When the signal is small, keep the conversation smaller.

“2G” describes a network, not a guarantee.

Two connections with the same network label can behave very differently. Available throughput, radio interference, delay, packet loss and relay location all affect a call. A page loading successfully does not mean the network can sustain live audio.

Start by keeping other downloads quiet and opening the app on both devices. If the other person is not online, Tiny messages is not an offline delivery service.

Choose the smaller voice profile before calling.

The Very weak / 2G profile caps the audio sender at a 6 kbps codec target and requests 60 ms packets. The 10 kbps profile also requests 60 ms packets. Choosing before the call lets these preferences take part in the initial negotiation.

A 6 kbps codec target does not mean that all network traffic fits into 6 kbps. Encryption, packet headers, acknowledgements, signaling and relay transport add overhead. Browsers also control actual encoder behavior.

Longer packets reduce the number of packet headers sent, but add delay and increase the amount of audio affected by a single lost packet. There is no setting that removes every tradeoff.

Let the call step down when conditions worsen.

The app uses recent packet-loss measurements rather than a lifetime average. Repeated poor samples lower the voice profile, with a further step to 6 kbps if conditions stay poor. It does not keep automatically stepping back up.

Changing a profile during a call caps the sender bitrate; it does not renegotiate packet duration. If the call is persistently unusable, end it, choose the smaller setting and try again—or switch to a note.

Use Tiny messages when voice is too much.

Open the selected contact and choose Tiny messages. Notes travel through encrypted signaling without a microphone, a WebRTC audio connection or TURN. Both people must keep the app open and have working connectivity.

Each message is limited to 500 characters and 2,000 UTF-8 bytes. A delivery receipt confirms that the other device received it, not that the person read it. Missing receipts trigger bounded retries, and duplicate notes are suppressed.

Notes expire from app memory after 90 seconds. Closing the panel clears your local messages. The server does not keep a durable offline mailbox. A recipient can still copy a message or take a screenshot.

Know what has actually been tested.

Browser tests exercised a 6 kbps sender cap and 60 ms negotiation using a fake microphone. A separate Tiny-message test paced application messages at 6 kbps, added delay and dropped a receipt to test retry behavior.

These simulations do not reproduce every part of a cellular radio link. They are not certification on real 2G networks, iPhones or Pixel phones. The useful improvement is having a smaller way to communicate when voice becomes impractical.