Chatgram is a free messaging app for Android, Windows and the web. This guide covers the first session: your account, contacts, messages, groups, status and Chatgram AI.
What you need to get started
You need an email address or a Google account. Chatgram runs on Android 7.0 or newer, on 64-bit Windows 10 or newer, and in any current Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari. The same account works on all three, so you can start on your phone and continue on your PC.
Install it here: the Android APK is 1,589,034 bytes (1.5 MB) and the Windows installer is 86,263,690 bytes (82.3 MB). Or open the web app and sign in there; it is the same account.
Create your account
- Open Chatgram and choose Sign up.
- Enter your email and a password, or choose Continue with Google.
- Type the six-digit code that arrives in your inbox.
- Add a display name and, if you like, a profile photo.
Then open Settings → Privacy: online status, last seen, photo, about, phone and email can each be hidden from everyone, from contacts only, or from specific people.
Add the people you talk to
Type a name, an email address or a phone number into the search field on the Chats screen. Phone numbers use international format, for example +250788123456 for a Rwandan number. Tap the person and choose Add contact; an alias you set is visible only to you.
Send your first message
Tap a contact, type in the box at the bottom and send. Ticks next to the message show when it reached the server, when it was delivered and when it was read. If the connection drops mid-send, Chatgram keeps the message and retries.
- Voice note: hold the microphone button, speak, then release.
- Photo, video or file: use the attachment button; upload progress is shown.
- More actions: long-press or right-click a message to reply, edit, forward, star, react or report.
Start or join a group
Press the new-chat button, choose New group, pick members and give the group a name and photo. The creator is the first admin and can add or remove people, change the photo and decide who may send messages.
Switch on join-request approval to vet new members by hand, or share a revocable invite link when you want the door open temporarily. Messages you pin stay at the top, and typing @ followed by a name mentions someone directly.
Post a 24-hour status
Open the Status tab to share a photo, a video or a voice recording with the people you choose. It disappears after 24 hours and its media is deleted when it expires. Tap your own status to see who viewed it.
Use Chatgram AI
Chatgram AI is pinned at the top of the chat list and behaves like any conversation. Ask a question, paste a paragraph to rewrite, or ask for a translation between English, Kinyarwanda, French and Swahili. Answers stream in, can be copied and can be rated. In groups where an admin enabled it, mention @Chatgram AI to bring an answer into the discussion.
Keep your account safe
Turn on two-step verification in Settings → Security: scan the QR code with an authenticator app and store the ten single-use recovery codes safely. The same page lists every signed-in session, with a one-tap way to sign the others out. Block, mute or report anyone who crosses a line from their profile or the chat menu.
The in-app help centre has 37 articles and an AI assistant; if it cannot help, one tap opens a support ticket with a person. Platform guides: Android install, Windows and SmartScreen, Chatgram AI.