Is ICP App Store really free?

Yes. Every app listed is free to open and use. Many are fully open-source. There are no subscriptions, no in-app paywalls, and no ads on the App Store itself.

Do I need a crypto wallet or tokens to use these apps?

No. Most apps sign you in with a passkey (via Internet Identity) — no wallet, no tokens, no seed phrases. A few DeFi apps do need crypto to actually swap or lend, but browsing and signing in is free.

Are these apps private?

Apps built on the Internet Computer run entirely on the Internet Computer. Several use end-to-end encryption and threshold key management (VetKeys) so even the developer can't read your data.

What is the Internet Computer?

A public, public compute network that hosts entire applications — frontend, backend, and data — as smart contracts. Apps are tamper-resistant, globally distributed, and served directly to your browser without traditional cloud servers.

Do I have to install anything?

No. Every app opens in a modern browser with no extensions or downloads. Many work as Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) so you can add them to your phone or desktop for a native-feeling experience.

How is this different from the Apple or Google app store?

Nothing is gatekept by a single company, there are no 30% cut fees, the apps run on public infrastructure rather than someone's private server, and you don't have to install anything.

Is my identity number a secret?

No — it's more like a username. All the security comes from the passkeys registered to it, so an identity number on its own gets nobody anywhere. In the current interface you rarely need to type it at all: your passkey is offered directly, and a second device is linked by QR code.

What if I lose every device?

The identity is unrecoverable — there's no reset, because there's no password and no company holding your account. This is why registering a second passkey (phone, laptop, ideally a hardware key) on day one is critical. id.ai's Recover option covers the methods you set up in advance; it can't manufacture access you never configured.

Can apps identify me across the Internet Computer?

No. Each app gets a different principal derived from your identity, and the derivation includes the app's own web address. Apps can't link you across the network without you explicitly telling them — the protocol ensures it cryptographically.

Do I need to pay for Internet Identity?

No. Internet Identity is a public good funded by the Internet Computer network itself. There is no account tier, no premium, no data monetization.

How to use Internet Identity

A 5-minute walkthrough: create your Internet Identity at id.ai with a passkey or a provider you already use, add a second device, recover a lost one, and why the per-app privacy model matters.

Internet Identity is the passwordless sign-in system for apps on the Internet Computer. No email, no password, no tracking — your device holds the key, or you use a provider you already have. Here's how to set it up at id.ai and why it works the way it does.

What Internet Identity actually is

Internet Identity (II) is a passkey-based authentication system. Instead of an email and password you create an identity, which holds a set of passkeys registered on your devices. When an app asks you to sign in, your device prompts for Face ID, Touch ID or Windows Hello, and a cryptographic signature proves to the app that the identity is yours. No email leaves your device. No password exists. No central server holds your secret — the Secure Enclave on your phone or laptop does. (Internet Identity used to call this an "anchor"; the current interface simply calls it your identity.)

Creating your identity — 60 seconds

Go to id.ai and choose "Create new identity". There are two ways to set it up. With a passkey: your browser prompts for Face ID (iPhone/Mac), Windows Hello, or a hardware key like a YubiKey — nothing to type, nothing to memorise. Or with a provider you already use: Google, Apple or Microsoft. Either way there's no email verification, no captcha and no 'we sent you a code'. One trade-off worth knowing: a provider-based identity depends on that provider for access, so if you want the fully self-contained version, choose a passkey.

Register a second device immediately

Whether a passkey follows you to another device depends on where it is kept: one synced through iCloud Keychain or Google Password Manager appears on every device signed into that account, while one created directly on a security key stays there. Do not assume which you have. The day you create your identity, add a second passkey to it. id.ai has an "Add identity from another device" option that links a second device by URL or QR code, so you don't start over from scratch. Do this on your phone, your laptop, and ideally a hardware key. Then losing any one device costs you nothing. Skipping it is the single most common reason people get locked out — don't.

Per-app identity — the privacy part

When you sign into an app with II, the app sees a principal — a cryptographic ID unique to that app. Your principal on OpenChat differs from your principal on OISY, even though both are you. Apps can't cross-reference your activity, because neither ever learns the other's principal. This is pseudonymous per-app identity, the opposite of a conventional "sign in with Google" where every app sees the same email address. One consequence worth knowing: the principal is derived from the app's web address, so an app that moves to a new domain gets new principals — which is why well-run apps settle their domain before launching sign-in.

Recovering a lost device

If you still have another passkey, recovery is simply: sign in from a device that works and remove the lost one from your identity. No support ticket, no photo ID. id.ai also offers a Recover route under "Lost access to your identity?". But if you lose every passkey on every device with no recovery method set up, the identity is gone — there's no password reset, because there's no password and no company holding your account. That's the trade for having no central database to breach, and exactly why adding a second passkey on day one is non-negotiable.

Which apps use it

Most apps on the Internet Computer accept II sign-in. Notable ones to try: OISY (passkey wallet, no extension), OpenChat (group messaging with stable identities), Cloak (passkey-secured password manager), DecideAI (private AI chat), and the Caffeine app builder. Each gets a different principal, so your wallet activity and chat activity stay cleanly separate.

Related apps

Internet Identity — Passwordless sign-in for the Internet Computer — a passkey or a provider you already use, with no tracking and no personal data shared.
OISY Wallet — Manage assets across multiple chains from one place. No extensions, no seed phrases.
OpenChat — Group messaging that runs on infrastructure, not someone's server.
Cloak — Encrypted credential storage where passwords are encrypted on your device before they ever leave it.

Frequently asked questions

Is my identity number a secret?: No — it's more like a username. All the security comes from the passkeys registered to it, so an identity number on its own gets nobody anywhere. In the current interface you rarely need to type it at all: your passkey is offered directly, and a second device is linked by QR code.
What if I lose every device?: The identity is unrecoverable — there's no reset, because there's no password and no company holding your account. This is why registering a second passkey (phone, laptop, ideally a hardware key) on day one is critical. id.ai's Recover option covers the methods you set up in advance; it can't manufacture access you never configured.
Can apps identify me across the Internet Computer?: No. Each app gets a different principal derived from your identity, and the derivation includes the app's own web address. Apps can't link you across the network without you explicitly telling them — the protocol ensures it cryptographically.
Do I need to pay for Internet Identity?: No. Internet Identity is a public good funded by the Internet Computer network itself. There is no account tier, no premium, no data monetization.