SL is a community platform where residents in a neighborhood can connect with each other for things fun and important. One can discuss local issues, share news, warn about security issues, promote home businesses, find new friends and much more.

Users create Channels which are linked to the neighborhood. Other residents can discover, join and post in these Channels. One can view the posts either through the subscribed Channel feed or through the Location Feed.

Yes, there is no cost to use Simply Local. One can download it for free on the play and app store.

You need to sign in to use the interactive features of Simply Local. But you don’t need to sign in to view posts in your area. One can also view Channels that exist in your area without signing in. One needs to sign in to post, see other users in the area, create new Channels, join existing Channels, message other users, view notifications, rate posts, repost a post and other interactive features built in the app.

Currently there are four methods to sign in - via Facebook, Google, via any working email address and in some devices you can sign in via an Apple account.

We save your name, email address and profile picture that is provided during sign up. Your name and email address is never shared with anyone else. You have the option to hide your profile picture from the public.

Click Sign in >> Click Sign in from Facebook >> Give Permission to Facebook to allow signing in from Simply Local >> Make a Callsign >> You are now signed in

No, Simply Local does not have permission to post to your Facebook account and neither will it try.

Yes you can do that. Click on Sign in via Email in the Sign in Module. Type your email address and your password. For new users the password you type becomes your account password. New users will also need to verify their account by clicking the email link they receive. If you forget your password then click on the forgot password link and an email to reset your password will be sent to your registered email address.

A callsign is your unique username in Simply Local. Others can only identify you by your callsign. You choose to make anything you want as your callsign. A callsign needs to be a minimum of 5 characters long and can be a maximum of 15 characters. You cannot use the following characters ~, @, #, $, % or blank spaces in your callsign. Some ideas for your callsign are - your name, some combination of your name, or other names you identify with. Using objectionable words in callsigns is not permitted and those accounts will be blocked from using Simply Local.

A Channel is based on a topic and linked to a location. Channels allow residents in the neighborhood to connect with each other for any cause or reason. Any resident can create a Channel, and invite neighbors. Channels are only visible/discoverable in the chosen neighborhood. A Channel can be about any topic or issue. Some examples of Channels are :- Latest community and club news, Let’s play football, Buy and Sell, Chess Club, Sunny Day Activities, Carpool Chat, School Talk, Pictures of my Garden, Cycling Club, Let’s trade stamps...

Goto the second tab on top called Channels. Here you can find all existing Channels for your location. If you are either a creator, moderator or member of a Channel it will show in the top right of each Channel. Else you will have the option to Join it right then. Clicking the name of the Channel will open the Channel Activity.

Anyone in the neighborhood can join the Channel. Except banned users. Goto the Discover Tab and you will be able to search for Channels based on their location. You can join any from there.

There are two kinds of Channels - one where anyone can post and the other where only moderators can post. The creator of a Channel decides which kind the Channel will be and the creator can change this setting anytime.

Yes, any member of a Channel can invite other residents via the in-app invite or by sending them an invite link to their phone. Only creators and moderators can invite others to become a moderator.

The creator of a Channel can change the name, description and icon.

Only the creator and moderators of a Channel can make other members a moderator.

A moderator plays an important role in the growth of a Channel. Moderators can remove posts which are not following Channel guidelines. A moderator can also remove members who are not contributing positively to the group.

Moderators and the creator of a Channel have the ability to remove a particular post from the Channel. The post does not get deleted but will not show in that Channel anymore. If you are a moderator goto the Channel and click the menu (three dots) of the post. Here you will see an option to remove the post from the Channel.

Moderators and the creator of a Channel can ban another user from a Channel. Once banned that user can never join the Channel again. If you are a moderator goto the Channel and click the menu (three dots) of the post. Here you will see an option to Ban the user from the Channel.

Click on Post Button (in the bottom bar). Here you can attach images and videos and type or paste text. You also need to select at least one Channel to post into. Your posts will appear in the Channel Feed as well as in the Location Feed.

Your post can be upto 5000 characters long and needs to be a minimum of 15 characters. Currently you can add upto 3 images in the same post. And you can add upto 1 video in a post. You can combine images with text and video with text but not images with videos in the same post currently.

That’s how Simply Local works. A Channel is based on a topic and linked to a location. Posts are posted into Channels and hence visible only in that location. Try it - you will understand what we mean.

Anyone who is a member of a Channel can leave a comment on a post.

This is the unique aspect of Simply Local. One doesn’t need to follow anybody because you automatically follow all the people in your neighborhood. Basically your friends-list is your neighbors. They see what you post and you see what they post and hence Simply Local is truly a community social platform. Click on the Neighbors tab in the menu and you will see other residents using Simply Local.

The app starts in the Subscribed Channels Feed. Here you will see all the posts in chronological order from the Channels that you have subscribed to. The feed controller which is in green color on top shows the Channels you are a member of. Toggling these allows you to control which posts to view. For new users start by creating your account and then subscribing to Channels in your area or creating your own by clicking Start a Channel button in the bottom left.

There are two modes for the feed - 1. Subscribed Channels Feed and 2. Location Feed. In the Subscribed CG Feed you get all the posts in chronological order for all the Channels you have subscribed to. You can select and unselect Channels from the feed controller to control the feed. The second mode is the Location feed. Here you can toggle locations to get posts only from the selected locations.

Upon clicking switch feed one enters the Location feed which is in purple color. Here you get all the posts from the locations which are selected. You can toggle the locations to adjust the feed.

To switch between the modes click Switch Feed in the Feed Controller whon the left under the menu bar.

We take the security of our users very seriously. For this we only display limited personal information publicly. A users email address or any location information is encrypted and stored and can not be retrieved by any human person under normal circumstances. In addition to protect users from other users with Simply Local we give various options such as report Objectionable Content, Blocking other Users, Banning Users from Channels, adult and profanity checks and more.

For each post a user has the option to report objectionable content. Objectionable content would be any post that threatens another, is vulgar, personally hurtful or is offensive in nature. Once reported the content gets taken down immediately until it is reviewed at which point it may or may not be allowed into the feed again.

In each posts’ menu you will see an option to Block this User. Upon blocking a user you will not be able to see each other’s posts in Simply Local. You will also be blocked in the messaging system from each other. To unblock a user goto your profile and in the menu click List of Blocked Users from where you can unblock any particular user.

The last tab in the menu is the In-App Notification tab. Here you will see all the Channels you have been invited to join as well as the Channels you are invited to become a moderator off. You can accept the invites or dismiss them.

Simply Local sends you notifications when someone posts in a Channel you are a member off. The app also sends notifications when someone leave a comment on your post. You can switch on or off receiving notifications from your phone’s settings anytime.