Questions and answers

Open the Room Passport link your organiser sent you, on the device where you use WLP chat. You read the room’s purpose, rules, retention and sponsor policy, accept the rules, then choose a name and a two-letter mark for that room.

Link to this question: How do I join a room?

No. WLP chat has no public directory and no search. The only way into a room is a Passport from someone already in it.

Link to this question: Can I search for rooms to join?

Each Passport has an expiry date and a use limit, and the organiser can revoke it. Ask the person who invited you for a new one. The app tells you which of these happened.

Link to this question: My link says the Passport expired, was revoked or is used up.

A full room has reached the member limit its organiser set; ask them to raise it. A suspended room is under review, and nobody can join until the review ends.

Link to this question: The Passport says the room is full or suspended.

During the research sessions the study team supplies the organiser details. Later versions will say whether the organiser was checked against a domain or a public registry, or not checked at all.

Link to this question: Why does the Passport say “Research room”?

Because other members of a community group should not need it to talk to you. The WLP chat app never asks for a phone number or an email, so neither can leak from your room.

Link to this question: Why doesn’t WLP chat ask for my phone number?

The name and two-letter mark you choose when you join a room. They exist in that room only. Another room gets a different identifier, and a different name if you choose one.

Link to this question: What is a room identity?

WLP chat does not show one room’s identifier in another. People can still recognise you from a reused name, a reused mark or something you wrote, and the app warns you when you reuse a name or mark.

Link to this question: Can someone link my identities across rooms?

A recovery kit can restore your local identity and the list of rooms you were in. It cannot restore messages, files, reports or your room identities, so organisers need to invite you again. Export the kit from Settings, Recovery.

Link to this question: What happens if I lose my phone?

In the current research build, on your device only. Nothing goes over a network. The Privacy and data screen in Settings lists everything the app stores, where, and for how long.

Link to this question: Where are my messages stored?

Not in the current build. It is a local usability prototype and makes no encryption claim. Before the live pilot, WLP chat will adopt an established, reviewed encrypted messaging layer. We will not invent our own cryptography.

Link to this question: Are messages end-to-end encrypted?

Who invited you, and your activity in their room. Never your phone number, email or the names you use in other rooms.

Link to this question: What does the organiser see?

In the live service: the routing and abuse metadata needed to deliver messages and handle reports, and the evidence people choose to attach to a report. Today, in the research build, nothing leaves your device.

Link to this question: What will WLP chat itself see?

Settings, then Delete everything on this device. It removes your local identity, rooms, messages and reports after you confirm. Invitation records held by organisers are not affected.

Link to this question: How do I delete everything?

Open their profile in the room and press Block. It works at once, whether or not you also report them.

Link to this question: How do I block someone?

Choose Report on a message, a file, a member or a sponsor. You pick a reason and tick the messages to include as evidence. Only what you tick is submitted, and you preview it before you send.

Link to this question: How does reporting work?

The room’s organiser handles ordinary problems. Platform safety handles severe reports, complaints about an organiser, reports about sponsors, and appeals. You see the status of your report under Activity.

Link to this question: Who handles my report?

WLP chat has no direct messages between members. Everyone in a room talks where the organiser and moderators can act on reports. Direct messages stay out until they pass a separate safety review.

Link to this question: Why is there no Message button on profiles?

Some rooms are funded by one local sponsor instead of a subscription. Home shows at most one tile for the room you have open, and it always says Sponsored first.

Link to this question: Why is there a sponsor tile on Home?

For the room, by its organiser, with manual approval. Never from your messages, an advertising ID or your activity in other rooms. Eligibility can also use the room’s broad region, and the tile says so.

Link to this question: How is the sponsor chosen?

Yes. Press Hide and a House tile from your organiser replaces it until the campaign ends.

Link to this question: Can I hide it?

The app shows you the exact website first and warns that opening it shares your IP address and browser details with that site. WLP chat adds no member, device or room identifier to the link.

Link to this question: What happens when I tap the sponsor’s link?

Yes, always. Safety tools, deletion, text, voice notes and small files never sit behind a payment.

Link to this question: Is WLP chat free for members?

The pilot is testing two organiser plans: Starter, free for one room up to 100 members, and Community at £29 a month for up to 500 members. These are test prices.

Link to this question: What does it cost an organiser?

No. The current build has no billing, no card entry and no store purchase.

Link to this question: Can I pay now?

The current build is a research tool. It runs on one device, sends nothing over a network, and does not encrypt messages end to end. Treat it as a way to try the flows, not as a private channel. Every screen that touches security repeats that sentence.

Link to this question: What does “Prototype security: local demo, not audited E2EE” mean?

No. The call lobby shows the permission and network states a real call would go through, and it is labelled Simulation. No call connects.

Link to this question: Can I make calls?

English, Ukrainian and Russian. Change it in Settings, Language.

Link to this question: Which languages does the app support?

The web preview runs in a current browser. Pilot participants get Android and iOS research builds from the study team. There is no desktop app.

Link to this question: Which devices can I use?

The WLP chat study team. Sessions are facilitated and cover organisers and the adults they invite.

Link to this question: Who is running the research?

Nothing to request a room or to try it with the study team. Members always use WLP chat free. The organiser plans on the organisers page are test prices for the pilot; nothing can be bought in the current build.

Link to this question: What does it cost?

Yes: the WLP chat app, or the web preview in a browser. They open your Passport link and pick a name for your room. Nobody enters a phone number or an email.

Link to this question: Do members need to install anything?

In the research build, messages stay on each phone and nothing is sent over a network. Before any room goes live, the pilot adopts a reviewed encrypted messaging layer, and the privacy page will list exactly what the server receives.

Link to this question: What happens to our messages?

No. You can run both while members move across, then make the old group read-only. Our guide walks through it step by step. Read the guide.

Link to this question: Do we have to leave WhatsApp straight away?

Any member can leave a room at any time, and delete everything the app stores on their phone from Settings.

Link to this question: Can members leave?

The study team building WLP chat. Replies come from hello@wlpchat.example.

Link to this question: Who will we talk to?