Getting Started
Get into Garrison in a couple of minutes: pick a client, make an account, then create or join a server. Everything works the same across web, desktop, and Android.
1. Get a client
Garrison runs anywhere. Use whichever fits, your account and servers follow you across all of them.
Desktop (Windows)
The featherweight native app. Tray, global push-to-talk, game overlay, and signed auto-updates. Download the installer and run it.
đ¤Android (APK)
Sideload the APK (enable "install unknown apps" for your browser the first time). iOS is on the roadmap.
đWeb app
Nothing to install, the full app runs in your browser. Great for trying it out or for locked-down machines.
The download links above point at the official hosted build. If you're connecting to a self-hosted Garrison instead, just open that server's URL in your browser (or point the desktop app at it), see Self-Hosting.
2. Create your account
Garrison uses its own accounts, there's no third-party login and no email required to start. On the sign-in screen choose Register and pick:
- Username: 3-32 characters, unique on that server.
- Password: 8+ characters. It's hashed with argon2id; the server never sees it in the clear.
- Display name & (optionally) a preferred language for live translation.
Want extra protection? Turn on two-factor authentication (TOTP) any time under Settings â Security. You'll get 10 one-time recovery codes, keep them somewhere safe. See Security & Encryption.
3. Join or create a server
Joining with an invite
Most people start by joining a guild's server. Someone with permission generates an invite link (or a short code). Open the link, or paste the code into Join Server, and you're in. Invites can be set to expire or to allow only a limited number of uses.
Creating your own
Click īŧ Add a server, give it a name (and optionally a logo), and you'll get a fresh
server with a #general channel and an @everyone base role. From there you can:
- Add categories and text / voice channels, and drag to reorder them.
- Set up roles & ranks, or apply the one-click rank-ladder preset (Leader â Vice Leader â Officer â Veteran â Member â Recruit). See Roles & Permissions.
- Invite your guild and start talking.
4. Find your way around
| Area | What's there |
|---|---|
| Server panel (left) | Your current server card (click it to switch servers), the channel list, a direct-messages launcher, and a settings gear. Unread and mention badges show here. |
| Channel sidebar | Categories, text channels (đ marks encrypted ones), and voice channels with live occupants. |
| Chat area | Messages, replies, reactions, pins, threads, the composer, and the pinned-messages bar. |
| Member list (right) | Members grouped by rank, with role colors. Click anyone to open their card. |
To talk, click a voice channel to join, then use the voice bar to mute/deafen. On desktop you can bind a global push-to-talk key that works even while a game has focus. See Voice & Video.
5. Switching and managing your servers
Your current server sits in a card at the top of the left panel, showing its banner art. Click that card to open the server switcher: a list of every server you belong to, with a check mark on the one you're viewing. Pick any to jump straight to it, or use Create a server / Join a server right from the same menu.
Garrison remembers your last-viewed server, so refreshing the page or reopening the app drops you right back where you left off, instead of resetting to the first server in the list.
Brand-new account? You'll start with no servers and a welcome screen. Just create your own or paste an invite to join one, and it shows up in the switcher.
Changing a server's settings
Open Server Settings from the gear icon in the panel header (you'll see it if your role has Manage Server). It's split into tabs:
| Tab | What you can change |
|---|---|
| Profile | Rename the server and set its chat background image. It's also where the owner can delete the server. |
| Templates | Apply a ready-made channel layout in one click. See Set Up Your Server. |
| Roles | Roles, ranks, the rank-ladder preset, colors, and per-channel permissions. See Roles & Permissions. |
| Members | Assign roles, kick, and ban members. |
| Emoji | Add your guild's custom emoji. |
| Invite | Generate invite links, with optional use limits and expiry. |
To tweak an individual channel or category (rename, delete, visibility, or permissions), hover it in the channel list and click its own settings icon, or right-click it.