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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
---
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title: Quick start
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---
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# SimpleX Chat User Guide
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The first messaging network that has no user identifiers of any kind.
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## Contents
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- [Quick start](#quick-start) - scroll down this page
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- [Making connections](./making-connections.md)
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- [Sending messages](./send-messages.md)
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- [Groups](./secret-groups.md)
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- [Channels](./channels.md)
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- [Channel webpage](./channel-webpage.md)
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- [Chat profiles](./chat-profiles.md)
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- [Registering a SimpleX name](./register-simplex-name.md)
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- [Managing data](./managing-data.md)
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- [Linked devices](./linked-devices.md)
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- [Audio & video calls](./audio-video-calls.md)
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- [Notifications](./notifications.md)
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- [Privacy & security](./privacy-security.md)
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- [App settings](./app-settings.md)
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- [Supporter badges](./supporter-badges.md)
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## Quick start
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### Create your first chat profile
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After downloading SimpleX Chat via the links at https://simplex.chat:
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- Open the app and tap "Get started". On desktop, click "Create your profile".
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- Create a new profile by inputting your profile name.
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- Tap on "Create profile".
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This profile is stored on your device and shared only with your contacts.
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SimpleX servers cannot see it.
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On desktop, the app then asks you to set a database passphrase or to use a
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random one, see [Database passphrase](./managing-data.md#database-passphrase).
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You can also click "Link a mobile" instead of "Create your profile" to use the
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chat profiles of your phone from the computer, see [Linked
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devices](./linked-devices.md).
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### Choose notifications mode
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After you have created the chat profile, the app shows "Your network". On iOS
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and Android, tap "Setup notifications" there to choose notifications mode.
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<img src="./images/notifications-ios-modes.png" alt="iOS Push notifications screen with the modes Instant, Periodic and No push server" width="300">
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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.
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You can read more about [the differences between notifications work on Android and iOS](../../blog/20220404-simplex-chat-instant-notifications.md).
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You can also tap "Setup routers" to choose server operators. Then tap
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"Continue", and "Accept" on the "Network commitments" screen to start using the
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app.
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To change notifications mode later, see [Notifications](./notifications.md).
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### Connect to developers
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When you just start using the app, you can connect to "Ask SimpleX Team" to ask
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any questions or just to test the app - feel free to send any test messages.
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Each new chat profile has this contact. To connect, tap the pencil button, tap
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"Ask SimpleX Team" in the list of your contacts and choose "Use current profile"
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or "Use new incognito profile". You can also connect to the developers via the
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app settings:
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- [Open the app settings](./app-settings.md#opening-the-app-settings).
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- Tap on "Help & support", then "Send questions and ideas".
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### Join some user groups
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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.
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You can also find groups and channels in [SimpleX
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Directory](https://simplex.chat/directory/), and some other user-managed groups
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via online search.
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To join a group via a link:
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- Get a link to a SimpleX user group, which you can get from your existing SimpleX conversations or by finding it online.
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- Tap on a button in the lower right-hand of the screen.
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- Tap on "Scan / Paste link" (iOS), "Paste link / Scan" (Android) or "Paste
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link" (desktop), and paste the link, or scan its QR code on iOS and Android.
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- Tap on "Open group", then "Join group".
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### Connect to friends
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- Tell your friends to download SimpleX Chat app via one of the links here: https://simplex.chat
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- Create a one-time link for each of your friends by tapping the pencil button
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(in the bottom right corner, or in the top right corner on iOS when the
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toolbar is at the top).
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- Tap "Create 1-time link".
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- Share each link with a different friend, or alternatively let them scan a QR code.
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- You can optionally set a different contact name for each link, to know when
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they connect who is who, if they use incognito mode, for example: swipe the
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pending connection in the chat list and tap "Name" (iOS), or long-press it
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(Android) or right-click it (desktop) and choose "Set contact name".
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- To use your link or QR code, tell your friends to tap the pencil button and
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then tap on "Scan / Paste link" (iOS), "Paste link / Scan" (Android) or "Paste
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link" (desktop).
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- They can either scan QR code (iOS and Android) or paste the link, then tap
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"Open new chat" and "Connect", see [Connect via a link or a
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name](./making-connections.md#connect-via-a-link-or-a-name). If they opened
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the link in the browser, they need to tap "Open SimpleX app" button on the
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page.
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Watch the [video](https://youtu.be/2iIibhaoMhI) that shows how it works.
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You can also create a [long-term contact address](./app-settings.md#your-simplex-contact-address).
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### Explore the app
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Tap your profile image in the chat list toolbar to open the menu with your chat
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profiles, your SimpleX address, chat preferences and the app settings.
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Most app settings are shared for all profiles, but some settings are specific to chat profile.
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Read more in [App settings](./app-settings.md) page.
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Many conversation actions are available via long-press or swipe (right-click on
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desktop) – try them!
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