share or reuse.
4. Agree on date usage (today’s date or current semester recommended).

Receiving Messages

Paste the ciphertext — v3 automatically tries the right derivation (PQ hybrid for new, fallback to Argon2id for v2). Test 2–4 date/pepper combinations if needed (usually just current day/semester).

Why It’s Safe

Even with a public TimeSeed, security rests on your secret pepper + Argon2id’s extreme brute-force resistance, now reinforced by ML-KEM against quantum threats.

Example (v3 ciphertext)

TimeSeed:
R8prjIjMdg7mr2lL5a3NtYS3Jh43WqCHfbNxDIOtFDguFMAis2

Pepper:
encrypt-everything

Date:
18 01 2026 (use the Daily key of that date)

Encrypted message (v3 format):

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

Paste into TimeSeed v3 to decrypt — it will succeed with the correct pepper and date.

TimeSeed is free, open-source, and built for lasting privacy.