Getting started
How do I sign up?
Enter your mobile number, type in the six-digit code we send by SMS, then choose your name, @username and language. That’s it.
How do I find someone?
Tap New chat and search for their @username. BharatChat doesn’t upload your contacts, so ask people for their username.
Is BharatChat free?
Yes. It uses your internet connection. Language packs for offline translation download once, about 30 MB each, and you can keep those downloads to Wi-Fi.
Translation
Which languages are translated?
All 22 Indian languages and English, including Hindi and other languages typed in English letters (Hinglish). Without internet, your phone translates Hindi, Bangla, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati, Urdu and English with language packs.
How do I see what someone actually wrote?
Tap Show original under any translated message. Tap it again to go back to the translation.
Are my messages sent anywhere to be translated?
Only the ones that need translating. Your phone first checks the language; messages in languages you read never leave it. The rest go to our server in India, are translated with Google’s Gemini and come straight back. Nothing is stored. This includes end-to-end encrypted chats: the reader’s phone sends the text it needs translated. Without internet, language packs translate on your phone.
Does translation work on the web?
Yes, when you’re online. Offline translation with language packs needs the phone app.
The translation looks wrong
Automatic translation can miss meaning or tone, especially with slang, names or mixed languages. Check the original when it matters.
Chats and groups
How do I reply to or react to a message?
Swipe a message to reply to it. Press and hold a message to react.
Can I delete a message?
Yes, your own messages. Press and hold, then choose to delete it for everyone. It’s replaced with “This message was deleted” for everyone in the chat.
How do disappearing messages work?
Turn them on in a chat’s info. New messages are deleted after the time you choose. People can still take screenshots, so only share what you’re comfortable with.
How do group invite links work?
Admins can share a link or code. Anyone who has it can see the group’s name and photo and ask to join. If a link gets shared too widely, an admin can reset it.
Your account
How do I change my name, photo or language?
Go to the You tab. You can edit your profile and translation settings there.
I got a new phone
Install BharatChat and sign in with the same number. Your chats sync from our servers. Language packs download again as you need them.
How do I delete my account?
See Delete your account. Logging out only signs out that phone.
Contact us
Email support@bharatchat.co. Starting the subject line with one of these helps us get to it faster:
Problems, questions or feedback about the app.
An account, message or group that breaks the rules. Child-safety reports come first.
Data requests, account deletion and complaints for our Grievance Officer.
Include your @username and, if something isn’t working, your phone model and what you were doing.