TL;DR

BatChat (蝙蝠聊天) offers multiple ways to add contacts: search by phone number, scan QR code, join through group invitations, and discover nearby users. Phone number search is the most direct method — enter the number with country code and send a friend request. QR code scanning is the fastest when meeting someone in person. Both parties must mutually accept the connection before messaging begins. Friend requests appear in a dedicated requests list that you can review, accept, or decline.

Why Adding Contacts Works Differently on Encrypted Apps

On BatChat, adding a contact is a deliberate two-way process. Unlike social media where you can follow someone publicly, BatChat requires mutual consent — both people must accept each other before any communication happens.

This design choice makes sense for a privacy-focused app. Your contact list is private. Nobody can find your profile by browsing a public directory. Discovery requires either knowing your phone number, scanning your QR code, or receiving a direct invitation.

The privacy trade-off: adding friends takes an extra step compared to apps like WeChat (which lets you add by ID, phone, or scanning anyone’s QR without requiring mutual acceptance). On BatChat, the person receiving the request must explicitly approve it.

Method 1: Add by Phone Number (手机号添加)

This is the primary method for adding contacts on BatChat. It works for anyone who has registered with that phone number.

Step-by-Step

1. Open BatChat and tap the + icon in the top-right corner of the main screen
2. Select Add by Phone Number (手机号添加)
3. Select the country code from the dropdown (defaults to +86 for China)
4. Enter the person’s phone number (without the country code)
5. Tap Search (搜索)
6. If the number is registered, the person’s profile appears with their display name and avatar
7. Tap Add (添加) to send a friend request
8. The other person receives the request in their pending requests list

What Happens After You Send a Request

• The recipient sees a notification or a badge on their requests icon
• They can view your profile (display name, avatar) before deciding
• They tap Accept (接受) or Decline (拒绝)
• If accepted, the conversation appears in both users’ chat lists
• If declined, no notification is sent back to you (you simply don’t see them in your contacts)

Tips

• Make sure you have the correct country code. A Chinese number (+86) entered without the code won’t match a user registered with the code
• You can add numbers from any country — BatChat supports international phone numbers
• If the search returns “User not found,” the number is either not registered on BatChat or you entered it incorrectly

Method 2: QR Code Scanning (二维码添加)

QR codes are the fastest way to add a contact when you’re physically with someone. This mirrors the WeChat and LINE convention that most Chinese users are already familiar with.

How to Share Your QR Code

1. Tap the + icon on the main screen
2. Select My QR Code (我的二维码)
3. Your personal QR code is displayed — other people scan this to add you
4. You can save the QR code image or share it via other apps

How to Scan Someone’s QR Code

1. Tap the + icon
2. Select Scan QR Code (扫一扫)
3. Point your camera at the other person’s QR code
4. Their profile appears on screen
5. Tap Add to send a friend request

When to Use This Method

• Meeting someone in person who already uses BatChat
• Exchanging contacts at events or social gatherings
• Adding someone sitting next to you without asking for their phone number out loud

The QR code contains your unique BatChat identifier. Scanning it directly opens the friend request flow for that specific user — no manual number entry needed.

Method 3: Group Chat Invitation (群聊邀请)

If you’re already in a group chat, you can add members from within the group. This is useful when you want to bring someone into an existing conversation.

How to Invite Someone to a Group

1. Open the group chat
2. Tap the group name at the top to enter group info
3. Tap Add Members (添加成员)
4. You can either:
   • Select from your existing contacts
   • Search by phone number to add someone not yet in your contacts
5. Selected people receive a group invitation

Important: Group Invitation vs. Friend Request

Adding someone to a group does not automatically add them as a personal contact. The group invitation and the friend request are separate actions. After someone joins a group, you still need to send them a friend request for private messaging.

However, being in the same group makes it easy to find and add each other — the member list is accessible from the group info screen.

Method 4: Nearby Users (附近的人)

BatChat may include a nearby users discovery feature (this capability is common in Chinese messaging apps). The exact implementation varies by app version:

1. Tap the Discover (发现) tab
2. Look for Nearby (附近) or similar option
3. The app shows BatChat users physically close to your location
4. Tap a user’s profile to send a friend request

Privacy note: Using this feature requires sharing your approximate location. The app uses GPS and/or Wi-Fi positioning. If you’re concerned about location privacy, you can disable location permissions in your device settings or simply avoid using this feature.

Managing Friend Requests

Where to Find Pending Requests

1. Look for a notification badge on the contacts tab or requests icon
2. Tap it to open the requests list
3. Each pending request shows the sender’s display name, avatar, and a message (if they included one)
4. Tap Accept or Decline for each request

Can You Send a Message with the Friend Request?

Some versions of BatChat allow a brief introductory message alongside the friend request. This helps the recipient identify you — especially useful if they don’t immediately recognize your display name.

If this feature is available:

1. After searching and finding the user, look for a message field before tapping Add
2. Type a short greeting (e.g., “Hi, it’s [your name] from work”)
3. The message appears with your friend request

Blocking Unwanted Requests

If you receive spam or unwanted friend requests:

1. Open the request
2. Tap the three-dot menu or the user’s profile
3. Select Block (拉黑) or Report (举报)
4. Blocked users cannot send you further requests or messages

Blocking is permanent until you manually unblock the person from your blocked list in settings.

What Information Is Visible When Adding Someone

When you search for a user by phone number or scan their QR code, you can see:

• Display name — whatever they set during registration
• Avatar — their profile picture
• BatChat avatar (蝙蝠形象) — their 3D virtual avatar if configured

You cannot see their phone number (even if you added them by number), their bio, or their other contacts. BatChat limits profile visibility to protect privacy.

Troubleshooting: “User Not Found” When Searching

If you search a phone number and get “User not found”:

1. Wrong number or country code — verify the number is correct and the country code matches
2. Number not registered — the person hasn’t created a BatChat account yet. Ask them to download the app and register
3. Number registered with a different country code — if they travel frequently, they may have registered under a different country code
4. App version mismatch — in rare cases, server-side caching might cause delays. Try again after a few minutes

Contact Privacy Settings

After adding contacts, you can manage your privacy:

• Block specific contacts — prevents them from messaging or calling you
• Manage who can add you — some app versions let you restrict friend requests to contacts only (if you’ve granted contacts permission)
• Hide from nearby discovery — disable your visibility in the nearby users feature

Access these in Settings > Privacy (设置 > 隐私).

FAQ

Can someone add me on BatChat without my phone number?

They would need either your phone number, your QR code, or a group invitation context. BatChat does not have a public user directory or username search. Discovery is limited to these direct methods.

Do I need to accept every friend request?

No. You can decline any request. The sender is not notified that you declined — they simply won’t see you in their contacts. You can also block users who send repeated unwanted requests.

Is there a limit on how many contacts I can add?

BatChat does not publicly document a contact limit. Most messaging apps support thousands of contacts without issues. If you hit any practical limit, it would likely be a device storage concern rather than an app restriction.

Can I add international contacts?

Yes. Select the appropriate country code when searching by phone number. BatChat supports international registration and messaging. The app handles cross-border communication without additional configuration.

How do I remove a contact?

Open the conversation with the contact, tap their name at the top to enter the conversation info screen, and look for Delete Contact (删除联系人) or the option to block them. Deleting a contact removes them from your list but does not delete the chat history.

Can I search for someone by their display name?

No. BatChat does not support username or display name search. Discovery requires knowing the phone number, scanning a QR code, or a group context. This is by design — it prevents strangers from finding and contacting you.