Frequently Asked Questions

Swellcasting is the recording and posting of short audio clips for everyone to listen, react and reply. You can start Swellcasting by downloading the Swell mobile app. Use your Swellcast to share ideas, tell stories, ask questions, discuss experiences, or simply talk about anything on your mind.

A Swell is a short piece of audio, up to 5 minutes max, that you record and post to your Swellcast using the Swell mobile app. Anyone can listen to it and respond with their own Swells.

You can think of a Swellcast as a shorter, easier, more accessible and more interactive version of a podcast. Unlike a podcast, which is a one-way communication medium, a Swellcast enables your listeners to engage with you by posting their own Swells in reply to yours. Anyone can start Swellcasting in just a few minutes by downloading the app.

When someone replies to your Swell with their own Swell, it becomes a conversation. You can have multiple people engage in a growing conversation, and the audio thread plays like a podcast with multiple contributors taking turns to talk. A Swell Conversation allows your listeners to share their perspectives, answer your questions, or have a general discussion, right there in the app with you.

Text snippets are automatically generated text transcriptions of selected portions of the audio recording of each Swell that highlight what the speaker is talking about. They allow you to quickly scan and browse conversations when you don't have time to listen to the full audio recording. Text snippets may not always appear and may sometimes be inaccurate due to technology limitations. They also do not appear for private messages.

Find Invitations & Messages by opening the Swell app then selecting the Home tab. At the top, you will find Invitations & Mentions which shows the conversations you have been invited to join by other Swell users and conversations where your username has been mentioned. Swells disappear from you Invitations & Mentions once you reply to them.

Find My Queue by going to your profile page in the app. Swells are added to your queue when you go to a station and select Play Latest or select a hashtag or search result and press Play All.

Swells are added to your queue when you go to a station and select Play Latest or select a hashtag or search result and press Play All. Bookmarks can be found when you select My Queue then Bookmarks. Bookmarks show any conversation you've saved by selecting the bookmark icon found on any Swell.

History can also be found when you select My Queue then History. This list shows all Swells you've listened to or engaged with while in the app so you can always trace your steps.

Yes! We encourage you to create as many Swellcasts as you like about topics you're passionate about. Simply sign into the app with your existing account, go to your Swellcast page, open the three dot menu, then select Account and Switch Accounts. Choose the + icon to create and add a new account. Each new account requires a different email address to sign in.

Once a new account is added, you can quickly switch between various accounts by going to Switch Accounts in the menu and selecting the account you'd like to use. Push notifications will come to your device for all accounts you've added, no matter which account you last switched to. Your notifications tab for each account will only show you the notifications relevant to that particular account.

Not at all, recording a Swell is easy! You only need to download the Swell app on your smartphone and have something interesting to say to get started.

Due to various restrictions, the Swell app is not available for download in the following countries: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Syria.

We aim for Swell to be accessible for all. Features that make Swell accessible for various communities are on our roadmap. As a small startup, we're looking forward to introducing these features as we continue to grow!

The Swell app provides you with the full features and capabilities of Swell, including recording your Swells, taking part in conversations, interacting with other Swell users, managing your profile and more.

Swellcast.com provides a web presence for your Swellcast which you can share with anyone. People can listen to your Swellcast without downloading your app.

Users can also create an account or sign-in to their account on Swellcast.com to subscribe or follow a Swellcaster. Signed-in users cannot post Swells or replies from Swellcast.com.

You can find your Swellcast link by going to your profile page and selecting the Share menu option. It will be in the form https://www.swellcast.com/YourUsername. You can find the swellcast.com share link for any conversation by using the Share button in the app.

Swells can be public or private. When you record a new Swell from your home feed, your Swell will be public by default. Public Swells can be shared on the web through swellcast.com. When you record a new Message from your Private tab, the Message will be private by default. Messages cannot be shared or accessed outside the app or on the web. This is also true for any Swells created in Groups.

Public Swells appear in the feeds of other users, in search results, and in various stations and hashtag sections. Anyone can listen to it. Messages and Swells in Groups are only seen and heard by you and whomever you invite to those particular conversations.

Only your public Swells can be shared on the web through swellcast.com. If you want to share a Message with your friends, you have to invite them to that Swell through the Invite option found in the conversation's menu.

Send a message to any Swell user by going to their profile then selecting Message. After you record your message, choose Next to invite others. You can remove invited users from the conversation at any time by selecting the conversation's menu then choosing Members to delete. You can also choose not to send the Message to anyone or invite people later using the Invite icon found at the top of the conversation. Any invited users will receive a notification of the Message and be able to view it in their Private tab.

A Message does not show up in any Swellcast or Group. Messages cannot be shared or accessed outside the app or on the web. Swell takes the greatest possible measures to protect your privacy. If you'd like more information, contact us through the app or at swell.life.

Invite-Only Swells are conversations that allow you to limit who is able to contribute to your conversation and when. For example, do you want to lead a public discussion with only selected guests about a topic you're passionate about before opening it up to any comments from the public? You can do that.

How to use this feature:

· Record a Swell
· Open the three-dot menu at the bottom of your Swell
· Choose Restrict Speakers, then Convert to Invite-Only

You can open your conversation to all users at any time.

There are a few ways to connect with the topics you love while on Swell. Once you create a Swell account, you'll be prompted to select the stations you're interested in. You can change these at any time by going to your profile then selecting Subscribed Stations then Edit. After you've customized your stations, your home feed will automatically display Swells related to your selections in addition to Swells by any users you follow.

You can also browse for Swells based on stations, trending, latest, top speakers, popular countries, popular languages, popular hashtags, new users, and popular topics by selecting the search icon and the talk icon in the bottom navigation bar.

The Swellcast widget is a cool way for you to promote your Swellcast on your website. Just like other social media widgets, it is a small piece of code that you add to your website, and it will render your Swellcast and show your recent Swells in it. Visitors to your website can listen to those Swells, and they can click on the widget to download the app and participate in Swell Conversations with you.

You sure can. To pin a Swell, first go to the Swell you'd like to feature on your Swellcast. Select the three-dot menu at the bottom of the Swell, then select Pin. You can pin up to 10 Swells. The most recently pinned Swells will appear first on your Swellcast. If you pin a fourth Swell, the first Swell you pinned will automatically be unpinned. To Unpin a Swell, just open the menu for any pinned Swell, then select Unpin. When you pin a Swell, other users will see it first on your page's feed whether they visit your Swellcast in the app or on the web at swellcast.com/YourUsername.

Groups are Swellcasts available to Swell users by invitation. You can use Groups to create a private space to have voice conversations with people you invite to the Group. Start your own Group for your friends, family, colleagues, and more. All conversations in a Group are private and only the members of the Group can see, hear, and respond to them. You choose who to invite to your Group and you can remove users at any time.

Select Private, found on the bottom navigation bar. Then select, New Group. Enter the name for your Group. Add a description for your Group and an optional Group image by selecting your Group then Edit Group. Invite the people you want to join your Group via the Invite button. If they're not already on Swell, they will be sent a link to download the app and join your Group.

Yes, absolutely. You can designate other users as Admins. Admins can invite more users and they can also help moderate the Group by deleting and removing any content you don't want in the Group. The Group settings can be found in the triple dot menu in the header of the Group's page.

To add a Co-Host to your Swellcast, go to your profile menu, then select Manage Co-Hosts. Use the + icon to add the Swell user you'd like to have Co-Host privileges for your Swellcast.

A Co-Host has most of the privileges of a Swellcast owner. They can post new Swells to the Swellcast they cohost and manage the posts of other Co-Hosts in the Swellcast.

Co-Hosts cannot change the image or description of the Swellcast. Only the Swellcast owner can do that. Co-Hosts also cannot add or remove other Co-Hosts or pin Swells to the Swellcast.

Open Swellcasts make all Swell users Co-Hosts of a Swellcast. With an Open Swellcast, anyone can post a Swell to the Swellcast by visiting the Swellcast's page and tapping the microphone icon to record.

Open Swellcasts are a great way to invite other users to talk about topics you're passionate about. For example, you could create an Open Swellcast about the 49ers where you and any other user can post and talk about 49ers games and news. Maybe you have a business you'd like to post about, but you'd also like to receive reviews and Swells from current and potential customers. Create an Open Swellcast for your business to keep the conversation with your customers open. The possibilities are endless.

Go to the Open Swellcast's profile page. Select Start a new Swell then press the microphone button to record and post.

Want to try posting to an Open Swellcast? Go to the @pics Open Swellcast profile in the Swell app. Once there, select Start a new Swell. Record a Swell about a photo you'd like to share with us. Be sure to add the photo after you record. Your Swell will appear in the @pics Open Swellcast! We can't wait to see it.

If you'd like to make your Swellcast an Open Swellcast, all you have to do is go to your Swellcast profile menu, then select Manage Co-Hosts. Select Open (allow everyone). Now any Swell user will be able to post to your Swellcast.

For Open Swellcasts, users have privileges on the Swells they post, but they cannot change any other user's Swells posted in the Open Swellcast.

If you'd like to delete your Open Swellcast, send us an email at customerservice@swell.life. If your Open Swellcast contains Swells from users other than yourself, we will delete all of your Swells but keep the Open Swellcast to maintain the Swells of the other users.

Following someone on Swell means that you are subscribing to their Swellcast as a follower and their recent Swells will appear in your feeds.

Select any Swellcaster's profile image or username within the app to go to their profile. Select Follow if you'd like to be notified of their Swells and have them appear in your home feed. If you'd like to unfollow a user, go to their profile and select Following. This will allow you to unfollow the user.

Tap on the search icon in the bottom navigation bar of the Swell app to key in a username, hashtag, or topic into the search box. The results will fetch a list of both conversations and usernames that match your search request.

Share any public Swell by selecting the Swell then the Share icon. You may choose Share Video Clip, Share Post, Share Swellcast or Reswell. Share Video Clip allows you to share a video clip that features up to 80 seconds of audio. Share Post creates a shareable link for your Swell. Reswell shares the Swell with your followers in the app (This option is only visible if it is not your own Swell)

Yes! Share any Reply Swell by selecting the Reply Swell's three-dot menu then Share. You may choose Share Video Clip, Share Reply, or Reswell. Share Video Clip allows you to share a video clip that features up to 80 seconds of a Reply Swell. Share Reply creates a shareable link for the Reply Swell. Reswell shares the Reply Swell with your followers in the app.

Swellcasting is all about speaking and listening to the world. With that in mind, every Swell user is assigned a unique web link for their Swellcast to share their public Swells with anyone on the web. Find your Swellcast on the web and share it at swellcast.com/YourUsername.

There are no restrictions on the number of people you may want to engage through your Swell.

A Reply Swell is a Swell you post in response to another user's Swell that began the Swell Conversation. Reply by selecting the Swell's three-dot menu then choosing Reply or select the audio player and choose Reply.

A Reswell is another user's Swell that you repost to your followers.

If you want to reply to a specific reply from another user in a Swell Conversation, select the three-dot menu at the bottom of the Reply Swell. The user you're replying to will automatically be tagged in the description of your reply. Record your response and post. Additionally, you may choose to select the audio player and then the Reply button in the Swell and tag the user you're replying to by using their @username in the description text of the reply.

Select the three-dot menu at the bottom of any Swell then select Report to report objectionable content. You may also reach out to us through the Contact Us option available in the app by selecting the three-dot menu of your Swellcast then Support then Contact Us. You can also use the Contact Us option available on our website.

When a Swell is reported to us, our moderation team reviews it and if necessary takes appropriate action. Please note that we normally do not reply or respond to the person reporting the Swell.

The Swell app brings together a variety of people with different voices, ideas, and perspectives. Users are allowed to post any content as long as they're not violating our Community Guidelines and Rules. Please note that Swell does not screen or moderate content or remove potentially offensive content unless it is reported. Users are expected to self-moderate their conversations. The user who begins the conversation has the right as a moderator to delete any Reply Swells from the conversation.

Also, as a policy, Swell does not mediate or intervene in disputes between users. However, targeted abuse or harassment constitutes a violation of Swell's Rules and Terms of Service. If you feel you are a victim of targeted abuse or harassment on the app, reach out to us through the Contact Us option available in your settings or on our website.

We leave it to the listener to determine the veracity of firsthand accounts based on the credibility of the speaker and the credibility they have established within the Swell community. We've made it a culture on Swell to encourage people to link to the sources they're quoting from in the description of their Swell or reply, so others can verify their sources. The owner of any conversation can delete a reply from their conversation for any reason. Perhaps the reply is irrelevant to the conversation, is misinformation, or is inaudible or unintelligible.

Listeners can also report Swells and Reply Swells to be reviewed by our moderation team. When a Swell is flagged for us to review for misinformation, we look for the reference link for that Swell. If there is no reference or credible journalistic source of reference to validate the information being spoken and we're unable to find one of our own either, then we may remove the Swell. We value credible journalistic sources at Swell and use online media bias fact check sites to ensure the reliability of a news source. If the source is not considered reliable, then we will err on the side of caution and remove any Swell that may spread misinformation.

Select the three-dot menu of your Swellcast, then select Settings. Once in Settings, choose Block/Unblock Users. From there, select the + icon, then choose the user you'd like to add to your Block list. To Unblock a user, go to your Block list and select the trash icon next to the user you wish to Unblock. Confirm the Unblock. You will again be able to receive Swells from the user.

Blocking a user on Swell means the following:

· The blocked user cannot send you a Message
· The blocked user cannot reply or react to any of your Swells
· The blocked user cannot get any notifications from you or to you

Reach out to us through the Contact Us option available in your settings or on our website.

Open the app, select Talk in the bottom navigation bar and then Start a new Swell. Select the microphone and start speaking. Once finished, add a title, a description including hashtags, usernames, and links or photos associated with your Swell then select Next. Invite users to your Swell, select Stations the Swell belongs to, and choose any additional languages the Swell may require. Select Post. Your Swell is now posted to your Swellcast!

Currently, only Premium Creators have the ability to upload pre recorded audio to their Swellcast. This feature is not available for non-premium Swellcasters.

When you finish recording a Swell, select the + icon next to Photo. You may use your phone's camera to take a photo or select an image from your photo gallery.

Yes, you can edit your Swell while recording it. Use the record button to pause your recording before adding more or to record over a piece of previously recorded audio. Once you post your Swell, you cannot edit the audio any further, but you can still edit the title, description, photo, and stations. To edit your Swell, select the three-dot menu at the bottom of your Swell then Edit.

As you fill in the description, you can also enter any reference link you might want to include.

Select the three-dot menu at the bottom of your Swell then Edit. Edit the description then select Next then Save.

Select the three-dot menu at the bottom of your Swell then Delete.

No. Deleted Swells cannot be retrieved.

Select the three-dot menu at the bottom of your Reply Swell then Delete.

If you're starting a conversation, you will need to be mindful of the time limit and complete your Swell within five minutes. If you need more time, just add more Swells by replying to your first Swell.

Don't worry. Your recording will be paused while you take your call and you can continue from where you left off.

You can! Select a Swell then the audio player. Select if you'd like to listen to Swells at 1.0x, 1.25x, 1.5x, 1.75x or 2.0x playback speed. Swells are played at 1.0x playback speed by default.

Find your notifications in the Swell app by selecting the Home tab then the bell in the top right corner.

Go to your profile and select the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner. Select Settings then toggle on Dark Mode.

Images that are 600 x 315 work best.

Right now you cannot change the email address associated with your Swellcast.

You can change your username at any point in your user profile settings. Go to your Swellcast then select Edit Profile. Change your username then select Save.

You can now log in to the Swell app with your phone number in addition to email and the social login options. Please note that in case you have an existing account and want to switch to a phone number login, you should log in to your existing account and add your phone number by selecting Edit Profile found in the Profile tab. You will have to verify your phone number. Once the number is verified, you will be able to log in and log out of your account. If you log in using a phone number that has not been verified, a new account will be created for that phone number and will not be tied to your existing account.

You can customize how many notifications you would like to receive. Open your three-dot profile menu then select Settings. Notification Preferences shows you more about each of your options. If you'd like to turn off all notifications from the Swell app, go to your phone's notification settings.

You can add a voice intro to your profile photo by going to your Swellcast profile then selecting Edit Profile. Choose Edit Profile Audio. You can listen to your profile audio or any other user’s profile audio by going to any Swellcast and selecting the play icon next to the user’s profile photo. There will not be a play icon if a user has not recorded audio for their profile.

Sometimes on iPhone you may miss a few notifications from Swell. This is due to the behavior of how push notifications are handled on iOS. See this link for details: https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/technotes/tn2265/_index.html

At Swell we value the privacy and safety of our users. For the safety of our community, we currently do not allow users who are utilizing VPN or Anonymizer technologies to hide themselves to access the Swell app. We understand this may be disappointing for some users, so we're exploring possible solutions for the future. In the meantime, we thank you for your patience and understanding.

We use re-captcha V3 from Google to validate you are not a bot. If you get an error indicating that we are unable to send you an email, it's because Google thinks you may be a bot. What we have observed works well in this scenario is to open your default browser and login to a standard Google account or clear your cookies. We hope this helps!

Yes! The Swell Audio Creator Program enables you to set up paid subscription based audio content. We have various options enabling you to monetize your content. Learn more at https://stage.swell.life/audio-creator-program.

When you encounter any link which is pointing to the domain swellcast.com, that link will automatically open in the Swell app, if you have the Swell app installed and will open on the swellcast.com website if you do not have the app installed. These links are called Universal Links and are used when you share a link to your Swell or Swellcast or when you tap on a Swell Prompt outside the Swell app.

This can happen if, after clicking on a link to swellcast.com, you accidentally selected the “Open on Web” option. After that your device will always open that link on the web and not the app. To change back, please do the following.

Here is a link to Swellcast.com. Long press on this link from your phone and select the "Open in Swell" option. This will redirect you to the Swell app, and also remember to open all future Swell Universal Links in the app.