Questions about your ZQID, username and account setup.
What is a ZQID and how does it work?
A ZQID is a 7-digit number that identifies you on ZEQAT. It replaces phone numbers and email addresses. Your ZQID is generated when you create your account — you don't choose it. It's the "second key" you enter during password recovery (after your username, before your 24-word phrase). No personal information is required to get one.
What is the difference between my username and ZQ-Username?
Your username is what you pick to display. Your ZQ-Username is a second handle you can set — useful if you want one name people see and another name you sign in with. You can log in with either one, or with ZQ-<zq_username>, or with your ZQID. Both are 3–50 characters, letters, numbers, _ and - only.
Can I use my phone number or email to create an account?
No — ZEQAT does not require or accept phone numbers or email addresses. Your account is created using only a username and a password. That's it. This is deliberate: no phone number means no SIM-swap recovery attacks, no email means nothing to leak in a mailing-list breach.
How do I add friends?
You add friends by sharing your ZQID or username — there's no phone-number lookup and no contact-book sync. A friend request is sent, and both sides must accept before you can message each other.
Can I change my ZQID?
No. Your ZQID is permanent. It's your stable identifier across the platform and part of your account-recovery chain — changing it would break both. You can change your display username and your ZQ-Username at any time in Settings.
How do I change my username or ZQ-Username?
Go to Settings → Account. Tap Change next to Username or ZQ Username. Names must be 3–50 characters and can contain letters, numbers, underscores, and hyphens only. Both must be unique — the system will reject a name that's already taken.
How do I delete my account?
Go to Settings → Account → Delete Account. You'll need to type your username and enter your password to confirm. Deletion is permanent — it removes your account, your files, and your avatar. There's no undo.
Your privacy, encryption, PINs and account protection.
What is the silent dual-PIN login?
On a trusted device, ZEQAT shows you one 6-digit pad. You can type either of two PINs into it: your regular PIN for a normal login, or your destruction PIN to log in and trigger the wipes you've armed. Both PINs go into the same pad, produce the same dots, and land you on the same dashboard. Someone watching cannot tell which PIN you typed.
What is armed destruction?
In Security, you can arm any combination of four actions ahead of time: Message Delete (all direct messages, both directions), Group Cleanup (delete groups you own, leave groups you joined), Room Cleanup, and Storage Delete (Diamond only). The next time you log in with your destruction PIN, all armed actions fire before your dashboard loads. Each arm is one-shot — after it runs it auto-disarms.
How is my data protected?
Messages are encrypted with X25519 key exchange + AES-GCM. Your private key is generated in your browser and never sent to the server. Files in the Lock/Unlock vault use AES-256-CBC. Passwords and PINs are bcrypt-hashed — we never see them in plaintext. In transit, everything is TLS.
Can I make destruction permanent — or is there an undo?
There is no undo. Armed destruction is permanent. If you arm Message Delete and log in with your destruction PIN, those messages are gone — no trash bin, no recovery, no support ticket that brings them back. Arm deliberately, and disarm as soon as you don't need it.
What is the 24-word recovery phrase?
When you create your account, you receive a 24-word phrase. It's the only way to recover your account if you forget your password. The recovery flow is: username → ZQID → 24-word phrase → new password. There is no email reset link. If you lose the phrase, your account cannot be recovered — by you or by us.
Can someone brute-force my PIN or password?
Multiple layers block this: 5 wrong password attempts locks the account for 5 minutes. Failed password attempts also trigger a sliding CAPTCHA after 2 tries from the same IP. PIN login is throttled separately (5 tries per user, 15 per IP per 15 min) and too many failures revokes the trusted device entirely. Recovery steps are also rate-limited.
What happens if I lose my device?
Use your 24-word phrase to reset your password on a new device. The reset revokes all trusted devices automatically, so the old device can no longer sign in with a PIN. If you didn't save your phrase, the account cannot be recovered.
What is Device Lock?
Optional setting in Security. When on, only the exact device you enabled it from can log in — even if someone has your correct password. If you lose that device, reset your password via your 24-word phrase to clear the lock and sign in from somewhere else.
What is a trusted device?
A device you've marked as safe by setting a PIN on it. Trusted devices can skip the password and sign in with just the 6-digit PIN. You can see them all in Settings → Trusted Devices and revoke any of them in one tap.
Why does the app sometimes ask for an approval from my other device?
If you have an active session open on another device, logging in with your password sends an approval prompt to that device — Accept or Deny. If you accept, your other sessions are signed out. If you deny, the new login is blocked. This is a defense against someone who's stolen your password but doesn't have your phone.
What happens when I use the QR login to sign in somewhere else?
QR handoff is a full reset of the account's security state. When you approve a QR transfer, ZEQAT: clears both PINs (regular and destruction), disarms all destruction toggles, revokes every trusted device, and signs out the device you scanned from. You'll need to set a new PIN after.
Questions about chats, rooms and calls.
How do messages work?
Messages are encrypted on your device before they're sent. They travel through our servers as ciphertext — we never see the plaintext of your messages. Only your device and the recipient's device hold the keys needed to decrypt them.
Can I make phone calls through the app?
Yes. ZEQAT supports audio and video calls between users. Caller and receiver identifiers and call timing are visible to the server, but call content is not. Calls work on mobile and desktop.
What are Groups and Rooms?
Both are multi-user spaces for chat, files and calls. Groups are general-purpose; Rooms are Diamond-tier. Both have an owner (who can delete the whole space) and members (who can leave). Group and room messages are covered by the same destruction rules as direct messages.
Can I use voice messages?
Yes. Voice messages are encrypted end-to-end just like text. You can record, send and play back voice messages in any chat or room.
Do messages and calls cost extra?
No. Messaging and calling between ZEQAT users are included on every plan, free or paid. Your subscription pays for storage and advanced features only.
Can I auto-delete old messages?
Yes. In Settings → Messages & Privacy → Auto-delete, choose 1 day, 10 days, or Never. Read messages older than the chosen window are removed automatically.
What is Do Not Disturb?
DND silences ring and vibration for calls and notifications. The visual popup still appears — it just won't ring or buzz. You can toggle it from Settings or from the Security page. It syncs instantly across your active sessions.
How Lock, Unlock and encrypted file storage work.
What are the Lock and Unlock folders?
Lock is where you encrypt a file with a password and download it as an encrypted .zip. Unlock is where you upload that .zip back, enter the password, and get the original file — with its original name and format. It's a two-folder flow: encrypt on one side, decrypt on the other.
How do I lock a file?
Open the Lock folder, tap Upload or Take Photo, then set a password (at least 6 characters). ZEQAT encrypts the file with AES-256 and downloads it to your device as a .zip. The original filename is stored inside the encrypted payload so it comes back correctly later.
How do I unlock a file?
Open the Unlock folder, tap Upload Encrypted and select the .zip you saved earlier. Then tap the green unlock button, enter the password you set, and tap Download. The original file is restored with its real name.
My phone says the .zip is "corrupted" — is something wrong?
No — that's correct behaviour. The .zip isn't a real zip file — it's encrypted data that carries a .zip extension so your device will save it. Opening it directly won't work, and that's the point. Do not try to open it. To get the original file back, upload it into the Unlock folder and enter your password.
What password should I use for a Locked file?
At least 6 characters; longer is better. The password is the only thing that can decrypt the file — if you lose it, the file cannot be recovered by you or by ZEQAT. Pick something you'll remember but that others can't guess.
Does the original filename come back after unlocking?
Yes. When you lock a file, its original name is embedded inside the encrypted payload. On unlock, ZEQAT reads that name back and restores the file with its original name and extension — photos open as photos, PDFs as PDFs, and so on.
Can I share the encrypted .zip with someone else?
Yes. The .zip is self-contained: anyone with the file and the password can decrypt it through the Unlock folder. Without the password, it's unreadable. Just make sure to send the password through a different channel from the file itself.
How long are my files kept?
Files auto-delete after 1 day — both the encrypted upload and any decrypted temp file. You can also delete any file manually at any time. Nothing lingers on the server longer than it needs to.
Is there a file size limit?
Yes, based on your plan: Free — 50MB per file, 500MB total storage. Pro — 200MB per file, 1GB total. Diamond — 500MB per file, 2GB total.
Do Lock and Unlock files count against my storage?
Yes. Any file you lock or upload counts against your plan's storage. The storage bar in the folder header shows live usage and updates automatically after each upload.
Can I share files with someone who doesn't use ZEQAT?
Yes. Send them the .zip and the password however you like. They'll need a free ZEQAT account to use the Unlock side, but the file itself can travel through any channel — email, USB, cloud drive, anything.
Help with the mobile and desktop versions.
How do I log in on PC or desktop?
On your PC, open the login page — a QR code appears. On your phone (already signed in to ZEQAT), tap the QR icon in the navbar to open the scanner, and point it at the PC screen. The scanner will ask "Transfer login?" — tap yes, and the PC signs in as you.
Do I need the mobile app to use the desktop version?
Yes. The phone app is required to authorise PC login, because the phone is your trusted device. Once your PC is signed in, that session stays active until you log out or the session is revoked.
What happens to my phone session after I transfer login to PC?
Your phone is signed out — that's the point of the transfer. Both PINs are cleared, all trusted devices are revoked, and the account's destruction toggles are disarmed. The QR handoff is designed to leave a clean state behind.
Do I need to keep the QR code on screen the whole time?
No — but the QR expires after 90 seconds. If you don't scan it in time, refresh the page and a new one appears. This short window is deliberate; it limits how long a QR token is useful to an attacker who might photograph the screen.
Will there be an Android APK?
Yes. ZEQAT is distributed as a direct Android APK rather than through the Play Store, so you don't need a Google account to install it. The APK is signed and verifiable.
Does the app support push notifications?
Yes — push notifications are delivered through OneSignal, which only receives a device token, not message content. You can silence ring and vibration with Do Not Disturb in Settings.
Is there an iOS version?
Not yet — an iOS build is in development. Android is currently the primary platform.
Can I sign out of all devices at once?
Yes. Go to Settings → Active Sessions → Logout All. This deactivates every session token and every trusted device, and signs you out everywhere.
Subscriptions, storage and plan differences.
What are the plan options?
Three plans: Free (500MB storage, core features), Pro (1GB storage, higher file limits), and Diamond (2GB storage, Storage Delete in the destruction arsenal, Rooms, and higher per-file limits). Messaging and calling are free on all plans.
How much storage do I get?
Free: 500MB. Pro: 1GB. Diamond: 2GB. Per-file size limits are 50MB, 200MB, and 500MB respectively.
What does Diamond unlock that the others don't?
Diamond specifically unlocks two things: Storage Delete as an armed destruction action (wipe every file you've stored, on your next destruction-PIN login), and Rooms with higher member limits. It also gets the largest storage and file-size limits.
Can I upgrade or downgrade?
Yes. Plan changes are handled through your account. Upgrading gives you immediate access to the new features and higher limits. Downgrading keeps your current plan active until the end of the billing period, then reverts.
Is there a free trial?
The Free plan is the trial — it's permanent, not time-limited. You can use it indefinitely. Upgrade when you want more storage or a specific Diamond-only feature.
What happens to my data if I downgrade?
Your data isn't deleted on downgrade. If you're using more than your new plan's storage, you'll need to free up space before uploading more, but existing files stay put.
Do messages count against my storage?
No. Storage is measured against uploaded files and Lock/Unlock vault contents. Messages don't count toward the storage bar.
Referral codes, 30% earnings, and USDT withdrawals.
What is the ZEQAT Affiliate program?
Every ZEQAT account gets a unique referral code the moment it's created. Share it — your friend gets 30% off their subscription, and you earn 30% of the plan price as credit. Credit lands instantly when their payment clears, and it keeps coming on every renewal.
How much does my friend save?
30% off the listed plan price at checkout. The discount applies immediately when they enter your code on the subscription page — subscription.php — before paying.
How much do I earn?
30% of the full plan price, credited to your ZEQAT account. Credit is yours to spend on your own subscription or withdraw as USDT. It's not a one-time bonus — every renewal pays you again at the same 30% rate.
Where do I find my referral code?
Open the Affiliate page in your ZEQAT app. Your code is shown there as text and as a scannable QR. You can copy it with one tap or share it directly to WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS, or email. The code is auto-generated on signup — nothing to set up.
When can I withdraw my earnings?
As soon as your available credit reaches $10.00 and you've connected a MetaMask or Trust Wallet address. Submit a payout request, admin reviews it, and USDT lands on-chain once approved. There's no upper limit.
Do I need a crypto wallet to join?
No. You earn credit either way, and you can spend it on your own ZEQAT subscription without ever touching a wallet. A MetaMask or Trust Wallet address is only required if you want to cash out as USDT.
Is there a limit on referrals?
None. Share as much as you like — every confirmed referral pays the same 30%, on every renewal, for as long as your friend stays subscribed. No tier caps, no fine print.
Does the earnings rate change by plan?
No. Free, Pro, and Diamond all pay the same 30%. A bigger plan simply means a bigger absolute credit — the rate is identical across every tier.
Can I cancel a payout request?
Yes. While a payout request is still pending, you can cancel it from your Wallet tab. The frozen credit is released back to your available balance immediately. Once a payout is marked approved and sent on-chain, it can't be reversed.
What happens to my credit during a pending payout?
The requested amount is frozen — it's still yours, but it can't be spent or re-requested while admin reviews the payout. If you cancel the request, the frozen amount returns to your available balance. Nothing is ever lost in the process.
Does my referral code ever expire?
No. Your code is tied to your account for its lifetime. It keeps working on new referrals and on every renewal from existing ones, for as long as your account exists.
How do I see how much I've earned?
The Affiliate page shows a live dashboard: total referrals, total earned, available balance, and this month's earnings. Every confirmed referral appears as a timestamped row so you can see exactly where each credit came from.
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