What a messenger is and how to use Solovo

A messenger is an app or a web service for talking over the internet. You can write one to one and in groups, send photos, voice messages and files, and switch to an audio or video call when you need to.

When you want to keep conversations with the people close to you in one clear place, open Solovo. Start with a private chat, gather a small group, share a photo or make a call if explaining by text would take too long.

In short:

• a messenger carries messages, files and calls over the internet;
• Solovo has private and group chats, voice and video messages, audio and video calls;
• you can talk in the mobile app and in the web version;
• to start, all you need is to sign up with a phone number and write to one person.

How a messenger works

In a messenger every person or group has a chat of their own. You send a message now, and the other person replies whenever it suits them. Being online at the same time is not required.

The messenger is the program itself. A chat is a separate conversation inside it, and a message is the text, photo, voice recording, video or file you send to the other person. These words appear in almost any communication app.

Chats, SMS and social networks

A messenger should not be confused with SMS or a social network. An SMS arrives at a number through the mobile operator's network, while a social network gives a prominent place to posts, a feed and subscriptions. A messenger is above all for a direct conversation with a person or a chosen group.

Everyday communication

In Solovo every person and every group has their own chat. Messages, attachments and calls stay inside it, so the photo, document or arrangement you need is easier to find later.

Pick whatever you need right now: write to someone close, create a family group or start a call. The other features can be added gradually, once there is a reason for them.

A one-to-one conversation

Open a conversation and send some text. If typing is awkward, record a voice or round video message. You can add a photo, video, music or another file to the chat, and answer a remark with a reaction.

A private conversation is not mixed with a shared feed or other groups. The history stays in one chat, and you can come back to the message you need later.

A chat for the family

Gather family, friends or neighbours in one group and invite people with a link. A shared chat is a convenient place to discuss plans, share photos and documents, and move to a call when needed.

For household matters, open the family planner. It lets you split tasks, set reminders and track progress without moving arrangements into a separate app.

A group of your own

For a study team, a hobby club or a small project, create a separate group. Give it a clear name, add the right people and agree on which questions belong here.

A chat like that should not replace a work system or a social network. It simply gathers the conversation, files and quick calls for one particular circle of people.

When calling is simpler

If a question is hard to settle in text, start an audio or video call. There is a group format for several people. During the conversation you can share your screen to look at a document, a photo or device settings together.

After the call, keep talking in the same chat. Messages and files stay next to each other, so the conversation does not have to be reassembled.

What is available today

In Solovo you can:

• keep private and group chats;
• start audio and video calls, group calls included;
• record voice and round video messages;
• send photos, videos, music and other files;
• add reactions, reply with a quote, forward messages and edit your own text;
• invite people into a group with a link and revoke the invitation;
• split family chores in the planner;
• share your screen during a call;
• send static and animated stickers;
• protect access with a passcode or biometrics.

You do not have to master everything at once. For a first look, one chat and one call are enough. Add the planner, screen sharing and other features when you genuinely need them.

Why it is comfortable to talk here

In Solovo, family conversation, talking with friends and a small project do not get mixed up: each can have its own chat. Files and call history stay inside it.

There is no need to move every contact at once. Invite one person close to you or one group and start with a familiar conversation. Other services can stay for the tasks they already handle.

Where to open Solovo

Links to the mobile apps are gathered on the main site solovo.app/. On a computer, open the web version app.solovo.ru/.

Download the app only from links on the Solovo site or from the app store on your device. The SMS code is only for your own sign-in. Do not pass it on to anyone.

On iPhone and iPad

Go to the Solovo page in the App Store and install the app. After the first launch, turn on notifications if you want to see new messages and incoming calls right away.

If the download does not start, check your internet connection and Apple ID settings. Apple's help pages cover the additional steps for installing apps.

On Android

Open the Solovo page on Google Play, install and launch the app. Permissions for notifications, the camera and the microphone can be granted at the first prompt or later in your phone settings.

The camera is needed for video calls. The microphone is needed for calls and voice messages. If one of these does not work, check Solovo's permissions in your Android settings.

In a browser

Open app.solovo.ru in a browser and sign in with your phone number. On a computer it is easier to type long messages and send files that are already on your drive.

Sign in from a personal or trusted device. If you used a shared computer, end the session when you finish.

Signing up with a phone number

Signing up requires a phone number. Enter it in the app or the web version, wait for the SMS code and type it into the sign-in field. That is how we confirm the number belongs to you.

Once signed in, find someone you know who already uses Solovo, or send a personal link to someone close. Start with a short message so the other person immediately knows who is writing.

Never tell anyone the SMS code, even if the person claims to be from support. If you did not request a sign-in, do not forward the code and check who has access to your device.

How to put a group together

Create a group, give it a short clear name and add members. Send the invite link only to the people you want in the chat. If necessary, an old link can be revoked and a new one issued.

Agree straight away on what the chat is for. A family group is a good place for plans and photos, while a small team's chat suits one project, file sharing and recording tasks.

Do not mix too many topics in one conversation. If a trip, documents and household questions start getting in each other's way, create a separate group with a clear name.

How to start a call

Open a private or group chat and choose an audio or video call. Check access to the microphone, and for video the camera as well. If the internet is unstable, turn off video and continue by voice.

If you need to look at a document or settings together, turn on screen sharing. Before you do, close personal notifications and unnecessary tabs. Show only what relates to the conversation.

Before a group call, write its topic in the chat. Everyone will understand why you are calling and will have time to open the file they need.

What to send into a chat

Send a photo, video, music or another file into the chat. Add a short comment so the other person immediately knows what to look at or do. Give important documents clear names.

Record a voice message if typing is awkward or the thought is easier to say out loud. A round video suits showing yourself, an object or a place quickly. An address, a meeting time and a list of actions are better repeated in text.

A reaction conveys a short answer without a new remark. The message you need can be forwarded or quoted, and your own text edited. Before forwarding, check there is no one else's personal data inside.

How to protect access

Protect your phone and turn on locking Solovo with a passcode or biometrics. Do not leave a chat open on a shared device, and enter the confirmation code only in the app or at app.solovo.ru/.

For everyday safety, a few simple habits are enough:

• never tell anyone the SMS code;
• install the app from links on solovo.app or from the store on your device;
• check the address of the web version app.solovo.ru before signing in;
• do not open unexpected links and files from people you do not know;
• hide personal notifications before sharing your screen;
• keep Solovo and your device's operating system updated.

If a message looks unusual, contact the sender another way and check whether they really sent that link or file. It is better to spend a minute verifying than to open an attachment in a hurry.

Try it on one conversation

Choose one person close to you and start an ordinary conversation. Send a message, attach a photo or a file, then try an audio or video call.

Then create a small group. Add a household task to the planner, call your friends or share your screen when you need to look at something together.

One real conversation is enough to get comfortable with Solovo. After that, keep only the features that genuinely help you stay in touch.

Where to begin

A messenger joins messaging, files and calls over the internet. In Solovo all of that is gathered around private and group chats, so a conversation with the people close to you does not fall apart between different places.

Open solovo.app, choose the app for your phone or go to the web version app.solovo.ru/. Sign up with your phone number and write to one person. When you need a shared conversation, create a group and invite people with a link.