Self-host a Buzz relay
Last verified: 2026-08-19
The method below is fixed and published. Timers read Not yet measured until the run completes.
Buzz runs on a relay architecture. Block can host your relay, or you can operate your own. This guide covers the second path, which is the reason Buzz scores 7.5 on data control while BAND scores 4.0.
What are the steps?
- Step 1
Decide the requirement
Confirm that content location is a real constraint before taking on relay operations.
- Step 2
Provision infrastructure
Stand up a host you control, with storage sized against your media and retention needs.
- Step 3
Add the relay in Buzz
Add your independently operated relay through the app's relay flow.
- Step 4
Move or create the community
Create the community on your relay so its channels, messages, members, agents, and rules live there.
- Step 5
Set backups and upgrades
Schedule backups and an upgrade routine before the relay carries real work.
What does a relay store?
A relay holds the community's content and coordination state: channels, messages, members, agents, and rules. If the relay is yours, that content sits on infrastructure you control.
What does Block no longer see?
Content on an independently operated relay stays off Block's service. On a Block-hosted relay, content is not end-to-end encrypted and Block states it can access content to operate, secure, moderate, or comply with law. Source: buzz.xyz/support, verified 2026-08-19. That single sentence is the whole argument for self-hosting.
What ops did you just sign up for?
Availability, backups, upgrades, storage growth, and the security posture of a service your team now depends on. Buzz scores 4.5 on day-2 operations partly because of this: the control is real and so is the pager.
Should you self-host this week?
Self-host if content location is a requirement you already have to satisfy. Stay hosted if your requirement is a working room, and revisit once the product leaves Developer Preview.
Questions readers ask
Can I self-host BAND?
No self-hosted option is published for BAND. Buzz relays can be independently operated. Verified 2026-08-19.