What is this?
Zulu is a native Zulip client for iOS and macOS that treats topics as first-class citizens, grouping channels into folders and letting threads be promoted or hidden locally.
Zulu is a native Zulip client for iOS and macOS that treats topics as first-class citizens, grouping channels into folders and letting threads be promoted or hidden locally.Is this a separate app for iPhone and Mac, or one shared codebase?It is one Xcode project with shared SwiftUI code (model, messages, composer) that builds two distinct native apps: one for iOS and a separate Mac app with its own sidebar, split view and menu bar.
It is one Xcode project with shared SwiftUI code (model, messages, composer) that builds two distinct native apps: one for iOS and a separate Mac app with its own sidebar, split view and menu bar.How do I run it?Open the Xcode project, pick the Zulu scheme for iOS or ZuluMac for the Mac, build and run, then sign in with your Zulip organization's server address.
Open the Xcode project, pick the Zulu scheme for iOS or ZuluMac for the Mac, build and run, then sign in with your Zulip organization's server address.Do I need anything besides a Zulip account to sign in?You just need the address of any Zulip server; both password login and SSO are supported, with SSO bouncing through a browser and back via a zulip:// callback.
You just need the address of any Zulip server; both password login and SSO are supported, with SSO bouncing through a browser and back via a zulip:// callback.Is this a finished, polished app?It is explicitly 'early but usable' — core messaging, reactions, replies, attachments and polls work, but it requires iOS 27 minimum and the bundled Go notification service exists in the repo but isn't actually deployed yet.
It is explicitly 'early but usable' — core messaging, reactions, replies, attachments and polls work, but it requires iOS 27 minimum and the bundled Go notification service exists in the repo but isn't actually deployed yet.Does it work on older iPhones or just the newest ones?It requires at least iOS 27 and is built on Apple's Liquid Glass design system, so older devices stuck on earlier iOS versions won't run it.
It requires at least iOS 27 and is built on Apple's Liquid Glass design system, so older devices stuck on earlier iOS versions won't run it.Can I rename or hide channels without the Zulip server knowing?Yes, renaming or hiding channels and topics for yourself is purely local — the server is never told about these personal customizations.
Yes, renaming or hiding channels and topics for yourself is purely local — the server is never told about these personal customizations.What makes topic handling different from the official Zulip clients?Zulu renders a channel as a list of threads if it uses topics, or as plain chat if it does not, and figures out which automatically; topics can also be promoted to sit beside channels like their own channel.
Zulu renders a channel as a list of threads if it uses topics, or as plain chat if it does not, and figures out which automatically; topics can also be promoted to sit beside channels like their own channel.Where does the notification backend live, and does it run in production?A Go notification service lives in the service/ directory and builds to a container image published to GHCR, but per the README it is not currently deployed.
A Go notification service lives in the service/ directory and builds to a container image published to GHCR, but per the README it is not currently deployed.What local data storage does the app use?The ZuluKit package includes ZuluStore built on GRDB, Apple's SQLite wrapper, for local data persistence alongside the API client, sync engine, markup and emoji handling.
The ZuluKit package includes ZuluStore built on GRDB, Apple's SQLite wrapper, for local data persistence alongside the API client, sync engine, markup and emoji handling.How are releases shipped?release-please cuts separate releases for the app, which goes to TestFlight, and for the notification service, which goes to GHCR, with the one-time Apple setup documented in docs/RELEASING.md.
release-please cuts separate releases for the app, which goes to TestFlight, and for the notification service, which goes to GHCR, with the one-time Apple setup documented in docs/RELEASING.md.What are similar projects?textream, Telegram-iOS, macos-sysdata, tvbox-silicon, bluey-by-riley, opendisplay, Roam-Control, Signal-iOS
textream, Telegram-iOS, macos-sysdata, tvbox-silicon, bluey-by-riley, opendisplay, Roam-Control, Signal-iOS