Staying safe

If you could be in danger

• Do not use your real name or a photo of yourself — not in your username, display name, avatar or bio.
• Do not share exact addresses or meeting times in public rooms or public places. Share them only in a chat with people you know and trust.
• Make your home place Friends only, or do not pin your home at all.
• Use a trusted VPN or Tor where it is legal. They hide which websites you visit from your internet provider.
• Sign out on shared or borrowed devices.
• Assume anything you write could one day be read by someone else. Messages are not end-to-end encrypted yet.

Protect your device

• Lock your phone and computer with a PIN or password.
• If someone may check your device, sign out after each visit and clear your browser history.
• On a shared computer, use a private browsing window.
• Keep your browser up to date.

Protect your account

• Use a long password that you use nowhere else. A few words together work well (at least 10 characters).
• If you think someone knows your password, change it on My account. Changing it signs out your other devices.
• The Deciple team will never ask for your password.

Places on the map

• Homes and fellowships are shown only to within about 1 km. In a small village that may still point to you — consider pinning a nearby town instead.
• Friends only places are seen only by your friends.
• Church places can be exact. Use exact locations only for public church buildings.

Rooms and chats

• Everyone in a room sees what you say there.
• Private chats with people who are not your friends vanish when either of you leaves, but the other person could still copy or photograph them.
• Accept friend requests only from people you know or have come to trust. Anyone can claim to be a believer.
• Be careful before meeting in person. Meet first in a public place and tell someone you trust where you are going.
• Never send money to someone who asks for it in a chat.

Block and report

If someone makes you feel unsafe, block them and report them: open their name, choose Block or Report, and pick a reason. You can also report a single message or a place. Moderators aim to review every report within 48 hours.

In an emergency

Deciple cannot send help. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services or someone you trust nearby, if it is safe to do so.

Need help?

Write to [email protected]. Email is not private either, so share only the details we need.