Quick Start Guide

Installation & Setup

1. Download the SOC App from the official distribution source Google Play and Apple Store
2. Application Installs the on the device.
3. Launch the application.

Terms & Conditions

- Displays the Terms & Conditions screen.
- User taps Accept. (Acceptance is mandatory to install the SOC app.)
- Declining exits the application.

Account Entry (New Account Default)

This is where the new account is created.

1. User enters an email address.
2. User enters a password. Confirms password.
3. User selects the submit button

The system checks whether an account already exists for the email address. If no account exists, it will create one. If an account already exists using that login email entered, then the system will automatically redirect the user to the login screen to restore the account if the email is already associated with an existing account.

New Account Creation

1. System creates an account.
2. System sends a verification email to the provided email address.

NOTE: Email verification is required.

- User confirms their email by selecting the link in the email. The user will be redirected back to the setup screen in the app. (User cannot proceed without confirming the email.)

1. If the user enters an email that already exists, the system will redirect them to the login screen. Enter the correct password for the existing account. If the user forgets the password, they can select the “Forgot Password” link to reset it.
2. User submits login. If the account already existed on a different device, then the account will be restored to the new phone.

Profile Setup

The user is taken to the profile setup screen to create their profile.

Username

The Username is a 15 digit name that displays next to your avatar in the profile card of your area contacts. You can change this anytime in the profile menu and is not a unique handle. Many people can have the same username. It doesn’t need to be your exact name, but it is recommended.

SOC Contact

The SOC Contact is a user handle or address that is unique in the system and is not duplicated. This can be used the same as an email or phone number when searching or contacting individuals in the app.

- Suggested SOC Contact is first predefined based on the user’s email address.
- Availability is checked in real time.
- Suggested alternatives are provided if unavailable.
- Availability checkmark is displayed.
- This is the only place and time the SOC Contact can be changed.

About Me

- Maximum 70 characters.
- Live character counter displayed (e.g., 41 / 70).

Avatar

- User may select a predefined avatar or
- Upload an image from device photos. This may take some time for Content Moderation to determine that the image is safe for public use. You can save the changes by selecting the “Done” button on the top right hand corner of the screen.

Permissions

The app will prompt the user to requests required permissions.

Location Permission

- Allows users to see your profile when you are within the proximity of the other users
- Declining eliminates proximity functionality, and users will not be found in your area.

Notification Permission

- Enables alerts and message notifications.
- Declining disables notifications.

Other Permissions

As the user continues to use the app, the system will ask for additional permissions, like mic permission for voice recording in chats, or voice calls; for storage permission to access photos for attachments; and for camera permissions to take selfies or share images.

Landing Screen (Home)

The user arrives at the main interface, called the landing screen

The screen contains two primary tabs which can be accessed by swiping side to side, or by selecting the tab itself.

Area Contacts Tab

- Displays users currently within proximity.
- Updates dynamically as proximity changes every 30 seconds or less.
- Visibility respects user preferences.

Messages Tab

- Displays all Text messages.
- Displays all Voicemail messages
- Displays all Group Chat messages

From the Landing Screen, the user may long-press their Avatar in the top right corner to access the main menu.

The main menu includes the following items:

- Profile
  View and manage avatar, display name, and About Me.
- Account
  Change Password, Enable 2FA authentication, or Delete your account.
  
  Communication Preferences
  Control who can contact the user and how.
- Environment
  Manage appearance settings such as theme and display color preferences and language.
- Notifications
  Configure alert and notification behavior.
- Get Verified
  verify phone, email is verified on setup, or ID verification through subscription.
- Help & Support
  Access help resources and support information.

From the Landing Screen, the user may tap their Avatar to access the quick menu The Quick Menu provides fast, in-context controls for communication, visibility, and proximity behavior.
All changes apply immediately.

Contact Permissions

Controls who may initiate contact with the user. Options (mutually exclusive):

- Everyone
- Verified Users Only
- Contacts Only

Communication Type

Controls which communication methods are allowed.

Options (independent toggles):

- Allow users to Text you
- Allow users to include you in Group chats
- Allow users to make Voice Calls to your device. (Voice calls are made using our third party VOIP service, and never uses your service provider.)

Disabling an option prevents that communication type from being initiated.

Saved Contacts Visibility

Controls whether saved contacts appear in the Area Contacts view.

Options:

- When On, saved contacts are shown on the Area Contacts screen alongside other nearby users, even if they aren’t within your proximity settings. (Will appear in gray if not nearby.)
- When Off, saved contacts are hidden from the Area Contacts screen.

Visibility Preferences

Controls overall user visibility.

Option:

- Stealth Mode (On / Off)

Behavior:

- When enabled, the user is hidden from everyone, but you can still see everyone in the area using the app.
- communication is disabled while Stealth Mode is active. You will not be able to communicate with anyone in stealth mode.

Proximity Distance

Controls the detection radius for nearby users.

Control:

Slider: allows you to set the proximity distance for the user to see other app users between 50 meters to 1000 meters away.
NOTE: the Area Contacts screen only allows visibility up to 100 concurrent users in the area at a time.

Communication in SOC

Communication is seamless with SOC. Everything is controlled by clear, visible icons.

On each user’s Area Contacts card, you may see up to three communication icons:

Icon Visibility Rules

- Visible icon
  → That communication type is allowed by the user, and allows you to communicate with them using that feature.
- Not visible
  → The other user does not allow that type of communication (See the three communication options below.)

Voice Calls

Voice calls work like a normal phone call — without using your phone number.

- SOC uses a built-in voice system
- Your phone number is never shared, and never used for communication.
- Calls work over any internet connection (Wi-Fi or data)

The voice icon only appears if voice calls are allowed by the user.

Tap the 📞 icon to start a call.

Voice Mail

If the other user is unavailable or doesn’t answer:

- You may leave a voice message
- Voice messages are delivered directly in the chat
- The recipient can listen and reply when available
- Voicemails are only 8 seconds long

No missed connections, no pressure to answer immediately.

Text Messaging

Text messaging lets you start a private chat.

- Tap the icon to begin a new chat session
- You can:
  - - Send text messages
    - Send voice messages
    - Attach photos (see attachment rules below)
- If you see the text icon, messaging is allowed

No icon means messaging is not available.

Group Chat

Group chat lets you talk with multiple people at once.

Starting a Group Chat

1. Open the Area Contacts screen
2. Tap on at least 2 user profile cards (Selected cards will be highlighted.)
3. The Group Chat button appears at the bottom–enabled.
4. The Group title box will appear. Give the group chat a title
5. Start messaging

Group chat is only available if all selected users allow group communication.

Leaving a Group Chat

- You can leave a group at any time by selecting the “Leave Group” link on the top right of the chat window.
- Leaving removes you from the conversation immediately
- You will no longer receive messages from that group
- Other members are not required to take action

No commitment, no notifications, and no awkward exits.

Attachments

To help keep SOC safe and respectful, photo attachments are limited to the following conditions:

1. You are a “Verified” user. You have verified your email, phone, and Identity with a paid subscription, or
2. The person receiving the message has you in their “Saved Contacts”.

This applies to:

- Direct messages
- Group chats

Text and voice messages are always allowed when icons are visible.

Report a User

In Chat

Users may report another user only from within a Text Message or Group Chat.

How to report a user:

Open a Text Message or Group Chat
Long-press on the message or photo you want to report
A popup menu appears
Select Report User
Choose a reason:
- Spam
- Harassment
- Inappropriate Content
- Other
Submit the report

Profile Details & User Controls

Viewing a User Profile

- Long-press on a user’s profile card in the Area Contacts list
- A profile panel will open showing:
  - - Username
    - SOC Contact handle
    - Bio

From here, you can manage how you interact with that user.

Manage Users

➕ Add to Contacts

- Saves the user to your Contacts list
- Saved contacts are easier to find and message
- Free users can save up to 3 contacts
- Subscribers can save more
- ⭐ Saved Contact Indicator — When you add someone to your contacts, they’ll appear with a gold star on their profile card so you can spot them instantly. This also allows non subscribers to send you attachments in texts and group chats.

🚫 Ignore

- You and the user remain visible to each other
- No communication is allowed in either direction
- Useful for reducing noise without fully blocking

⛔ Block

- Fully blocks the user
- Removes them from your Area Contacts
- Removes you from their Area Contacts
- No visibility and no communication both ways

You can unblock them by using the search menu on the bottom right corner of the Area Contacts screen and select Blocked Users List menu option.

Broadcasting

Broadcasting lets you send a message to all nearby users at once.

- The Broadcast icon appears on the bottom left of the Area Contacts menu.
- Broadcasts are limited to prevent spam
- After sending a broadcast: The broadcast option is disabled for a 24-hour cool-down period. This prevents spamming and keeps the SOC APP USEFUL.

Search Menu

You can search for users beyond your immediate area.

- Tap the 🔍 magnifying glass icon
- Located on the bottom right of the Area Contacts screen

You are able to access

Search Users
Contact List
Ignored Users List
Blocked Users List

Search Users Option

- Search by name
- Search by SOC Contact handle
- Advanced search by:
  - - Country
    - State
    - City

This makes it easy to find people even when they’re not nearby.

Contacts List

The Contacts List shows all users you’ve saved.

- From this screen, you can review and remove a saved contact if desired.

Note:
In the Quick Menu and Communication Settings, you can enable Saved Contacts Visibility.
When turned on, your saved contacts will always appear in your Area Contacts list — even when they’re not nearby. You will also be able to contact them anytime.

Ignored & Blocked Users

You can review and manage these at any time:

- Ignored Users List
- Blocked Users List

Both lists allow you to review and unignore, or unblock a user if desired.

How to Delete Your Account
Deleting your account will remove all account data from the SOC app.

1. <Long Press> on your avatar on the home screen
2. Select “Account”
3. At the bottom of the screen select “Delete Now”
4. Delete Account message appears, then select the “Delete” button

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