Nostr NIPS 55

Last Updated: 2024-11-03

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NIP-55

Android Signer Application

draft optional

This NIP describes a method for 2-way communication between an Android signer and any Nostr client on Android. The Android signer is an Android Application and the client can be a web client or an Android application.

Usage for Android applications

The Android signer uses Intents and Content Resolvers to communicate between applications.

To be able to use the Android signer in your application you should add this to your AndroidManifest.xml:

<queries>
  <intent>
    <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
    <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
    <data android:scheme="nostrsigner" />
  </intent>
</queries>

Then you can use this function to check if there’s a signer application installed:

fun isExternalSignerInstalled(context: Context): Boolean {
  val intent =
    Intent().apply {
      action = Intent.ACTION_VIEW
      data = Uri.parse("nostrsigner:")
    }
  val infos = context.packageManager.queryIntentActivities(intent, 0)
  return infos.size > 0
}

Using Intents

To get the result back from the Signer Application you should use registerForActivityResult or rememberLauncherForActivityResult in Kotlin. If you are using another framework check the documentation of your framework or a third party library to get the result.

val launcher = rememberLauncherForActivityResult(
    contract = ActivityResultContracts.StartActivityForResult(),
    onResult = { result ->
        if (result.resultCode != Activity.RESULT_OK) {
            Toast.makeText(
                context,
                "Sign request rejected",
                Toast.LENGTH_SHORT
            ).show()
        } else {
            val result = activityResult.data?.getStringExtra("result")
            // Do something with result ...
        }
    }
)

Create the Intent using the nostrsigner scheme:

val intent = Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse("nostrsigner:$content"))

Set the Signer package name:

intent.`package` = "com.example.signer"

If you are sending multiple intents without awaiting you can add some intent flags to sign all events without opening multiple times the signer

intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_SINGLE_TOP or Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP)

If you are developing a signer application them you need to add this to your AndroidManifest.xml so clients can use the intent flags above

android:launchMode="singleTop"

Signer MUST answer multiple permissions with an array of results


val results = listOf(
  Result(
    package = signerPackageName,
    result = eventSignture,
    id = intentId
  )
)

val json = results.toJson()

intent.putExtra("results", json)

Send the Intent:

launcher.launch(intent)

Methods

get_public_key

params:

val intent = Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse("nostrsigner:"))
intent.`package` = "com.example.signer"
intent.putExtra("type", "get_public_key")
// You can send some default permissions for the user to authorize for ever
val permissions = listOf(
  Permission(
      type = "sign_event",
      kind = 22242
  ),
  Permission(
      type = "nip44_decrypt"
  )
)
intent.putExtra("permissions", permissions.toJson())
context.startActivity(intent)

result:

If the user approved intent it will return the pubkey in the result field

val pubkey = intent.data?.getStringExtra("result")
// The package name of the signer application
val packageName = intent.data?.getStringExtra("package")

sign_event

params:

val intent = Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse("nostrsigner:$eventJson"))
intent.`package` = "com.example.signer"
intent.putExtra("type", "sign_event")
// To handle results when not waiting between intents
intent.putExtra("id", event.id)
// Send the current logged in user pubkey
intent.putExtra("current_user", pubkey)

context.startActivity(intent)

result:

If the user approved intent it will return the result, id and event fields

val signature = intent.data?.getStringExtra("result")
// The id you sent
val id = intent.data?.getStringExtra("id")
val signedEventJson = intent.data?.getStringExtra("event")

nip04_encrypt

params:

val intent = Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse("nostrsigner:$plaintext"))
intent.`package` = "com.example.signer"
intent.putExtra("type", "nip04_encrypt")
// to control the result in your application in case you are not waiting the result before sending another intent
intent.putExtra("id", "some_id")
// Send the current logged in user pubkey
intent.putExtra("current_user", account.keyPair.pubkey)
// Send the hex pubkey that will be used for encrypting the data
intent.putExtra("pubkey", pubkey)

context.startActivity(intent)

result:

If the user approved intent it will return the result and id fields

val encryptedText = intent.data?.getStringExtra("result")
// the id you sent
val id = intent.data?.getStringExtra("id")

nip44_encrypt

params:

val intent = Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse("nostrsigner:$plaintext"))
intent.`package` = "com.example.signer"
intent.putExtra("type", "nip44_encrypt")
// to control the result in your application in case you are not waiting the result before sending another intent
intent.putExtra("id", "some_id")
// Send the current logged in user pubkey
intent.putExtra("current_user", account.keyPair.pubkey)
// Send the hex pubkey that will be used for encrypting the data
intent.putExtra("pubkey", pubkey)

context.startActivity(intent)

result:

If the user approved intent it will return the signature and id fields

val encryptedText = intent.data?.getStringExtra("signature")
// the id you sent
val id = intent.data?.getStringExtra("id")

nip04_decrypt

params:

val intent = Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse("nostrsigner:$encryptedText"))
intent.`package` = "com.example.signer"
intent.putExtra("type", "nip04_decrypt")
// to control the result in your application in case you are not waiting the result before sending another intent
intent.putExtra("id", "some_id")
// Send the current logged in user pubkey
intent.putExtra("current_user", account.keyPair.pubkey)
// Send the hex pubkey that will be used for decrypting the data
intent.putExtra("pubkey", pubkey)

context.startActivity(intent)

result:

If the user approved intent it will return the result and id fields

val plainText = intent.data?.getStringExtra("result")
// the id you sent
val id = intent.data?.getStringExtra("id")

nip44_decrypt

params:

val intent = Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse("nostrsigner:$encryptedText"))
intent.`package` = "com.example.signer"
intent.putExtra("type", "nip04_decrypt")
// to control the result in your application in case you are not waiting the result before sending another intent
intent.putExtra("id", "some_id")
// Send the current logged in user pubkey
intent.putExtra("current_user", account.keyPair.pubkey)
// Send the hex pubkey that will be used for decrypting the data
intent.putExtra("pubkey", pubkey)

context.startActivity(intent)

result:

If the user approved intent it will return the result and id fields

val plainText = intent.data?.getStringExtra("result")
// the id you sent
val id = intent.data?.getStringExtra("id")

get_relays

params:

val intent = Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse("nostrsigner:"))
intent.`package` = "com.example.signer"
intent.putExtra("type", "get_relays")
// to control the result in your application in case you are not waiting the result before sending another intent
intent.putExtra("id", "some_id")
// Send the current logged in user pubkey
intent.putExtra("current_user", account.keyPair.pubkey)

context.startActivity(intent)

result:

If the user approved intent it will return the result and id fields

val relayJsonText = intent.data?.getStringExtra("result")
// the id you sent
val id = intent.data?.getStringExtra("id")

decrypt_zap_event

params:

val intent = Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse("nostrsigner:$eventJson"))
intent.`package` = "com.example.signer"
intent.putExtra("type", "decrypt_zap_event")
// to control the result in your application in case you are not waiting the result before sending another intent
intent.putExtra("id", "some_id")
// Send the current logged in user pubkey
intent.putExtra("current_user", account.keyPair.pubkey)
context.startActivity(intent)

result:

If the user approved intent it will return the result and id fields

val eventJson = intent.data?.getStringExtra("result")
// the id you sent
val id = intent.data?.getStringExtra("id")

Using Content Resolver

To get the result back from Signer Application you should use contentResolver.query in Kotlin. If you are using another framework check the documentation of your framework or a third party library to get the result.

If the user did not check the “remember my choice” option, the pubkey is not in Signer Application or the signer type is not recognized the contentResolver will return null

For the SIGN_EVENT type Signer Application returns two columns “result” and “event”. The column event is the signed event json

For the other types Signer Application returns the column “result”

If the user chose to always reject the event, signer application will return the column “rejected” and you should not open signer application

Methods

get_public_key

params:

val result = context.contentResolver.query(
    Uri.parse("content://com.example.signer.GET_PUBLIC_KEY"),
    listOf("login"),
    null,
    null,
    null
)

result:

Will return the pubkey in the result column

  if (result == null) return

  if (result.moveToFirst()) {
      val index = it.getColumnIndex("result")
      if (index < 0) return
      val pubkey = it.getString(index)
  }

sign_event

params:

val result = context.contentResolver.query(
    Uri.parse("content://com.example.signer.SIGN_EVENT"),
    listOf("$eventJson", "", "${logged_in_user_pubkey}"),
    null,
    null,
    null
)

result:

Will return the result and the event columns

  if (result == null) return

  if (result.moveToFirst()) {
      val index = it.getColumnIndex("result")
      val indexJson = it.getColumnIndex("event")
      val signature = it.getString(index)
      val eventJson = it.getString(indexJson)
  }

nip04_encrypt

params:

val result = context.contentResolver.query(
    Uri.parse("content://com.example.signer.NIP04_ENCRYPT"),
    listOf("$plainText", "${hex_pub_key}", "${logged_in_user_pubkey}"),
    null,
    null,
    null
)

result: