Getting started
Install DChat, create an account, save the 24 words, choose how messages reach you.
Installing DChat and creating your account
DChat runs on Android today (minimum Android 7.0). Setup is six screens, and none of them ask for a phone number or an email address.
Welcome
Open the app and continue past the welcome screen.
Create Account
Choose a username. This is required: you cannot continue until the name you pick is available. A referral code is optional on the same screen.
Recovery Phrase
You land on "Save These Words": 24 word badges, a "Copy All Words" button, and a checkbox for "I've safely saved my recovery phrase." Continue with "I've Saved It."
Permissions
Grant or skip notifications, battery, and contacts access. Each one has a "Skip for Now" option.
Delivery Mode
Pick Push Notifications, Battery Saving, or Always Connected (see below).
You're Ready!
The app opens into your chat list. No PIN or password is set at this point.
Choosing a username
Your username is checked live for availability while you type, on the Create Account screen. It must:
- be between 3 and 32 characters
- start with a letter
- contain only letters, digits, and underscores after that
- not end with an underscore
A username is required to finish setup, so every account has one. An optional referral code can be entered on the same screen. Your username becomes part of your public identity record on the chain, alongside your address, see what's public on the chain.
What the 24 words are and how to store them
DChat generates a 24-word BIP-39 recovery phrase (256 bits of entropy) on first launch, shown once on the "Save These Words" screen. It is the only credential behind both your identity and your wallet, there is no separate password.
Use "Copy All Words" only if you're moving the phrase straight into a password manager or a safe you control; otherwise write it down by hand and keep it offline. Do not screenshot it, photograph it, or paste it into a notes app, chat, or cloud service. Tick "I've safely saved my recovery phrase" and tap "I've Saved It" only once you have actually stored it somewhere durable.
Choosing a delivery mode
The same three modes are offered during onboarding and later in Settings → Notifications. They trade battery life against how quickly messages reach you:
- Push Notifications the fastest option. The app relies on the platform's push service to wake it when a message arrives, and keeps an active connection open only while you're using it.
- Battery Saving the app checks in with the network less often in the background, which can delay delivery somewhat but uses less battery.
- Always Connected the app keeps its connection to the relay network open continuously in the background, which is the most reliable option at the cost of extra battery and data use.
You can change this later; it does not require re-registering your account.
Finding people to message
There is no central contact directory to browse. Open the Add Contact sheet and either:
Scan QR Code
Point your camera at the other person's DChat QR code to add them instantly.
Enter an identifier
Type their wallet address (dc1…), their username, or their DID (did:dchat:…) into the same field.
Follow a deep link
A link in the form dchat://add-contact?did=… sent to you through any channel, opens the Add Contact flow directly.
Share your own the same way: Settings → Wallet & Blockchain → "Share Profile QR" or "Share Wallet QR."
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