How to install

VAU! Chat works on phones, tablets, and computers. Pick your device — step-by-step instructions below.

iPhone and iPad

Open VAU! Chat in the App Store using the button below.
Tap "Get" — the app is free.
Open the app and sign in or sign up.

Android

Download the installer file using the link provided by your organization's administrator.
Open the file. If your phone asks, allow installation from this source.
Tap "Install", open the app, and sign in.

Computer and web version

Open the web version address in your browser — there's nothing to install. To make the chat open as a separate app with a desktop shortcut, add it through your browser:

Google Chrome (Windows, macOS, Linux)

Open the web version of the chat.
Click the install icon on the right side of the address bar (a monitor with an arrow), or open the ⋮ menu and choose "Install page as app".
Confirm "Install" — the chat will open in its own window, and a shortcut will appear on your desktop and in the Start menu / Launchpad.

Microsoft Edge

Open the web version of the chat.
Open the ⋯ menu → "Apps" → "Install this site as an app".
Click "Install", and optionally check "Create desktop shortcut".

Yandex Browser

Open the web version of the chat.
Click the install icon on the right side of the address bar, or open the ≡ menu and choose the option to install the site as an app.
Confirm the installation — the chat will appear as a separate app with its own shortcut.

Safari on Mac

Open the web version of the chat (requires macOS Sonoma 14 or later).
From the "File" menu, choose "Add to Dock".
Click "Add" — the chat will appear in the Dock and in the Applications folder.

Safari on iPhone and iPad

Open the web version of the chat in Safari.
Tap "Share" (the square with an arrow pointing up) → "Add to Home Screen".
Tap "Add". On iPhone, notifications for the web version only work this way — from the icon on the Home Screen (iOS 16.4 and later).

Chrome on Android

Open the web version of the chat.
Open the ⋮ menu → "Add to Home screen" → "Install".

Firefox

Firefox on desktop can't install websites as apps — pin the tab instead (right-click the tab → "Pin Tab"), or install the chat using Chrome, Edge, or Yandex Browser. In Firefox on Android: open the ⋮ menu → "Install".

Frequently asked questions

App Store says the app isn't available in my country

The app is published on the App Store, but it only opens in the store for the country your Apple ID is set to. If your Apple ID is set to a different country, change the region:

"Settings" → your name at the top → "Media & Purchases" → "View Account".
"Country/Region" → "Change Country or Region".
Choose your country and agree to the terms.
On the payment step, choose "None" (see the next question) and save.

Apple won't let you change your region while there's a balance on your account or active subscriptions: spend the balance or wait for the subscriptions to end.

App Store is asking me to add a payment card

VAU! Chat is free — no card is needed. For "Payment method", choose "None".

If "None" isn't an option, it's usually one of three things: an unpaid purchase (pay it off under "Purchase History"), you're the organizer of "Family Sharing" (organizers are required to provide a card), or a subscription that hasn't ended yet.

Where do I get a username, password, and the web version address

VAU! Chat runs on your organization's own server. The web version address and access are provided by your organization's administrator; if open registration is enabled, sign up in the app on the "Sign up" tab.

I'm not getting notifications

Phone: allow notifications for VAU! Chat in your system settings.
Web version: in the app, go to "Settings" → "Notifications", turn on browser push notifications, and allow them in the browser's pop-up prompt.
iPhone web version: first add the chat to your Home Screen (see "Safari on iPhone and iPad").
Check that the chat itself isn't muted.