Chapter 1: Login and Joining

1. Open the app. If you are not signed in, the Welcome to KuhuChat screen appears.
2. Type your 10-digit mobile number in the Mobile Number box. +91 is already filled in.
3. Tap Send OTP.
4. A 6-digit code arrives by SMS and the Verify OTP screen opens (see 1.2).

There is no password and no username.

No, it is the same flow. If your number has no account yet, one is created after you verify the OTP and enter your name.

Indian mobile numbers only. Enter exactly 10 digits starting with 6, 7, 8 or 9. If something is wrong you will see one of these messages:

• Please enter your phone number.
• Enter a 10-digit mobile number.
• Enter a valid Indian mobile number starting with 6-9.

No. Your mobile number is your login and your identity in KuhuChat.

• Check that the number is correct and that your phone has a signal.
• Wait a minute or two. SMS can be slow.
• Tap Resend OTP once the countdown ends (see 1.2).
• "Too many attempts. Please wait a few minutes before retrying." Wait, then try again.
• "SMS quota exceeded for today. Please try again later." Try again later.
• "No internet" means check your connection and retry.
• "Invalid phone number" means re-check the digits.

KuhuChat does not charge for it. The screen reminds you that standard SMS rates from your mobile operator may apply.

Yes. Open KuhuChat in a browser (Chrome or Edge recommended) and use the same mobile number and OTP.

No. You stay signed in on your device until you log out or delete your account.

The language you last chose in the app. If you have not chosen one, it is English (see 2.1).

It is your account ID. KuhuChat also stores a one-way scrambled (hashed) copy of it, which is used to match people in your contacts. Your contacts are synced in the same hashed form.

A 6-digit one-time code sent by SMS to prove the number is yours.

1. On the Verify OTP screen, the message "We sent a 6-digit code to +91..." shows your number.
2. Type the 6-digit code from the body of the SMS. Do not type the sender's number.
3. It verifies automatically after the sixth digit. You can also tap Verify.

No. Type the code yourself. Always enter the most recent code you received.

After you request a code, a 4-minute countdown starts ("Resend code in 4:00"). When it reaches 0:00, Resend OTP becomes active. Tap it: the box clears, a new code is sent, you see "OTP resent successfully.", and the countdown restarts.

Tap the back arrow at the top of the Verify OTP screen, correct the number and tap Send OTP again.

• "Wrong OTP. Please check and try again." The code you typed does not match. Re-enter it, or resend and use the newest code.
• "Verification failed. Please try again." Check your internet and try again.
• "Sign-in failed. Go back and retry." Go back, send a new OTP and try again.
• "Something went wrong. Please try again." Try once more.
• "Resend failed. Please try again." or "Could not resend OTP." Wait a moment and tap Resend OTP again.

If your number already has a profile with a name, you go straight to the home screen on the Contacts tab. If it is a new number, you are asked for your name (see 1.3).

At login, KuhuChat clears the chat and contacts copies saved on that phone and loads them fresh from your account. This keeps one person's data from showing up in another person's account on a shared phone. Your messages themselves are not deleted.

"What's your name?" with the note: This is how contacts and groups will see you. You can join your Samaj later from the Samaj tab.

1. Type your Full Name. It cannot be left empty ("Please enter your name").
2. Tap CONTINUE.
3. You land on the Contacts tab.

Your contacts and the groups you join.

No. You can chat with contacts right away and join your Samaj any time from the Samaj tab (see 1.4).

It is a basic account with your name and number. It is marked "temporary" until you join a Samaj.

KuhuChat may sync your phone contacts so it can show which of them are on KuhuChat. This happens automatically and at most about once every 12 hours.

• Only scrambled (hashed) numbers are used for matching.
• If you decline contacts permission, the sync is skipped and chats still work.
• The browser version cannot read your phone's contacts. It shows the contacts your phone has already synced.

The app could not reach the server in time. It waits about 6 seconds on the app and about 15 seconds on the web. Check your internet and tap Retry.

Tap Retry first. If it keeps happening, log out and log in again.

The account was blocked for breaking KuhuChat's rules. The screen shows the reason (for example "Rules violation") and a Logout button. A banned account cannot use the app. If you think this is a mistake, contact us from the Contact page.

It appears whenever the number has no profile name saved. Complete it once and it will not appear again.

Your community, grouped by caste (and subcaste) and native village. Joining connects you to your Samaj members, your family tree, matrimony matches, the community gallery, the radar and the Samaj chat.

Tap the Samaj tab. If you have not joined, the Join Your Samaj screen opens by itself, with the text "Tell us your village and caste to find your Samaj members, family tree, and matrimony matches."

1. Choose your caste. Tap the Caste / Samaj box and search by name. Alternate names work too.
2. Choose your subcaste. This step appears only if your caste has subcastes, and then it is required.
3. Choose your location. For most castes pick State, District, Taluka, then Native village. For taluka-based castes pick State, District and Taluka; your ancestral village can be added too.
4. Tap JOIN SAMAJ.

Your native (ancestral) village, where your family originally comes from. It decides which Samaj group and family tree you belong to.

1. Tap Search & pin on map. The Find your place sheet opens.
2. Choose your State, then type your village, taluka or district name.
3. If it is not there you will see "Place not found in our list." Tap Add it manually.
4. Enter the village or place name and District. Taluka is optional.
5. Drop a pin on the map. A pin is required to confirm.
6. Optionally add your full address, then tap Confirm.

• Please select your caste.
• Please select your subcaste.
• Please select your village location.
• Please select your native village.
• Please select your district and taluka.

The first 3 members of a village are approved straight away. From the 4th member on, you join as Pending until one of your village admins approves you (see 1.5).

You become an admin automatically if you are one of the first two members of your village, or if your village has no admin at all. Otherwise you join as a regular member.

Possibly. Villages of the same parent caste can be merged into one Samaj group. Your Samaj name at the top of the Samaj tab then shows the combined group.

Yes.

1. On the Samaj tab, tap the three-dot menu and open Profile. (The Profile opened from the Contacts or Social tab is a shorter version without the Caste card.)
2. On the Caste card, tap the edit icon. The edit icon on the Location card does the same.
3. Read the warning. To continue, type CONFIRM.
4. Wait for the reset to finish. The registration form opens again.
5. Choose your new caste and village and tap JOIN SAMAJ.

Only things tied to your old Samaj:

• Your family tree is deleted, and your relatives' entries about you are marked removed.
• Your matrimony profile and its interests are deleted.
• Your admin seat, admin applications and your pending merge or separation votes are removed.
• Your relatives are told that you left the tree.

Your chats, contacts, wall and gallery posts, radar pins, businesses, trips and reminders.

• Temporary: you have not joined a Samaj yet.
• Permanent: you are an approved member.
• Pending (shown as Pending Approval): an admin has not reviewed you yet.
• Needs verification: an admin asked you to confirm your identity.
• Rejected: admins turned down your request.

Your status is Pending, Needs verification or Rejected. In the Samaj tab the top bar and icon row are greyed out and cannot be tapped, and the member list is greyed too. Your Contacts tab and chats keep working. Everything unlocks once you are approved.

Your village's admins, up to 3 of them. They see you on their Pending Members screen, showing your name and how long ago you joined.

• Verify Member: one admin can approve you. You become Permanent.
• Ask to Verify: an admin asks you to prove your identity. Your status becomes Needs verification.
• Reject: this is a vote. Two different admins must reject before you are rejected. After the first vote the admin sees "Reject vote recorded (1/2). One more admin needs to reject."

The screen lists your village admins with their names and phone numbers. Call or message any of them and confirm who you are. They will tap Verify Member once satisfied.

Contact one of your village admins directly and tell them you have just joined. Approval happens when an admin acts on your request.

The registration form opens again with a message, for example: "Admins of [VILLAGE] rejected your request. You can try [VILLAGE] again (chance 2 of 3) or register in another village." You have 3 chances per village.

You see: "Admins of [VILLAGE] rejected you 3 times. Please register in another village." Pick a different village and register there. The limit applies only to the village that rejected you.

Yes. Chatting with your contacts and groups, reminders, the Toolbox and the other tabs keep working. Only the Samaj tab's top bar, its icon row and the Samaj member list are locked.

Up to 3 per village. They are chosen automatically when the village starts, and more admins can be added through admin applications and votes.