Everything you need to know.

AirlockChat is a verified chat platform where every user is government-verified through DigiLocker. It's built for trusted 1:1 conversations — no group chats, no public feeds, no algorithms. You share your unique Airlock code with someone, both of you accept a chat request, and then you can message each other.

Sign up with your phone number (OTP verification), upload up to 6 profile photos, and verify your identity through DigiLocker. The entire process takes about 3 minutes.

Yes. AirlockChat is free to use. There are no subscription fees, no hidden charges, and no premium tiers required for basic functionality.

AirlockChat is being built as a mobile-first platform (React Native). Both iOS and Android versions will be available at launch. There is no web or desktop app at this time.

Your Airlock code is a unique 6-character identifier (like RXK-M47) assigned to you after verification. It's system-generated, permanent, and tied to your verified identity. You share this code — as text, a link, or a QR code — so others can find your profile on AirlockChat.

DigiLocker is the Indian government's official digital document wallet, used by over 200 million people. It securely stores and shares your government-issued documents like Aadhaar, PAN, driving licence, and more.

Because without it, AirlockChat would be like every other chat app — no way to know if someone is real. Government verification ensures every person you talk to has proven their identity. It's what makes every conversation trustworthy.

If verification fails (e.g., facial comparison doesn't pass), you'll be asked to retry. Make sure your profile photo clearly shows your face and closely resembles your government ID photo. If you continue to have issues, contact our support team.

No. Your display name is your government-verified first name from DigiLocker. It cannot be edited or changed. This is a core safety feature — it ensures no one can misrepresent their identity.

LinkedIn verification is an optional, additional trust signal. After completing DigiLocker verification, you can also verify your LinkedIn profile. This adds a "LinkedIn Verified" badge to your AirlockChat profile, indicating professional credibility. It never replaces DigiLocker verification.

Only your verified first name, a masked version of your document number (last 4 digits), your facial verification score, and a hashed session identifier. We never store your full document number, full ID photo, or address.

No. AirlockChat never receives or stores your full Aadhaar number. We only receive a masked version (last 4 digits) through DigiLocker's official API. Your full document details are never transmitted to us.

Profile photos are deleted immediately. All DigiLocker-related data (verified name, masked document number, facial verification score, session hash) is purged within 30 days. Messages are anonymized so the other person's chat history remains coherent, but your identity is removed.

Yes. AirlockChat's data handling complies with India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA). We collect only what's necessary, retain data only as long as needed, and provide clear mechanisms for data access, correction, and deletion.

Only through your Airlock code, shareable profile link, or QR code. There is no public browsing, no search by name or username, and no algorithmic discovery. You control exactly who has access to find your profile.

No. AirlockChat uses a mutual consent system. Someone can send you a chat request, but messaging only becomes possible after you accept it. You can reject or let it expire after 48 hours — the sender is never notified of your decision.

A chat request is how conversations start on AirlockChat. When someone finds your profile, they can send you a request with an optional message. You can accept (enabling messaging), reject (silently), or let it expire after 48 hours.

You can send a maximum of 10 outgoing chat requests per day. This limit prevents spam and ensures that every request is intentional. If someone rejects your request, you must wait 7 days before requesting again.

The request is silently dismissed. The sender is never notified that you rejected it — they'll see it as "pending" until it expires. A 7-day cooldown prevents them from sending another request immediately.

Yes. You can block any user at any time. Blocking prevents them from seeing your profile, sending you requests, or contacting you in any way. Importantly, blocked users can still report the person who blocked them — blocking cannot be used to silence victims.

Your report is reviewed by our moderation team within 24 hours. If confirmed, it appears as a citation on the reported user's profile — visible to everyone. Repeated confirmed reports lead to strikes, and 3 strikes result in a permanent ban.

Citations are visible indicators on a user's profile showing the number of confirmed reports against them. They're visible to everyone who views that profile. Citations are AirlockChat's way of making moderation outcomes transparent.

All reports are reviewed within 24 hours. This is a non-negotiable service-level agreement. We take every report seriously and aim to resolve them as quickly as possible.

Yes. This is a deliberate design choice. If someone blocks you, you can still submit a report against them. Blocking should never be used to escape accountability or silence victims.

AirlockChat uses a 3-strike system. Each confirmed report results in a strike. Three strikes lead to a permanent, irreversible account ban. All strike actions are logged in an admin audit trail for accountability.