FAQ

🌐 Add contacts remotely



You can add contacts in five ways.

If you are not face-to-face, you can add contacts remotely with the same security level as if you were face-to-face.

Sharing your Olvid ID via an unsecure channel is not a security issue. So you can safely :

  1. Share your ID via any available application: Email, SMS, Messages, Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook, AirDrop….

  2. Share your ID with any interlocutor (Olvid user or not), thanks to the message that will be automatically generated. This message contains a link to an autogenerated page that includes your ID, the procedure to follow, and even help to install Olvid if needed.

Upon receipt, your contact will have to click the link to display the autogenerated page. They will then be able to install Olvid if necessary and then invite you, via Olvid, to create a secure channel between you and add you to your respective Olvid contacts.

Share my ID

  1. Tap (bottom middle) to display the “Add a contact” screen.
  2. Tap Share my ID to display the standard sharing menu.
  3. Choose which application you would like to use to share/send your ID: Email, SMS, Messages, AirDrop, Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook…. The chosen application will open with an automatically generated message.
  4. Choose the recipient(s) and Confirm to send your message.
  5. Wait for your recipient to receive your message.

Multiple invitations for a contact are unnecessary. All others for this contact can be deleted.

Receive an ID

  1. Upon receipt of a message generated by an ID share, the recipient must press the link contained in the message.
    • If Olvid is already installed, the link opens Olvid (->2.).
    • If Olvid is not yet installed, the link will take you to a page helping to install Olvid. The recipient must first install Olvid before returning to click the link contained in the message.
  2. Olvid opens and displays a message offering to invite the received ID to create the secure channel between you and add you to each other’s Olvid contacts.
  3. Accept by pressing Continue.
  4. Wait for your recipient’s acceptance.

Create the secure channel

  1. The Invited user is notified and must Accept. (Invitations can be found in at the bottom right).

  2. The “Exchange your codes” screen is displayed to you and your contact. Exchange your codes and enter them. Then press OK (iOS) or Validate (Android).

    These codes are not confidential but must be exchanged on an authentic channel to achieve maximum security. In other words, do not hesitate to call your contact to carry out this exchange rather than sending them by SMS.

    Multiple invitations for a contact are useless. If you have sent several invitations, the codes only work in pairs for one invitation, not for another invitation.

  3. “Secure channel in progress” is displayed. A new discussion appears in your discussions list .

You can already write your first messages. They will be put on hold and sent as soon as the secure channel is ready. Its creation is automatic and only takes a few seconds.