Help with Frame

What is a Frame server?

A Frame server is a small program that keeps your group's accounts, photos and messages. Someone in your group runs it on a computer they control, such as a cheap virtual server, a home computer or a Raspberry Pi. Everyone in the group uses the same server, and Crow Tech doesn't host one for you.

Friends on different servers can't see each other's photos, so pick one server per group of friends. The server's name and address are under Settings → Server in the app.

How do I join a friend's server?

Ask your friend for their invite link. When you open it, Frame opens with their server filled in. If you don't have Frame yet, the page shows the server address for you to copy into the app.

You can also type the server address yourself when Frame asks Where's your Frame?, for example frame.example.com. Leave out https://; the app adds it.

Most servers are invite-only. When you create your account, paste the invite link or code into Invite code or link. If you join with a friend's invite, you are friends straight away.

• “Invite invalid”:the invite was cancelled, has expired or has been used up. Ask for a new one. Friends' invite links last 30 days; invites from a server's admin are usually for one person and last 7 days.
• “Sign-ups closed”: on this server only the admin creates accounts. Ask them to make one for you.
• Signing in to an account you already have never needs an invite.

Can I run my own server?

Yes. The Frame server is open source (AGPL-3.0). It's one small program that runs on Linux with Docker or systemd, and a cheap virtual server or a Raspberry Pi is enough for a group of friends. Follow Run your own Frame server.

I forgot my password

On the sign-in screen, tap Forgot password?.

• If your server can send e-mail and you signed up with e-mail, Frame sends you a reset code. Enter it with your new password.
• Otherwise, ask the person who runs your server to reset it. They get a one-time password to give you. Sign in with it, then pick a new one in Settings → Sign-in methods & password.

A password reset signs you out on your other devices.

How do I delete my account?

Open Settings → Delete account, type DELETE and confirm. Your server deletes your account and all your moments, messages and friendships straight away. This can't be undone.

This deletes your account on that server only. Copies may remain in the server's backups for a while, and friends may have saved what you sent them. Ask the server's operator if you have questions about their backups.

Can't open the app any more?Ask the person who runs your server to delete your account: they can do it from the server's admin panel. If your account is on a server run by Crow Tech, or you can't reach your server's operator, email [email protected] with your server address and username. For Crow Tech servers we delete the account and everything in it within 30 days.

How do I delete a photo or a message?

• A photo or video you shared: open it, tap ⋯ and choose Delete. It disappears from your history and from your friends' feeds and widgets.
• A message you sent: touch and hold it and choose Unsend.

This deletes them on your server without deleting your account. To delete everything, see How do I delete my account?

How do I add the widget?

iPhone and iPad

1. Touch and hold an empty spot on your Home Screen until the apps jiggle.
2. Tap Edit, then Add Widget (or tap + in the top corner).
3. Search for “Frame”, pick a size and tap Add Widget.
4. To show just one friend, touch and hold the widget, choose Edit Widget and pick them.

Frame also has Lock Screen widgets: touch and hold your Lock Screen, tap Customize and add Frame. The same guide is in the app under Settings → Widgets. With notifications on, widgets update when a friend sends something; otherwise they refresh about every 15 minutes.

Android

1. Touch and hold an empty spot on your home screen and tap Widgets.
2. Find Frame, then touch and hold the widget and drag it onto your home screen.
3. It shows everyone's latest moment. To show just one friend, touch and hold the widget, tap its settings (the pencil) and pick them.
4. Touch and hold the widget and drag its edges to resize it.

On Android the widget refreshes about every 15 minutes, and straight away when you open Frame.

Notifications aren't arriving

• Open Settings → Notifications in Frame. It shows whether notifications are on and lets you switch new moments, messages, reactions and friend requests on or off.
• In your iPhone's Settings, check that notifications are allowed for Frame, and that a Focus mode isn't silencing them.
• On Android, Frame doesn't send notifications yet: it updates live while it's open, and its widget refreshes about every 15 minutes.
• If Frame says This server has push turned off, the person who runs your server has switched notifications off. Frame still updates while it's open, and widgets refresh about every 15 minutes.
• Open Frame once. This renews its notification registration with your server.

Running the server yourself? Check that FRAME_PUSH_RELAY isn't empty, that the server can reach https://frame.crow.sg/healthz, and look for “push failed” in its logs. See notifications in the server guide.

How do I report or block someone?

Use Reporton a moment, a message or a profile, pick a reason and add a note if you like. A report sends the reported item and your note to the admin of your Frame server, who can remove content and suspend accounts. You can block the person at the same time. Reports go to your server's admin, not to Crow Tech.

To block someone, open their profile and choose Block. Blocking ends the friendship and hides you from each other. Unblock people in Settings → Blocked users. Frame has no tolerance for objectionable content or abuse; see the terms of use.

Who can find me?

In Settings → Privacy you can turn off Findable by username, Findable by contacts and Send read receipts. If an invite link reached the wrong person, use Reset invite link there to cancel your open invites. The privacy policy explains what goes where.

Contact us

For problems with your account or your server, contact the person who runs your server first. For problems with the app, e-mail us with:

• the Frame version (Settings → About) and the server version (Settings → Server);
• your device and iOS version;
• what you did, what happened, and what you expected.

Don't send passwords, invite links or codes, or private photos. Crop them out of screenshots first.