diff --git a/apps/android/.idea/deploymentTargetDropDown.xml b/apps/android/.idea/deploymentTargetDropDown.xml
index b2a5949802..230c77f89f 100644
--- a/apps/android/.idea/deploymentTargetDropDown.xml
+++ b/apps/android/.idea/deploymentTargetDropDown.xml
@@ -6,12 +6,12 @@
         <type value="RUNNING_DEVICE_TARGET" />
         <deviceKey>
           <Key>
-            <type value="VIRTUAL_DEVICE_PATH" />
-            <value value="$USER_HOME$/.android/avd/Pixel_4a_API_32.avd" />
+            <type value="SERIAL_NUMBER" />
+            <value value="1C231FDF600FYG" />
           </Key>
         </deviceKey>
       </Target>
-    </targetSelectedWithDropDown>
-    <timeTargetWasSelectedWithDropDown value="2022-02-15T15:32:14.669079Z" />
+    </runningDeviceTargetSelectedWithDropDown>
+    <timeTargetWasSelectedWithDropDown value="2022-02-16T16:12:41.610721Z" />
   </component>
 </project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/apps/android/app/src/main/cpp/simplex-api.c b/apps/android/app/src/main/cpp/simplex-api.c
index f2dadcb131..e9178df5c4 100644
--- a/apps/android/app/src/main/cpp/simplex-api.c
+++ b/apps/android/app/src/main/cpp/simplex-api.c
@@ -22,42 +22,20 @@ Java_chat_simplex_app_SimplexAppKt_initHS(__unused JNIEnv *env, __unused jclass
 }
 
 // from simplex-chat
-typedef void* chat_store;
-typedef void* controller;
+typedef void* chat_ctrl;
 
-extern chat_store chat_init_store(const char * path);
-extern char *chat_get_user(chat_store store);
-extern char *chat_create_user(chat_store store, const char *data);
-extern controller chat_start(chat_store store);
-extern char *chat_send_cmd(controller ctl, const char *cmd);
-extern char *chat_recv_msg(controller ctl);
+extern chat_ctrl chat_init(const char * path);
+extern char *chat_send_cmd(chat_ctrl ctrl, const char *cmd);
+extern char *chat_recv_msg(chat_ctrl ctrl);
 
 JNIEXPORT jlong JNICALL
 Java_chat_simplex_app_SimplexAppKt_chatInit(JNIEnv *env, __unused jclass clazz, jstring datadir) {
     const char *_data = (*env)->GetStringUTFChars(env, datadir, JNI_FALSE);
-    jlong res = (jlong)chat_init_store(_data);
+    jlong res = (jlong)chat_init(_data);
     (*env)->ReleaseStringUTFChars(env, datadir, _data);
     return res;
 }
 
-JNIEXPORT jstring JNICALL
-Java_chat_simplex_app_SimplexAppKt_chatGetUser(JNIEnv *env, __unused jclass clazz, jlong controller) {
-    return (*env)->NewStringUTF(env, chat_get_user((void*)controller));
-}
-
-JNIEXPORT jstring JNICALL
-Java_chat_simplex_app_SimplexAppKt_chatCreateUser(JNIEnv *env, __unused jclass clazz, jlong controller, jstring data) {
-    const char *_data = (*env)->GetStringUTFChars(env, data, JNI_FALSE);
-    jstring res = (*env)->NewStringUTF(env, chat_create_user((void*)controller, _data));
-    (*env)->ReleaseStringUTFChars(env, data, _data);
-    return res;
-}
-
-JNIEXPORT jlong JNICALL
-Java_chat_simplex_app_SimplexAppKt_chatStart(JNIEnv *env, jclass clazz, jlong controller) {
-    return (jlong)chat_start((void*)controller);
-}
-
 JNIEXPORT jstring JNICALL
 Java_chat_simplex_app_SimplexAppKt_chatSendCmd(JNIEnv *env, __unused jclass clazz, jlong controller, jstring msg) {
     const char *_msg = (*env)->GetStringUTFChars(env, msg, JNI_FALSE);
diff --git a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/SimplexApp.kt b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/SimplexApp.kt
index b08096a37e..2d940c067c 100644
--- a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/SimplexApp.kt
+++ b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/SimplexApp.kt
@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@ package chat.simplex.app
 import android.app.Application
 import android.net.LocalServerSocket
 import android.util.Log
-import chat.simplex.app.model.ChatController
-import chat.simplex.app.model.ChatModel
+import chat.simplex.app.model.*
 import java.io.BufferedReader
 import java.io.InputStreamReader
 import java.lang.ref.WeakReference
@@ -18,29 +17,29 @@ external fun initHS()
 external fun pipeStdOutToSocket(socketName: String) : Int
 
 // SimpleX API
-typealias Controller = Long
-typealias Store = Long
-external fun chatInit(filesDir: String): Store
-external fun chatGetUser(controller: Store) : String
-external fun chatCreateUser(controller: Store, data: String) : String
-external fun chatStart(controller: Store) : Controller
-external fun chatSendCmd(controller: Controller, msg: String) : String
-external fun chatRecvMsg(controller: Controller) : String
+typealias ChatCtrl = Long
+external fun chatInit(path: String): ChatCtrl
+external fun chatSendCmd(ctrl: ChatCtrl, msg: String) : String
+external fun chatRecvMsg(ctrl: ChatCtrl) : String
 
 class SimplexApp: Application() {
     private lateinit var controller: ChatController
 
     override fun onCreate() {
         super.onCreate()
-        val store: Store = chatInit(applicationContext.filesDir.toString())
-        // create user if needed
-        if (chatGetUser(store) == "{}") {
-            chatCreateUser(store, """
-                    {"displayName": "test", "fullName": "android test"}
-                    """.trimIndent())
+        controller = ChatController(chatInit(applicationContext.filesDir.toString()))
+        var user = controller.apiGetActiveUser()
+        if (user == null) {
+//            user =  controller.apiCreateActiveUser(Profile("android", "Android test"))
+        }
+        Log.d("SIMPLEX (user)", user.toString())
+        try {
+            controller.apiStartChat()
+            Log.d("SIMPLEX", "started chat")
+        } catch(e: Error) {
+            Log.d("SIMPLEX", "failed starting chat $e")
+//            throw e
         }
-        Log.d("SIMPLEX (user)", chatGetUser(store))
-        controller = ChatController(chatStart(store))
     }
 
     val chatModel by lazy {
diff --git a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/model/SImpleXAPI.kt b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/model/SImpleXAPI.kt
index c6bc16871a..1dec8dabb6 100644
--- a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/model/SImpleXAPI.kt
+++ b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/model/SImpleXAPI.kt
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import kotlin.concurrent.thread
 typealias Controller = Long
 
 open class ChatController(val ctrl: Controller) {
-  private lateinit var chatModel: ChatModel
+  private var chatModel: ChatModel? = null
 
   fun setModel(m: ChatModel) {
     chatModel = m
@@ -26,16 +26,35 @@ open class ChatController(val ctrl: Controller) {
       while(true) {
         val json = chatRecvMsg(ctrl)
         Log.d("SIMPLEX chatRecvMsg: ", json)
-        chatModel.terminalItems.add(TerminalItem.Resp(APIResponse.decodeStr(json)))
+        chatModel?.terminalItems?.add(TerminalItem.Resp(APIResponse.decodeStr(json)))
       }
     }
   }
 
-  fun sendCmd(cmd: String) {
-    val json = chatSendCmd(ctrl, cmd)
-    Log.d("SIMPLEX chatSendCmd: ", cmd)
-    Log.d("SIMPLEX chatSendCmd response: ", json)
-    chatModel.terminalItems.add(TerminalItem.Resp(APIResponse.decodeStr(json)))
+  fun sendCmd(cmd: CC): CR {
+    val c = cmd.cmdString
+    val json = chatSendCmd(ctrl, c)
+    Log.d("SIMPLEX", "sendCmd: $c")
+    Log.d("SIMPLEX", "sendCmd response $json")
+    chatModel?.terminalItems?.add(TerminalItem.Resp(APIResponse.decodeStr(json)))
+    return APIResponse.decodeStr(json)
+  }
+
+  fun apiGetActiveUser(): User? {
+    val r = sendCmd(CC.ShowActiveUser())
+    return if (r is CR.ActiveUser) r.user else null
+  }
+
+  fun apiCreateActiveUser(p: Profile): User {
+    val r = sendCmd(CC.CreateActiveUser(p))
+    if (r is CR.ActiveUser) return r.user
+    throw Error("failed creating user: ${r.toString()}")
+  }
+
+  fun apiStartChat() {
+    val r = sendCmd(CC.StartChat())
+    if (r is CR.ChatStarted) return
+    throw Error("failed starting chat: ${r.toString()}")
   }
 
   class Mock: ChatController(0) {}
@@ -112,6 +131,13 @@ sealed class CR {
     override val details get() = user.toString()
   }
 
+  @Serializable
+  @SerialName("chatStarted")
+  class ChatStarted: CR() {
+    override val responseType get() = "chatStarted"
+    override val details get() = CR.noDetails(this)
+  }
+
   @Serializable
   @SerialName("contactSubscribed")
   class ContactSubscribed(val contact: Contact): CR() {
@@ -121,7 +147,7 @@ sealed class CR {
 
   @Serializable
   class Response(val type: String, val json: String): CR() {
-    override val responseType get() = "* ${type}"
+    override val responseType get() = "* $type"
     override val details get() = json
   }
 
@@ -131,10 +157,9 @@ sealed class CR {
     override val details get() = str
   }
 
-  // {"resp": {"activeUser": {"user": {<user>}}}}
-  // {"resp": {"anythingElse": <json> }} -> Unknown(type = "anythingElse", json = "<the whole thing including resp>")
-
-  // {"type": "activeUser", "user": <user>}
+  companion object {
+    fun noDetails(r: CR): String ="${r.responseType}: no details"
+  }
 }
 
 abstract class TerminalItem {
diff --git a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/views/TerminalView.kt b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/views/TerminalView.kt
index c85f9124e1..05f990dcf7 100644
--- a/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/views/TerminalView.kt
+++ b/apps/android/app/src/main/java/chat/simplex/app/views/TerminalView.kt
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import androidx.compose.foundation.lazy.items
 import androidx.compose.material.Text
 import androidx.compose.runtime.Composable
 import androidx.compose.ui.tooling.preview.Preview
+import chat.simplex.app.model.CC
 import chat.simplex.app.model.ChatModel
 import chat.simplex.app.model.TerminalItem
 import chat.simplex.app.ui.theme.SimpleXTheme
@@ -16,7 +17,9 @@ import chat.simplex.app.views.chat.SendMsgView
 fun TerminalView(chatModel: ChatModel) {
   Column {
     TerminalLog(chatModel.terminalItems)
-    SendMsgView(chatModel.controller::sendCmd)
+    SendMsgView(sendMessage = { cmd ->
+      chatModel.controller.sendCmd(CC.Console(cmd))
+    })
   }
 }