To install the Chikka Messenger, you will need the following:
For Macintosh, Linux, Sun, Solaris Users, use Chikka Javalite.
Click here to download Chikka Messenger. Once it's finished, go to the folder where you saved the file and run it to start installing Chikka on your PC.
When the application is installed, log in to Chikka Messenger and message away!
When you sign-in to Chikka using your mobile phone number and password (retrieved by sending an SMS to the operator-supplied shortcode) you enjoy the full benefits of a Unified Account. This makes the Chikka Messenger and your mobile phone virtual extensions of each other. When you are offline, you have the option of having your messages forwarded to your mobile phone. The Chikka ID, in this case your phone number, is permanent. To register for a Unified Account, you are required to provide your mobile number to be able to successfully register your account. Registering from your mobile phone will cost you regular value-added service rates.
A PC-only Account allows you to register for a Chikka ID even without a mobile phone. Like any Chikka user, you will be able to receive and send messages to mobile phone users from your PC. For PC-only Account holders, your Chikka ID is a combination of digits that begin with 00 (except for India PC-Only Accounts where the Chikka ID begins with 01). Your Chikka ID is the number you are automatically assigned to by the Chikka system, unless you specify an ID number you prefer upon registration. Click here if you want to register for a PC Only Account. Registering for your Chikka account using your PC is absolutely free!
If you are online and logged-in to Chikka Messenger, click on your friend’s name in your buddy list. Type your message in the window that appears and click Send. If the intended recipient is not yet on your buddy list, click on Options on the Control Panel and choose Send Message. Enter your friend’s mobile number and type your message in the window that appears and click Send. Your recipient will be added automatically to your buddy list. Assign a screen name to your buddy and click OK.
When your friends are idle, you can still send them messages. However, only friends with unified mobile accounts will receive your message immediately on their mobiles. Users with PC only accounts will receive them the next time they log-in to Chikka Messenger.
When a message is received, a message icon will appear beside the name of the buddy who sent you a message. Click on the buddy’s name to view the message. If a message window is open, the message window will blink in the task bar when a message is received.
You may also choose to have a message window pop out every time you receive a message. On the Control Panel of the Chikka Messenger, choose Options and click on Preferences. Tick the box beside the Popup chat window when a message is received option.
Unread messages will be deleted from your account five days after they are sent.
With the Chikka Messenger, you can send online messages to other registered users of the Chikka Messenger and text messages to mobile subscribers of supported carriers. You can view a complete list of supported carriers per country at the lower right section of the home page.
Messages sent from PC to PC are unlimited and free.
However, a PC user is given limited credits for sending messages from the PC to mobile phones. The daily message credit allocation depends on the wireless provider of your recipients. Your daily message credit allocation applies to SMS and MMS collectively.
| Credits per day | Credits earned from each reply | |
| Globe Telecom | 30 | 2 |
| Sun Celullar | 30 | 2 |
| Smart Communications | 30 | 2 |
| Credits per day | Credits earned from each reply | |
| Airtel | 30 | 2 |
| Aircel | 30 | 2 |
| BPL | 30 | 2 |
| BSNL | 30 | 2 |
| Hutch | 30 | 2 |
| Idea | 30 | 2 |
| MTNL | 30 | 2 |
| RTL | 30 | 2 |
| RIM | 30 | 2 |
| Spice | 30 | 2 |
| TIL | 30 | 2 |
| Credits per day | Credits earned from each reply | |
| Cingular | 20 | 1 |
| Boost | 20 | 1 |
| Sprint | 20 | 1 |
| Alltel | 20 | 1 |
| Nextel | 20 | 1 |
| Verizon | 20 | 1 |
| Credits per day | Credits earned from each reply | |
| 3 | 30 | 1 |
| O2 | 30 | 1 |
| T-mobile | 30 | 1 |
| Orange | 30 | 1 |
| Vodafone | 30 | 1 |
| Virgin | 30 | 1 |
| Credits per day | Credits earned from each reply | |
| Guamcell | Unlimited | 1 |
| Credits per day | Credits earned from each reply | |
| Saipancell | Unlimited | 1 |
| Credits per day | Credits earned from each reply | |
| Movistar | 30 | 1 |
| Orange | 30 | 1 |
| Vodafone | 30 | 1 |
| Credits per day | Credits earned from each reply | |
| 1528 Smart | 30 | 1 |
| Credits per day | Credits earned from each reply | |
| XL | 20 | 1 |
Credits not used during the day are not carried over to the next day. You can also check how many message credits you have left. Click on the Control Panel button on your Chikka Messenger client and select Options. Click on Show Available Credit.
If you have run out of message credits, you can wait for a mobile user to reply to your message so that you’ll regain credits. Otherwise, you can wait 24 hours from the first time your account was active for the day to receive your daily message credits.
Select a name from your buddy list. From the window that appears, click on Send Group. Add other buddies to the list of recipients by selecting their names and clicking on the mouse or phone icon above, depending if they are online or offline. Type in your message and press Enter.
If you have a Unified Account, you may opt to forward your messages to your mobile phone when you are offline. To activate this option, click on Options on the Control Panel of your Chikka Messenger client and choose Personal Profile. Click on User Setting and tick the box corresponding to Forward All My Messages to My Mobile Phone When My PC is Off.
PC-Only Users may opt to have messages forwarded to a verified email address. From the Chikka Messenger client, click on the Options button, then click on Profile. Click on Update My Personal Profile. Tick the box corresponding to Forward All My Messages to My Email Account.
The Chikka Messenger allows you to archive your messages. To activate your Message Archive, go to the Control Panel of the Chikka Messenger client, click on Options and select Personal Profile. Choose User Setting and check Save Last 20 Inbox/Outbox Messages. Then click on the Update button when done. Your last 20 Chikka messages will now be stored in your archive.
Messages are automatically deleted once new incoming and outgoing messages are received and sent. Your messages are also deleted from your Inbox and Outbox every time you log out of the Chikka Messenger client. Currently, there is no way for you to manually delete messages.
Unified account holders can use their existing Chikka ID for every client version of the Chikka Messenger. However, if you’ve registered for a PC-Only Account before and wish to have a Unified mobile-to-PC Account, you will have to register for a new account.
If you want to create a new account, you will have to re-create your buddy list. However, your old buddy list will be preserved in your old account. You also may not access the buddy list of another account.
To log-in to a Chikka account, you must also input a password. If you can’t remember your password, you can retrieve it using your PC or using your mobile phone.
Using your PC:
Launch the Chikka Messenger client on your PC. On the Log-in window, select Forgot Password and click OK. Follow the steps shown on the page.
When you register your email address, you will be sent an email asking you to verify your email address. Click on the link found in the email. This will lead you to a web page confirming that your email address has been verified. You may also change the email address used for your account. To do this, launch the Chikka Messenger client on your PC. Click on the Control Panel and select Profile, and then edit your email address in the appropriate field. An email message will be sent to your new email address with a verification link. Click on the verification link in the email message to confirm your email address change. (If you do not click the verification link, your email address will not be changed.)
Your buddy list is divided into two: Online and Idle.
Online buddies are online at their computer, their mobile phone, or both.
Idle buddies are those that are either on invisible mode, or logged-out of the Chikka Messenger. If they have chosen to receive messages on their mobiles, your messages will be sent to them as SMS.
To change your status, click on the drop-down menu at the bottom of the client. Scroll down to choose the status you want displayed to everyone. You can choose to be Available, Away or Busy. To appear invisible, choose Appear Idle.
Online alerts are automatic SMS alert functions that send a message out to your selected buddies when you log-in to the Chikka Messenger on your PC. This option is only for PC-Only accounts.
To switch online alerts on or off, go to the Control Panel of the Chikka Messenger, select Options, choose Preferences and click on Online Alerts.
You may choose to send online alerts to a maximum of 10 buddies. They will receive the alerts on their mobile phones, letting them know that you're online.
If you are receiving online alerts from a buddy, this buddy is letting you know that he or she is online. To stop receiving alerts from a buddy, reply to the SMS online alert you receive with OFF.
You can send load credits to Philippine mobile subscribers on Smart, Globe and Sun Cellular. To send load credits you need to be log-in to Chikka Messenger Version 4 and have a Paypal account.
Click here to get a Paypal account. Once you have a Paypal account, you can use your credit card or bank account to fund it.
When you send load through the Chikka Messenger, the recipient will receive a confirmation message from us informing them of the amount of load sent to his/her account and the sender info (your Chikka ID or mobile number). You can buy load credits in the amounts of $10, $25, $50, and $100. The amounts you can send are: 99 ¢, $4.99, and $9.99. The remaining balance can be used for your next transaction.
The Chikka Messenger also sends MMS. To send an MMS from your PC to any MMS-enabled mobile phone, click on the Send Picture button and select your recipient’s name or right click on your buddy’s name and select Send MMS. Upload the image you wish to send, enter a short message and click the Send button.
You can also send an MMS from your mobile phone to a Chikka user who is online. Create and MMS message on your mobile phone. For Smart mobile users, send it to 277 + Chikka ID. For Globe mobile users, send it to 2371. You will receive a text message with a list of your buddies who are online. Reply with the digit that corresponds to the buddy you wish to send an MMS image to.
* Currently, you can only send MMS messages to your Chikka buddies who are Philippine mobile subscribers on Smart and Globe.
Signing-up for a Chikka account from your PC is absolutely free!
Sending messages from your PC using the Chikka Messenger is totally free of charge, whether you send it to a PC or a mobile phone.
All PC to PC messages are free of charge.
You may be charged for receiving messages on your mobile phone depending on your carrier. Please check CHIKKA ON MOBILE PHONES for details.
Receiving MMS through the Chikka Messenger is free of charge unless the sender specifies that the recipient will shoulder the cost.
There are two charging options available when sending and receiving MMS. 1) The sender pays for the MMS and the recipient receives the MMS for free; or 2) The sender chooses not to shoulder the transaction and the recipient is charged for the MMS.
Mobile subscribers sending MMS to a PC user are charged P5.00 per MMS sent.
When Globe or Smart unified account holders log-in to the PC client and wish to send an MMS to their mobile phones, they will be charged P2.50. Before the actual MMS is sent, the user will first receive a confirmation message. When the user accepts that he/she will be charged P2.50 by replying to the confirmation SMS, the MMS is delivered.
You may choose to block messages from certain buddies. This means you will not receive any messages from them. To do this, go to your buddy list on the Chikka Messenger and right-click on the name of the buddy whose messages you want to block. Select the option Block This Person.
You may also choose to Unblock someone you have previously blocked. From the buddy list in your Chikka Messenger, right-click on the name of the buddy whose messages you want to block. Select the option Unblock This Person.
To remain unlisted so other Chikka users cannot search for you, click on the Control Panel button found on top of the Chikka Messenger, then select Profile. Click on Update Personal Profile and select I want to remain unlisted.
If you still can’t connect and you are behind a proxy server, click here for your proxy settings.
If you do not know how to get your proxy servings, click here.
If you are still unable to connect after following all the instructions above, ask your network administrator or write us at mailus@chikka.com, and we will get in touch with you as soon as possible.
You can still use the Chikka Messenger by opting for the Chikka Javalite. Click here to launch Chikka Javalite now.
To get started on Chikka quickly, check out the Beginner's Guide.
You can also learn how to use Chikka on mobile phones.
If you have any questions unanswered by our Online Help, Contact us.
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