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I've never registered here and my number is not available. Help.
What is a handle?
What if I forgot my password?
Can I change my handle/password?
What do I do if my phone number or carrier has changed?
I am having trouble validating my phone. Help.
How do I close my account?
Does it cost to use Upoc?
How can I send a message from my cell phone to a Upoc group or member?
Can I send a friend a message if s/he's not a member of Upoc?
How can I send and receive MMS (picture) messages on Upoc?
I don't see any groups that interest me. Can I create my own?
How do I invite friends to join a group or channel?
How do I promote or feature my group?
I heard about a fun group or channel but I can't find it. Why?
How do I quit a group or channel?
How do I delete Upoc messages?
Why am I unable to access my voicemail messages?
How do I download a profile pic to my phone?
MANAGING MY ACCOUNT
Q: I've never registered here and
my number is not available. Help.
A: Either you signed up through another site,
your friend signed you up or your carrier may have given
you a recycled number. Contact Customer Service at
feedback@upocnetworks.com
with your 10-digit cell number and let us know it is
already in use and we will assist you.
Q: What is a handle?
A: Your handle is your identity on Upoc. It's the name you
call yourself, and how others recognize you. And you can
ensure complete privacy by not including any personal info,
such as your name or number. For example, tie-in one of
your interests (tennis32) or a favorite celebrity (Shakira123).
Have fun with your handle -- it's your Upoc handshake!
Q: What if I forgot my password?
A: If you have forgotten your handle and/or password,
go to here and enter
your e-mail or phone number. We'll send your login info
right to you. If you still have trouble, contact Upoc Customer
Service with your cell number or your handle and let us know
you are requesting your password and we will send it your way.
Q: Can I change my handle/password?
A: If you want to change your handle, please contact Upoc Customer
Service with your handle and password, as well as what you want
your new handle to be, and we will assist you. To change your
password, log on to Upoc and go to Settings and click "Change Password."
Q: What do I do if my
phone number or carrier has changed?
A: If you recently changed your phone number or carrier,
you will need to update that information with Upoc.
To change your phone number, you must delete your old one
first and then add the new one. Go to Settings and on the "My Phone"
page, click the "Delete this mobile phone" link. You will be
prompted to confirm the deletion. Then enter your correct 10-digit
phone number and carrier (sometimes the system may choose a
carrier for you, so be sure to click "Edit this info" if a
mismatch was made). Click "Update" to complete the switch.
You should receive your four-digit validation code on your
phone within minutes.
Follow the same instructions to add or delete a phone. Another way
to update your new carrier information is to send an SMS with the
command "ON" to the shortcode 8762, though this method is not
compatible with all carriers.
Remember, now that you have a new phone or carrier, you will
also need to update all your group shortcuts on your phone.
You can select the Communities panel on Upoc.com and choose
the "My Communities" link to view all your groups. Click on a
group and you will be directed to that group's home page,
where you can view the group's numerical shortcut.
You can also request an SMS be sent to your phone by clicking
the "Send me an SMS shortcut" link. This way you can quickly
connect with your Upoc Communities and friends with your new phone.
You'll be able to send to the group by replying to the SMS.
Remember, this method is not compatible with all carriers.
Q: I am having
trouble validating my phone. Help.
A: The Upoc validation code is a four-digit number
that is sent to your phone after you have registered it with Upoc.
It verifies that your phone is capable of SMS and that you can
begin text messaging through Upoc.
Be sure your phone is turned on when you register it, so that
your code can be sent. You will find the number by opening
and viewing the message sent to your phone. There are three
ways to enter your code: either reply OK to the message you
receive or go to Upoc.com and then to the Settings page,
or you can call the Upoc Voice Messaging System at 973-242-1550
and follow the instructions after you log in. When
you successfully enter your code, you will receive a
confirmation SMS letting you know that your phone is
ready for text messaging with Upoc.
Please note that though most users receive their code
within a couple minutes, this can vary depending on your
carrier connection. Try going to the Settings page and
resending your code by clicking the link "What to do if
you never got your device validation code." You should
also try calling your carrier, to ensure that you are
enabled for SMS.
If you do not receive a code within a few hours, please
contact Customer Service
with the answers to the following questions:
1) What is your cell phone number?
2) Who is your cell phone service provider, and are they on our list?
3) What city and state are you located in?
4) Is your phone enabled for text messaging?
Q: How do I close my account?
A: Please use this form to contact Upoc's Customer Service
department with your handle or cell number and upon verification
of your identity, we'll remove you from the system as soon
as possible (within one business day).
SENDING MESSAGES
Q: How can I send a
message from my cell phone to a Upoc group or member?
A: Some wireless phone companies allow their users to
send messages (SMS or e-mail) from their phones. Not all
phones are capable of sending messages. Check with your
carrier to see whether you have a phone that is capable of sending text messages.
Or, click here for a list of carriers.
If your phone has an Internet (WAP) browser, you can point it to
Upoc.com and log in with your handle and password. Then you
can send messages from Upoc on your phone.
If you are a Sprint PCS subscriber, click
here for special instructions on using Upoc.
Sending via e-mail
To send a message as an e-mail to a group, you need to send to
the group handle as it appears on the group description page.
For example, if you are a member of a group whose handle is
"My_Friends," the e-mail address will be my_friends@upoc.com.
Note that the group handle is different than the group's name.
You cannot send messages to a group of which you are not a member.
To send a message as an e-mail to a friend, use the e-mail format:
friend'shandle@upoc.com.
Please note that in order to send a Upoc message from your
e-mail address, you must first register and validate your
e-mail by going to Settings and entering it in your Upoc
profile. You will be sent a validation message to your e-mail,
and you can either reply to it or click the link within
the message to verify that it is a valid e-mail address.
Remember that messages can only be 120 characters long.
It is much easier to check the message length if you
send from Upoc, but if you use your e-mail program,
be aware of the limit.
Quick tip:
If your phone can send messages, you can add your Upoc
friends and groups' names to your phone's address book.
Then you can shoot off a celeb sighting or message your
buddy to tell them you'll be late with no hassle! No need
to log in to the Web to send a message.
Then when you create a message, you can choose to send
it to one of your phone's address book entries, and select
their Upoc address as the target. That way you can chat right
from your phone, without logging in to the Web.
Sending messages to groups
When you join a group, you will be sent a text shortcut. Keep this
message in your phone's inbox or phonebook, and reply to it
any time to send a message to that group.
You can actually store the number like it was one of your friends' numbers.
Create a new contact and call it the group's name; save that number to it.
Then whenever you create a message, choose that contact as the recipient.
If you accidentally delete the shortcut, go to Upoc to have another
sent to your phone. Log onto Upoc.com, go to the group's page
and click on the link that says, "Send me an SMS shortcut."
How to send a message to a group without a shortcut:
Create a message of 120 characters or less using this format:
grouphandle:your message
Don't forget the colon!
Here's an example: To send a message to the group handle "Chat4Fun," just type:
Chat4Fun:NE1 want 2 chat?
Select "OK" or "Send"
Input Upoc's main shortcut code as the destination number: 8762
Select "OK" or "Send"
Note: The group handle can be found on the group page under "My Communities"
How to reply to a member's message to a group:
Select "Reply" to the member's group message
Compose a 120-character (or less) message
The message will go to the member, not the group
Sending a message to another
Upoc member
How to send a message to a member without a shortcut:
Create a message of 120-character (or less) using this format:
handle:your message
Here's an example: To send a message to a Upoc member "tigger42," just type:
tigger42:Hi! Wanna meet later?
Select "OK" or "Send"
Input Upoc's main shortcut code as the destination number: 8762
Select "OK" or "Send"
How to reply to a message from
another Upoc member:
Select "Reply" to the message
Input a 120-character message and hit "OK" or "Send"
You can send a message to a Upoc member, or to a group to
which you belong, from your phone. There are five ways to do this:
1) Via Upoc's Voice Message System
In order to use Upoc's Voice Message System, you must have
registered and validated your mobile phone with Upoc
(if you haven't done so, go to Settings). Then dial
973-242-1550 and log in with your 10-digit mobile phone number
and your password. When you have successfully logged in, you will
be in the Main Menu. From there, press 1 to send a message.
Choose your message recipient
Next you will decide if you want to send a message to a
group or an individual. To send a message to a group, press 1.
To send a message to an individual, press 2.
If you choose 1, "Send a Message to a Group," you will be presented
with a list of the groups that you belong to. Each group will
correspond to a number. Press the number that corresponds to the group
you want to send a message to. If you belong to more than 9 groups, you
can press "#" (pound) to hear the next nine groups.
If you choose 2, "Send a Message to an Individual," you must enter up
to five characters of the user's handle. After you have done this,
the Voice Message System will search through your address book for
a handle that matches. Each handle will correspond to a number.
Press the number that corresponds to the individual's handle that
you want to send a message to. If there are no matching handles in
your address book, you can press 1 to search all the matching handles
in Upoc.
After you select a group or individual to send a message to,
you must press 2 to send a text message. Once you do that,
you are ready to compose your message.
Compose your message
Composing a message on Upoc's Voice Message System is similar
to the way you input names and phone numbers on your mobile phone.
You enter letters and numbers by pressing the appropriate keys
on your phone. It's easy. Each key -- except the "*" (asterisk)
key, which is backspace -- has more than one value. For example,
pressing the 2 key once gives you the letter A. Twice gives
you the letter B. Four times is the number 2. Five times
and you're back to A. When you hear the letter or number
you want to use, just hit the pound key to advance to
the next letter.
To enter a space to separate words, press pound twice
(once to advance to the next letter, once again to
indicate the end of a word). Once you do, you'll hear
the word repeated back to you. To backspace, press the
star key. You can find punctuation on the 1 key. Keep
pressing 1 and you'll hear a selection of punctuation marks.
Hit 0 for the number zero, and for a list of common phrases
like "running late." You can review your message at
any time by pressing pound three times. You can then
send your message, continue it or start again.
Remember, there's a 120-character limit on these messages, too.
When your message is finished, press pound three times after
entering the last letter (ie., once to advance to the next letter,
once again to indicate the end of the word, and a third time
to indicate the end of the message).
Here's a guide to the different values for each key.
Guide to buttons used in text-entry mode:
1: ("1",".","!","?",",","$","/","#","@")
2: a, b, c, 2
3: d, e, f, 3
4: g, h, i, 4
5: j, k, l, 5
6: m, n, o, 6
7: p, q, r, s, 7
8: t, u, v, 8
9: w, x, y, z, 9
*: <backspace>
#: advance to the next letter, advance to the next word, done (replay message)
0: "0," preset phrases (by pressing 0 multiple times,
you can scroll through the following preset phrases):
Meet at
Running late.
Change of plans.
Call me!
Where are you?
I'm waiting!
What's the plan?
Where is
I'm home.
Peace out.
2) Via Upoc's WAP/Wireless Web Site
If you have an Internet-enabled phone, point your phone's browser to www.Upoc.com.
The first time you use the site, you will have to log in with your
number and password. From the Main Menu, press 1 to send a message.
Next press 1 to send a message to a group, or 2 to send a
message to an individual member.
If you choose 1, "Send a Message to a Group," you will be presented
with a list of 9 groups that you belong to as well as the
option to see "More" groups, or the option to "Find a Group."
Each group has a number next to it. Press the number of the
group you wish to send a message to. If you select "Find a Group,"
you will be able to search for a group, and when found,
select that group to send a message to.
If you choose 2, "Send a Message to a Member," you will
be presented with a list of 9 members in your address
book as well as the option to see "More" members in
your address book, or the option to "Find a Member."
Each member has a number next to it. Press the number of
the individual you wish to send a message to. If you select
"Find a Member," you will be able to search for a member, and
when found, select that member to send a message to.
Once you've selected your message recipient, simply compose
your message with your phone's keypad. This is similar
to the way you input names and phone numbers on your mobile phone.
You enter letters and numbers by pressing the appropriate
keys on your phone. Each key has more than one value.
For example, pressing the 2 key once gives you the letter
A. Twice gives you the letter B. Four times is the number 2.
Five times and you're back to A. Once you've finished
typing your message (remember, 120 characters max!),
press "Send" and your message will go out.
3) Via e-mail
If you register and validate your e-mail address with Upoc, you can send
messages to other Upoc users from that account.
Once your e-mail is validated, send messages to your friends like this:
To send to an individual handle (ex. jonboy898), use the format jonboy898@upoc.com
To send to a group (ex. chatroom36), use the format chatroom36@upoc.com
Remember to keep the message to 120 characters, because that's all Upoc will deliver.
4) Via SMS
Click here
for detailed directions on sending SMS from your phone.
5) Via BREW
Verizon customers can download a Brew version of Upoc from 'Get it Now.'
Simply go to 'Get it Now' from your Verizon Wireless phone and choose
'Get Messaging.'
To turn off your messaging on BREW, go to My Upoc > Settings >
Message Settings. Look for "Alert me when new messages arrive" and select
"Don't alert me" from the available options. This way, you will
immediately stop receiving SMS messages to your wireless phone. To cancel
your subscription to this service, delete the application from your phone.
You can re-subscribe at any time. Please note that your Upoc account will
be maintained, unless you e-mail feedback@upocnetworks.com letting us know
you'd like to cancel your Upoc account.
Click here to learn more about BREW.
Q: Can I send a friend a
message if s/he's not a member of Upoc?
A: Currently, you cannot send any friends a message unless
they are members of Upoc. But you can invite
them to join Upoc so you can send each other messages.
Q: How can I send and
receive MMS (picture) messages on Upoc?
A: Anyone with a validated MMS-enabled phone can send picture
messages on Upoc. And users with MMS-enabled phones through AT&T
can also receive Upoc picture messages on their phones. You can
choose to have your picture messages delivered directly to your
phone, and you can also choose to be alerted when an MMS is
requesting delivery. Go to Settings to enable your AT&T
camera phone for use with Upoc.
All users with carriers other than AT&T will not be able
to view picture messages on their phones, but can still see
them by going to upoc.com and viewing them in the
Messages section under the "Pictures" tab, or on that group's
message history page.
To send a picture message from your phone, use the
"Send to e-mail" option after you take the picture.
Next, enter the e-mail address for the group you are sending to.
If you don't know the address, just check out the group's page
in the Communities section. The address is grouphandle@upoc.com.
MANAGING MY GROUPS
Q: I don't see
any groups that interest me. Can I create my own?
A: It's easy to start your own groups on Upoc. Just go to the
Communities section on Upoc.com and click "Start a Group."
As group founder, you will then be prompted to choose what type of
group you want to create -- a chat group, a connection group
or a broadcast group:
- Chat -- any member can send messages, and replies go to all members
- Connection -- any member can send messages, and replies go to sender
- Broadcast -- only the group owner can send, and replies go to owner
As group founder, you also get to choose your group name, group handle
(the abbreviation that members will see as the "sender" in text messages
from this group) and group description.
Next, you decide if you'd like your group to be public, private or secret:
- If a group is public, anyone can join (no approval required for membership)
- If a group is private, anyone can ask to join, but the group
founder still has the final say on who gets in
- If a group is secret, you can only get in if you get an
invite from one of
the group members
You also get to choose the following:
- Who can invite others: all members or just you
- If your group allows voice messages
- If your group allows picture messages (MMS)
- If your group allows polls
- If you'd like to display the member list
Categorizing your group so that people with similar interests can find
it is highly recommended. If you like, you can choose to skip
categorizing your group -- and that's it! You'll get a "Congratulations
on your new group" message right away. Now you're ready to
invite others to join!
Q: How do I invite friends
to join a group or channel?
A: It's easy to invite friends to join your groups
and channels whether they're Upoc members or not. Here's how:
From Upoc.com, log in and click the "Invite a Friend" link.
Select the group or channel from the dropdown list and enter
your friend's mobile phone number. Note: this must be a 10-digit
mobile phone number in the United States or Canada. If you do
not know your friend's mobile number, then just enter their e-mail
address and we'll send an invitation by e-mail. You can also
invite an existing Upoc member by entering their Upoc handle.
Via SMS: Reply to the group shortcut message with the word "invite"
and your friend's mobile phone number or Upoc handle. We'll send
your friend an invitation SMS.
Example: "invite 9175551212"
Please see SMS help for more info.
Sending Invites to Premium Groups or Channels
Premium communities are only offered to users who have validated mobile
phones and whose carriers support premium messaging. Therefore, you will
not be able to send premium invites to e-mails, only to phone numbers.
When you send an invite to a premium group or channel, Upoc will let you
know if your friend's carrier prevents them from receiving your invite.
Q: How do I promote or feature my group?
A: To spread the word about your group, go to your group home page
(under "My Communities") and select the "Promote" link under the
group description. There you will find several ways to promote your group.
Depending on whether your group is public, private or secret, you can:
- Categorize your group, so others can find it easily
- Link Upoc to your own Web site, so others can join right from your home page
- Print out a card, so you can distribute them to others
- Send the group URL, so others can go directly to your group online
Upoc also features groups on a regular basis. Space is limited, but you can
use this form to contact us with your group name,
a brief description and a request that it be featured, or send an e-mail
with that information to featuremygroup@upoc.com.
Your group must be suitable for all ages (13 and up), have at least
two members, have messages in the message history and must be listed
as a public group.
Q: I heard about
a fun group or channel but I can’t find it. Why?
A: The following may be reasons why you cannot locate the group or
channel your friend told you about:
- The group or channel is premium
Premium groups and channels, available
via subscription, are visible to users who have a validated mobile phone
on a carrier that supports premium messaging. It is also possible to see
premium groups when you are just browsing upoc.com before you register
or before you login. Once you login, you will not be able to see them
unless you have a validated mobile phone on a carrier that supports
premium.
- The group is adult
You must be 18 years of age to join
an adult group on Upoc. If you are under 18, you will not be able to
see adult groups when browsing communities or conducting group searches.
- The group is secret
- The group is teen
You must be 18 years of age or younger to join
a teen group on Upoc. If you are over 18, you will not be able to
see teen groups when browsing communities or conducting group searches.
- The group is secret
When a group owner designates his
or her group as secret, that group will not show up in searches.
The only way to join a secret group is by being invited.
Q: How do I quit a group or channel?
A: If you no longer want to be a member of one of your groups or channels,
there are several ways to quit:
- From the "My Communities" page, by selecting the group or channel
and clicking "Quit Checked"
- From the Voice Message System, by selecting option 9 from the main
menu (after logging in) and following the instructions
- To quit a channel via SMS, reply to any channel message with the word "quit"
- To quit a group via SMS, send "quit" to the group shortcut or send
a message to the Upoc shortcode (8762) with the text "quit [group handle]"
For example, to quit a group with the handle "chat4fun," the message you
send would look like this: quit chat4fun
Please note that you can't quit a group that you own. You must disband it.
See Group Founder Responsibilities.
Quitting Premium Groups
If you no longer want to be a member of one of your premium groups,
there are several ways to quit.
Via Upoc.com on PC
- Go To Communities > My Communities page and select the group you want to quit.
- Click "Quit Checked."
Via Upoc Voice Messaging System
- Dial (973) 242-1550 and login with your Upoc handle and password.
- Select option 9 from the main menu and follow the instructions.
Via SMS
- To quit a group via SMS, send "quit" to the group shortcut, or
- Send a message to the Upoc shortcode (8762) with the text "quit
[group handle]" (ex. To quit a group with the handle "chat4fun,"
you would send: quit chat4fun
Via WAP
- Go to Groups > My Groups and select the group you want to quit.
- Select Quit.
Quitting Premium Channels
If you no longer want to be a member of one of your premium channels,
there are several ways to quit.
Via Upoc.com on PC
- Go To Communities > My Communities page and select the channel you want to quit.
- Click "Quit Checked."
Via Upoc Voice Messaging System
- Dial (973) 242-1550 and login with your Upoc handle and password.
- Select option 9 from the main menu and follow the instructions.
Via SMS
- To quit a channel via SMS, reply to any channel message with the
word "quit".
Via WAP
- Go to Channels > My Channels and select the channel you want to quit.
- Select Quit.
GENERAL INFO
Q: Does it cost to use Upoc?
A: A Upoc web subscription is free. But carrier charges may apply.
These include standard-rate messaging for Text Messages (SMS),
picture messages (MMS) and Wireless Web access (WAP browser).
Q: How do I delete Upoc messages?
A: You cannot delete the messages in your message history. They will,
however, disappear after they are 1-2 days old. On your combined message
history page, up to 500 messages from the past day are stored, while your
most recent personal messages can be accessed by going to "organize my
messages" and selecting the "personal" tab. From the "groups" tab, you
can view your messages from the last 30 days, or 500 messages. To delete
Upoc voice messages, dial 973-242-1550 and log in with your Upoc ID
(your cell phone number) and password. After listening to the message,
select option 3 to delete it. You can also choose to delete all your
messages in bulk by selecting option 8.
Q: Why am I unable to access
my voicemail messages?
A: In order to use Upoc's Voice Message System, you must have
registered and validated your mobile phone with Upoc. Go to Settings
and then to "My Phone" to register a phone, or to validate the one
you already registered. Ensure that your phone messaging is turned On.
Then you'll be able to call in to Upoc's Voice Messaging System at
973-242-1550 and log in with your 10-digit mobile phone number and
your password.
Q: How do I download
a profile pic to my phone?
A: If you are age 18 or over and you have a validated mobile phone
registered to your Upoc account, you can download either your own profile
pic or another member's profile pic to your phone. The member whose pic
you download must also be 18 or over. The cost per download is $0.99,
and is not available on all carriers.
Click here for more info
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