mirror of
https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplex-chat.git
synced 2026-11-14 09:07:52 +00:00
Evgeny @ SimpleX Chat
d00513ed27
* docs: user guide for the 7.1 apps * docs, website: guide order, badge benefits, message expiry; soft line breaks on the site * docs: guide videos for the first profile, invitations, joining and the address * docs: guide screens with the iPhone status bar * docs: guide shows full and cut screens only * docs: guide pages corrected in place, keeping master's structure * docs: group chat and SimpleX address pictures in the iPhone frame * docs: plainer wording in the guide * docs: guide checked against how SimpleX explains its features * docs: guide answers on profiles, channel privacy, SOCKS and names * docs: android guide picture from the emulator in the pixel 7 frame
127 lines
5.4 KiB
Markdown
127 lines
5.4 KiB
Markdown
---
|
||
title: Quick start
|
||
---
|
||
# SimpleX Chat User Guide
|
||
|
||
The first messaging network that has no user identifiers of any kind.
|
||
|
||
## Contents
|
||
|
||
- [Quick start](#quick-start) - scroll down this page
|
||
- [Making connections](./making-connections.md)
|
||
- [Sending messages](./send-messages.md)
|
||
- [Groups](./secret-groups.md)
|
||
- [Channels](./channels.md)
|
||
- [Channel webpage](./channel-webpage.md)
|
||
- [Chat profiles](./chat-profiles.md)
|
||
- [Registering a SimpleX name](./register-simplex-name.md)
|
||
- [Managing data](./managing-data.md)
|
||
- [Linked devices](./linked-devices.md)
|
||
- [Audio & video calls](./audio-video-calls.md)
|
||
- [Notifications](./notifications.md)
|
||
- [Privacy & security](./privacy-security.md)
|
||
- [App settings](./app-settings.md)
|
||
- [Supporter badges](./supporter-badges.md)
|
||
|
||
## Quick start
|
||
|
||
### Create your first chat profile
|
||
|
||
After downloading SimpleX Chat via the links at https://simplex.chat:
|
||
|
||
- Open the app and tap "Get started". On desktop, click "Create your profile".
|
||
- Create a new profile by inputting your profile name.
|
||
- Tap on "Create profile".
|
||
|
||
This profile is stored on your device and shared only with your contacts.
|
||
SimpleX servers cannot see it.
|
||
|
||
On desktop, the app then asks you to set a database passphrase or to use a
|
||
random one, see [Database passphrase](./managing-data.md#database-passphrase).
|
||
You can also click "Link a mobile" instead of "Create your profile" to use the
|
||
chat profiles of your phone from the computer, see [Linked
|
||
devices](./linked-devices.md).
|
||
|
||
### Choose notifications mode
|
||
|
||
After you have created the chat profile, the app shows "Your network". On iOS
|
||
and Android, tap "Setup notifications" there to choose notifications mode.
|
||
|
||
<img src="./images/notifications-ios-modes.png" alt="iOS Push notifications screen with the modes Instant, Periodic and No push server" width="300">
|
||
|
||
Please read their description, as on iOS it is trade-off between convenience and privacy, with instant notifications sharing more meta-data with the servers, and on Android it is a trade-off between notification delays and battery life.
|
||
|
||
You can read more about [the differences between notifications work on Android and iOS](../../blog/20220404-simplex-chat-instant-notifications.md).
|
||
|
||
You can also tap "Setup routers" to choose server operators. Then tap
|
||
"Continue", and "Accept" on the "Network commitments" screen to start using the
|
||
app.
|
||
|
||
To change notifications mode later, see [Notifications](./notifications.md).
|
||
|
||
### Connect to developers
|
||
|
||
When you just start using the app, you can connect to "Ask SimpleX Team" to ask
|
||
any questions or just to test the app - feel free to send any test messages.
|
||
|
||
Each new chat profile has this contact. To connect, tap the pencil button, tap
|
||
"Ask SimpleX Team" in the list of your contacts and choose "Use current profile"
|
||
or "Use new incognito profile". You can also connect to the developers via the
|
||
app settings:
|
||
|
||
- [Open the app settings](./app-settings.md#opening-the-app-settings).
|
||
- Tap on "Help & support", then "Send questions and ideas".
|
||
|
||
### Join some user groups
|
||
|
||
There are links to join several [user groups](../../README.md#join-user-groups) on our GitHub page - join them to ask any questions and discuss ideas.
|
||
|
||
You can also find groups and channels in [SimpleX
|
||
Directory](https://simplex.chat/directory/), and some other user-managed groups
|
||
via online search.
|
||
|
||
To join a group via a link:
|
||
|
||
- Get a link to a SimpleX user group, which you can get from your existing SimpleX conversations or by finding it online.
|
||
- Tap on a button in the lower right-hand of the screen.
|
||
- Tap on "Scan / Paste link" (iOS), "Paste link / Scan" (Android) or "Paste
|
||
link" (desktop), and paste the link, or scan its QR code on iOS and Android.
|
||
- Tap on "Open group", then "Join group".
|
||
|
||
### Connect to friends
|
||
|
||
- Tell your friends to download SimpleX Chat app via one of the links here: https://simplex.chat
|
||
- Create a one-time link for each of your friends by tapping the pencil button
|
||
(in the bottom right corner, or in the top right corner on iOS when the
|
||
toolbar is at the top).
|
||
- Tap "Create 1-time link".
|
||
- Share each link with a different friend, or alternatively let them scan a QR code.
|
||
- You can optionally set a different contact name for each link, to know when
|
||
they connect who is who, if they use incognito mode, for example: swipe the
|
||
pending connection in the chat list and tap "Name" (iOS), or long-press it
|
||
(Android) or right-click it (desktop) and choose "Set contact name".
|
||
- To use your link or QR code, tell your friends to tap the pencil button and
|
||
then tap on "Scan / Paste link" (iOS), "Paste link / Scan" (Android) or "Paste
|
||
link" (desktop).
|
||
- They can either scan QR code (iOS and Android) or paste the link, then tap
|
||
"Open new chat" and "Connect", see [Connect via a link or a
|
||
name](./making-connections.md#connect-via-a-link-or-a-name). If they opened
|
||
the link in the browser, they need to tap "Open SimpleX app" button on the
|
||
page.
|
||
|
||
Watch the [video](https://youtu.be/2iIibhaoMhI) that shows how it works.
|
||
|
||
You can also create a [long-term contact address](./app-settings.md#your-simplex-contact-address).
|
||
|
||
### Explore the app
|
||
|
||
Tap your profile image in the chat list toolbar to open the menu with your chat
|
||
profiles, your SimpleX address, chat preferences and the app settings.
|
||
|
||
Most app settings are shared for all profiles, but some settings are specific to chat profile.
|
||
|
||
Read more in [App settings](./app-settings.md) page.
|
||
|
||
Many conversation actions are available via long-press or swipe (right-click on
|
||
desktop) – try them!
|