diff --git a/src/app/chats/chat.tsx b/src/app/chats/chat.tsx
index 243cbae9..4767cc6f 100644
--- a/src/app/chats/chat.tsx
+++ b/src/app/chats/chat.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { NDKEvent, NDKSubscription } from '@nostr-dev-kit/ndk';
-import { useQuery } from '@tanstack/react-query';
+import { useMutation, useQuery, useQueryClient } from '@tanstack/react-query';
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
 import { useParams } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { VList, VListHandle } from 'virtua';
@@ -16,8 +16,6 @@ import { User } from '@shared/user';
 import { useNostr } from '@utils/hooks/useNostr';
 
 export function ChatScreen() {
-  const listRef = useRef<VListHandle>(null);
-
   const { db } = useStorage();
   const { ndk } = useNDK();
   const { pubkey } = useParams();
@@ -30,10 +28,39 @@ export function ChatScreen() {
     refetchOnWindowFocus: false,
   });
 
+  const queryClient = useQueryClient();
+  const listRef = useRef<VListHandle>(null);
+
+  const newMessage = useMutation({
+    mutationFn: async (event: NDKEvent) => {
+      // Cancel any outgoing refetches
+      await queryClient.cancelQueries({ queryKey: ['nip04-dm', pubkey] });
+
+      // Snapshot the previous value
+      const prevMessages = queryClient.getQueryData(['nip04-dm', pubkey]);
+
+      // Optimistically update to the new value
+      queryClient.setQueryData(['nip04-dm', pubkey], (prev: NDKEvent[]) => [
+        ...prev,
+        event,
+      ]);
+
+      // Return a context object with the snapshotted value
+      return { prevMessages };
+    },
+    onSettled: () => {
+      queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ['nip04-dm', pubkey] });
+    },
+  });
+
   const renderItem = useCallback(
     (message: NDKEvent) => {
       return (
-        <ChatMessage message={message} self={message.pubkey === db.account.pubkey} />
+        <ChatMessage
+          key={message.id}
+          message={message}
+          isSelf={message.pubkey === db.account.pubkey}
+        />
       );
     },
     [data]
@@ -57,7 +84,7 @@ export function ChatScreen() {
     );
 
     sub.addListener('event', (event) => {
-      console.log(event);
+      newMessage.mutate(event);
     });
 
     return () => {
@@ -96,11 +123,7 @@ export function ChatScreen() {
             )}
           </div>
           <div className="shrink-0 rounded-b-lg border-t border-neutral-300 bg-neutral-200 p-3 dark:border-neutral-700 dark:bg-neutral-800">
-            <ChatForm
-              receiverPubkey={pubkey}
-              userPubkey={db.account.pubkey}
-              userPrivkey={''}
-            />
+            <ChatForm receiverPubkey={pubkey} />
           </div>
         </div>
       </div>
diff --git a/src/app/chats/components/chatForm.tsx b/src/app/chats/components/chatForm.tsx
index ace68a08..3cf6c4d0 100644
--- a/src/app/chats/components/chatForm.tsx
+++ b/src/app/chats/components/chatForm.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-import { NDKEvent, NDKKind } from '@nostr-dev-kit/ndk';
-import { nip04 } from 'nostr-tools';
-import { useCallback, useState } from 'react';
+import { NDKEvent, NDKKind, NDKUser } from '@nostr-dev-kit/ndk';
+import { useState } from 'react';
+import { toast } from 'sonner';
 
 import { MediaUploader } from '@app/chats/components/mediaUploader';
 
@@ -8,34 +8,26 @@ import { useNDK } from '@libs/ndk/provider';
 
 import { EnterIcon } from '@shared/icons';
 
-export function ChatForm({
-  receiverPubkey,
-  userPrivkey,
-}: {
-  receiverPubkey: string;
-  userPubkey: string;
-  userPrivkey: string;
-}) {
+export function ChatForm({ receiverPubkey }: { receiverPubkey: string }) {
   const { ndk } = useNDK();
   const [value, setValue] = useState('');
 
-  const encryptMessage = useCallback(async () => {
-    return await nip04.encrypt(userPrivkey, receiverPubkey, value);
-  }, [receiverPubkey, value]);
-
   const submit = async () => {
-    const message = await encryptMessage();
-    const tags = [['p', receiverPubkey]];
+    try {
+      const recipient = new NDKUser({ pubkey: receiverPubkey });
+      const message = await ndk.signer.encrypt(recipient, value);
 
-    const event = new NDKEvent(ndk);
-    event.content = message;
-    event.kind = NDKKind.EncryptedDirectMessage;
-    event.tags = tags;
+      const event = new NDKEvent(ndk);
+      event.content = message;
+      event.kind = NDKKind.EncryptedDirectMessage;
+      event.tag(recipient);
 
-    await event.publish();
+      const publish = await event.publish();
 
-    // reset state
-    setValue('');
+      if (publish) setValue('');
+    } catch (e) {
+      toast.error(e);
+    }
   };
 
   const handleEnterPress = (e: {
@@ -61,7 +53,7 @@ export function ChatForm({
           autoComplete="off"
           autoCorrect="off"
           autoCapitalize="off"
-          placeholder="Message"
+          placeholder="Message..."
           className="h-10 flex-1 resize-none bg-transparent px-3 text-neutral-900 placeholder:text-neutral-600 focus:outline-none dark:text-neutral-100 dark:placeholder:text-neutral-300"
         />
         <button
diff --git a/src/app/chats/components/message.tsx b/src/app/chats/components/message.tsx
index f12843c9..addf9748 100644
--- a/src/app/chats/components/message.tsx
+++ b/src/app/chats/components/message.tsx
@@ -3,14 +3,14 @@ import { twMerge } from 'tailwind-merge';
 
 import { useDecryptMessage } from '@app/chats/hooks/useDecryptMessage';
 
-export function ChatMessage({ message, self }: { message: NDKEvent; self: boolean }) {
+export function ChatMessage({ message, isSelf }: { message: NDKEvent; isSelf: boolean }) {
   const decryptedContent = useDecryptMessage(message);
 
   return (
     <div
       className={twMerge(
         'my-2 w-max max-w-[400px] rounded-t-xl px-3 py-3',
-        self
+        isSelf
           ? 'ml-auto rounded-l-xl bg-blue-500 text-white'
           : 'rounded-r-xl bg-neutral-200 text-neutral-900 dark:bg-neutral-800 dark:text-neutral-100'
       )}
@@ -18,9 +18,7 @@ export function ChatMessage({ message, self }: { message: NDKEvent; self: boolea
       {!decryptedContent ? (
         <p>Decrypting...</p>
       ) : (
-        <div>
-          <p className="select-text whitespace-pre-line">{decryptedContent}</p>
-        </div>
+        <p className="select-text whitespace-pre-line break-all">{decryptedContent}</p>
       )}
     </div>
   );
diff --git a/src/app/chats/index.tsx b/src/app/chats/index.tsx
index 67698c9a..40364e94 100644
--- a/src/app/chats/index.tsx
+++ b/src/app/chats/index.tsx
@@ -1,15 +1,20 @@
 import { NDKEvent } from '@nostr-dev-kit/ndk';
 import { useQuery } from '@tanstack/react-query';
-import { useCallback } from 'react';
-import { Outlet } from 'react-router-dom';
+import { useCallback, useEffect } from 'react';
+import { Outlet, useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';
 
 import { ChatListItem } from '@app/chats/components/chatListItem';
 
+import { useNDK } from '@libs/ndk/provider';
+
 import { LoaderIcon } from '@shared/icons';
 
 import { useNostr } from '@utils/hooks/useNostr';
 
 export function ChatsScreen() {
+  const navigate = useNavigate();
+
+  const { ndk } = useNDK();
   const { getAllNIP04Chats } = useNostr();
   const { status, data } = useQuery({
     queryKey: ['nip04-chats'],
@@ -29,6 +34,10 @@ export function ChatsScreen() {
     [data]
   );
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!ndk.signer) navigate('/new/privkey');
+  }, []);
+
   return (
     <div className="grid h-full w-full grid-cols-3">
       <div className="col-span-1 h-full overflow-y-auto border-r border-neutral-200 scrollbar-none dark:border-neutral-800">