Joining your community on Milvao

Your community uses Milvao so members can ask for help privately and be introduced to the right person. Joining takes about a minute.

How to join#

1. Tap the join link your organisers pinned in the WhatsApp group. WhatsApp opens a chat with your community's number, with JOIN and a code already typed.
2. Press send. You get a reply like: "Welcome to [community]. You're now listed in "[group]". Finish your profile so the organisers can introduce you to the right people."
3. Answer a few questions in the chat. Right after the welcome, most communities ask you to finish your profile here, one question at a time: your name, your city, what you can help with, and any questions your community added (for example your company or batch year). Tap a button or a list option, or type your answer.
4. Choose whether you'd like introduction requests. The last question asks Yes, send them or Not now. You can change this later.
5. You get a short summary and "You're all set".

If your community already has your details#

Some communities import their member lists. If your number is on one, the first message after the welcome shows the details they shared, for example your name, city and what you help with, and asks Is this right?

• Tap Yes, that's right to save them to your profile. Only empty fields are filled in.
• Tap Change to answer the questions yourself instead. The shared details are deleted.

Nothing is saved to your profile until you tap Yes, that's right.

Prefer a form? Open the link in the welcome message instead, tap Continue to your profile, fill it in and tap Save profile. See Your profile.

Your profile is active once it has your name, city, at least one skill and every required question answered.

Answering questions in the chat#

• Each question says why your community asks. Optional ones say "(optional)": reply SKIP to leave them blank.
• For a list, tap the button under the message, then pick an option. For questions where you can pick several, tap them one at a time, then tap Done. You can also type the numbers, like 1, 3.
• For what you can help with, you can also type it in your own words, separated by commas, for example "accounting, GST and tax". You see what was matched (for example Accounting and tax) and any word that isn't in your community's list, then tap Yes, that's right, or No, change it to pick from the list.
• If an answer doesn't fit (for example letters where a number is needed), you're asked again with an example.
• HELP, PROFILE, PAUSE and STOP still work at any point.
• To change your answers later, send ANSWERS, or PROFILE for the form.

If you send a request before finishing the required questions, you're asked those first. Your message is kept and handled right after.

About the profile link#

• It works for 60 minutes and once. Opening it doesn't use it up. Tapping Continue to your profile does.
• Need a new one? Send PROFILE to the same chat.
• It's private to you. Don't forward it.

If something goes wrong#

Your privacy#

• Milvao never posts in your WhatsApp group.
• Other members can't see your number.
• Your community's organisers can see your profile, but your number stays hidden from them too.
• You won't get introduction requests unless you turn them on in your profile.
• The welcome message links to the privacy notice that explains how your data is used. Send MY DATA or DELETE MY DATA at any time (see Your data).

Frequently asked questions#

Is it free?#

Yes. Your community pays for Milvao. Members don't pay Milvao anything.

I'm in two groups. Do I join twice?#

Tap the link in each group if you like. You stay one member with one profile, listed in both groups.

Do I have to answer every question?#

Only the required ones. Optional questions can be skipped with SKIP.

I joined a second group and got more questions. Why?#

Some groups ask their own questions, for example a batch year for an alumni group. Questions for the whole community are only asked once.

Why does the community already know my name?#

Your organisers imported the member list of your WhatsApp group so you don't have to type everything again. You decide whether to keep those details. If you didn't expect a message from the community, reply STOP.

I don't have a join link. Can I still join?#

Ask an organiser for one. Some communities also take requests on milvao.com/communities: see Asking to join a community.

I'm a guest. How do I become a member?#

If you confirmed your number to contact a member, you're in touch with the community as a guest. Send PROFILE: the reply says that saving the profile makes you a member, with a link to the form and the privacy notice. The form shows Saving this profile makes you a member of [community] at the top. Fill it in and tap Save and join. You see Welcome to [community]. You're now a member and get the same message on WhatsApp. From then on you can ask for introductions and, if you turn them on, receive requests.

• If you'd rather stay a guest, close the form without saving. Nothing changes.
• If the community is full on its plan, you're told so, nothing is saved and you stay a guest. Try again in a few days.
• You aren't added to a WhatsApp group this way. An organiser can add you to one, or tap a group's join link.

Do I need to install anything?#

No. You use WhatsApp as usual, and your profile opens in your phone's browser.