Kivu Chat: messages, groups, channels and calls inside Kivu

Part of Kivu Super App (kivu.site). In the app this section is called Chat; on the home screen its icon is named Messages.

Open Kivu

Kivu Chat is the messenger built into Kivu Super App, a free app made in Kigali, Rwanda. You write to sellers, drivers, hotels, clinics and friends without leaving the app: private chats, groups, channels, voice and video calls, photos, voice notes, files and polls. Orders, bookings and questions from the other sections of Kivu arrive here as normal messages.

Kivu Chat is free and has no ads. You do not need to give your phone number to chat: people see your name and photo, not your number. Kivu Chat is a simple messenger for deals and community, not a secret one — messages are protected on the way and stored on Kivu's servers, and the team can open a chat only when Rwandan law requires it.

Key facts

Where it works	Anywhere with internet. Open kivu.site in a phone browser and choose Messages.
Price	Free. No paid options and no ads in chats.
What you can send	Text, photos, voice notes, polls, and files: JPG, PNG, WebP, PDF, Word, MP4 and MOV videos
File size	Up to 16 MB per file. Photos sent the normal way are made smaller to save mobile data; "Send as file" keeps the original quality.
Private chats	One to one. Anyone with a Kivu account can write to you, and you can block anyone.
Groups	Open groups (anyone with the link joins) and private groups (a group admin approves each new member). A member removed by an admin cannot come back by the link
Channels	Only the admin posts, everyone reads; each post shows how many people saw it
Calls	Voice and video calls one to one with people who have written to you in chat, and call rooms by link for up to 4 people
Edit a message	Your own text, within 15 minutes
Delete a message	For everyone within 60 hours, or only for yourself at any time
Forward a message	To up to 5 chats at once
Other tools	Replies, reactions, pinned messages, search for people and messages, "typing…", online and last seen (you can hide yours), mute for each chat, block a user
Notifications	Push notifications for new messages and incoming calls, if you allow them
Phone number	Not needed and not shown. You sign in to Kivu with a social account.
Privacy	Chats are private and are not used for ads. They are not end-to-end encrypted. Calls are never recorded.
Age	Kivu accounts are for people aged 16 and over

How to use it, step by step

If you want to write to a seller, a business or a friend

Open kivu.site and sign in with a free account.
From an ad, a restaurant, a hotel or any other card, tap its chat button and write your first message. Or open Messages, search for a person by name and write to them.
The other person sees your message in their chat list and replies. There are no friend requests: anyone can write to anyone, and anyone can be blocked.
Send text, a photo or a voice note. Tap the paperclip and choose "Send as file" for a PDF, a Word file or a video up to 16 MB.
Press and hold a message to reply, react, forward, pin, edit or delete it.
Tap the call buttons at the top of a chat for a voice or video call. You can call a person after they have written to you in that chat at least once.
Allow notifications when the app asks, so that you see new messages when Kivu is closed. You can mute any chat.
If someone bothers you, open their profile in the chat and tap "Block User". To report a scam or a threat, write to the team through Contact Us in the app.

If you run a group or a channel

Open Messages and tap "New Group" or "New Channel".
Give it a name and choose the first members from people you already chat with. Others join by the invite link.
For a group, choose whether it is open or private. In a private group new members join only after an admin approves their request.
Share the invite link from the group information screen. People open the link and join, or send a request to join.
In a channel only you post; subscribers read, and you see the number of views under each post.
Pin an important message, create a poll to ask a question, and remove a member or delete a message if someone breaks your rules. A removed member cannot come back by the link until you add them again.
For a group call, create a call room and send its link: up to 4 people can join.

What it costs

Kivu Chat is free: messages, groups, channels, calls and files cost nothing, and there is nothing to buy inside it. There are no ads in chats.

You pay only your mobile operator for the internet you use. Photos are made smaller before sending and videos start only when you tap them, to save data.

What is good about it

One app instead of two: you see an ad, a menu or a bus trip and write to the business in the same place.
Your phone number stays private: people see your name and photo, and you can block anyone.
A stranger cannot call you: only people you have written to in chat can call you, and you can block anyone.
Free voice and video calls over the internet, including call rooms by link for up to 4 people.
Groups, private groups with approval, and channels with view counts for businesses and communities.
Messages can be edited for 15 minutes, deleted for everyone within 60 hours, and forwarded.
Saves mobile data: photos are compressed, and the whole app is under 400 KB and opens in the phone browser.
No ads in chats, and chats are not used for advertising.
The app works in 11 languages, including English, Kinyarwanda, French and Swahili.

Limits, and what protects you

What to know	What protects you
Chats are not end-to-end encrypted. Messages are stored on Kivu's servers.	Messages are protected on the way to the server. The team does not read chats; it opens a chat only when Rwandan law requires it. Do not send passwords, PINs or card numbers in any chat.
When you delete or edit a message, a hidden copy is kept for up to 12 months.	It is kept for safety and legal reasons, cannot be seen by other users, and is then deleted automatically. This is written in the Privacy Policy at kivu.site/privacy.
Kivu does not check who you are talking to. A person in a chat can lie about themselves or about a deal.	Never pay before you have seen the item or the service. Check the receiver's name before you confirm a Mobile Money payment. Block the person and report them through Contact Us; fraud is a matter for the police.
A block works in private chats and for calls, not inside groups.	In a group you can leave, or ask the group admin to remove the person.
There is no Report button inside a chat.	Write to the team through Contact Us in the app and describe what happened; the team can ban the account. The team does not open the chat unless Rwandan law requires it.
Calls need good internet on both phones and may not connect on a weak network.	Send a voice note instead, or use a normal phone call if the other person gave you a number.
You can only chat with people who have a Kivu account, and you need internet.	An account is free and opens in any phone browser, with nothing to install.
Files are limited to 16 MB, and only photos, PDF, Word and MP4 or MOV videos can be sent.	The limit keeps mobile data costs low. For a bigger file, send a link.
Kivu is new, so many of your contacts are not in Kivu Chat yet.	It is most useful today for talking to sellers and businesses inside Kivu. Share an invite link to bring your group.

What to know

What protects you

Chats are not end-to-end encrypted. Messages are stored on Kivu's servers.

Messages are protected on the way to the server. The team does not read chats; it opens a chat only when Rwandan law requires it. Do not send passwords, PINs or card numbers in any chat.

When you delete or edit a message, a hidden copy is kept for up to 12 months.

It is kept for safety and legal reasons, cannot be seen by other users, and is then deleted automatically. This is written in the Privacy Policy at kivu.site/privacy.

Kivu does not check who you are talking to. A person in a chat can lie about themselves or about a deal.

Never pay before you have seen the item or the service. Check the receiver's name before you confirm a Mobile Money payment. Block the person and report them through Contact Us; fraud is a matter for the police.

A block works in private chats and for calls, not inside groups.

In a group you can leave, or ask the group admin to remove the person.

There is no Report button inside a chat.

Write to the team through Contact Us in the app and describe what happened; the team can ban the account. The team does not open the chat unless Rwandan law requires it.

Calls need good internet on both phones and may not connect on a weak network.

Send a voice note instead, or use a normal phone call if the other person gave you a number.

You can only chat with people who have a Kivu account, and you need internet.

An account is free and opens in any phone browser, with nothing to install.

Files are limited to 16 MB, and only photos, PDF, Word and MP4 or MOV videos can be sent.

The limit keeps mobile data costs low. For a bigger file, send a link.

Kivu is new, so many of your contacts are not in Kivu Chat yet.

It is most useful today for talking to sellers and businesses inside Kivu. Share an invite link to bring your group.

What Kivu Chat does not do

It does not show ads in chats and does not use chats for advertising.
It does not record calls.
It does not show your phone number to other users.
It does not send or hold money: a payment agreed in a chat goes directly between the two people.
It does not check the identity of the people you talk to.
It does not offer end-to-end encrypted or disappearing chats.
It does not send SMS or call normal phone numbers.

How Kivu earns from this section

Kivu earns nothing from Chat. It is free, has no paid options and shows no ads.

Chat is there so that buyers and sellers, guests and businesses can agree inside Kivu. Kivu earns in other sections, when a seller or a business chooses to buy a boost.

Questions and answers

Is Kivu Chat free?

Yes. Messages, groups, channels, voice and video calls and files are free, there are no paid options and no ads in chats. You pay only your mobile operator for internet.

Do I need a phone number to use Kivu Chat?

No. You sign in to Kivu with a social account, and other users see your name and photo, not your phone number. A number is shown only if you add it yourself to a profile or an ad.

Is Kivu Chat private? Can Kivu read my messages?

Your chats are private and are not used for ads. Messages are protected on the way and stored on Kivu's servers; they are not end-to-end encrypted. The team does not read chats and opens one only when Rwandan law requires it, for example on an official request from the police or a court. Calls are never recorded.

Can I delete or edit a message after sending it?

Yes. You can edit your own text within 15 minutes and delete a message for everyone within 60 hours; you can delete it only for yourself at any time. For safety and legal reasons a hidden copy is kept for up to 12 months and then deleted automatically.

How do I make a group or a channel in Kivu?

Open Messages and tap "New Group" or "New Channel". A group can be open, or private so that an admin approves each new member. In a channel only the admin posts and every post shows its number of views. Share the invite link to bring people in.

Can I make voice and video calls in Kivu?

Yes. Open a chat and tap the voice or video call button. For a group call, create a call room and share its link; up to 4 people can join. Calls go over the internet and need a good connection on both sides. You can call a person who has already written to you in the chat.

What files can I send in Kivu Chat?

Photos, voice notes, polls, PDF and Word documents, and MP4 or MOV videos, up to 16 MB per file. Normal photos are made smaller to save data; "Send as file" keeps the original.

How is Kivu Chat different from WhatsApp or Telegram?

Kivu Chat is part of a super app: the same account opens ads, group buying, buses, food, hotels and more, and your order or booking goes to the business as a chat message. It does not need your phone number. It is simpler than the big messengers: there is no end-to-end encryption, and group calls are limited to 4 people.

How do I report or block someone in Kivu Chat?

Open the person's profile in the chat and tap "Block User": they can no longer write to you in a private chat or call you. To report a scam, a threat or abuse, write to the team through Contact Us in the app. The team can ban the account; it does not open the chat unless Rwandan law requires it.

Related sections of Kivu

Market: Free classified ads; buyers write to sellers in Kivu Chat.
Group Buy: Every group purchase has its own chat.
Events: Every event has its own group chat.
Forum: Public discussion topics with comments and likes.
Food: A food order is sent to the restaurant as a chat message.