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Getting Started with v4call Everything you need to know in under 3 minutes

v4call is a decentralised video, voice and text platform built on the Hive blockchain. Users set their own rates for receiving calls and messages. Callers pay with HBD (Hive's stablecoin) or custom tokens. Unused credit is refunded automatically. No middlemen, no monthly fees — just a direct connection between people.

What You Need

To use v4call you need two things:

1

A free Hive account — your username and identity on the blockchain.

Pick a username you like — you cannot change it later. Your account comes with several private keys. Download and save them somewhere safe.

Create a Hive account →
2

Hive Keychain — a browser extension that securely stores your keys and handles payments.

Think of it like MetaMask for Hive. Install it, add your Hive account, and import your Posting key and Active key. After that, v4call handles everything through Keychain — no copy-pasting keys.

Install Hive Keychain →

That's it. Once you have those two things, come back here and click "Back to v4call" to sign in.

How to Sign In

v4call offers two ways to log in:

⚡ Sign in with Keychain (recommended)

Enter your Hive username and click the green Keychain button. Keychain opens a small popup asking you to sign a message — click approve. Done. No key paste needed.

After logging in with Keychain, you will see a small 🔑 panel in the lobby. If you want to send or read encrypted messages, enter your Posting key there once. It stays in your browser for the session only. This is needed because Keychain cannot share your private key with the page — it is a security feature, not a bug.

🔑 Sign in with Posting Key

Enter your Hive username and paste your Posting private key (starts with 5J). The key stays in your browser session memory — it is never sent to the server. This method enables encrypted messaging immediately without the extra step.

Understanding Your Hive Keys

Your Hive account has several keys, each with different permissions. For v4call, you only need two:

KEYWHAT IT DOESV4CALL USE
Posting Key Sign messages, vote, comment Login, message signing, encryption
Active Key Transfer funds, manage account Payments via Keychain (never enters the page)
Owner Key Change all other keys, recover account 🚫 Never use on any website
Master Password Generates all keys 🚫 Never use on any website

⚠ Important: Your Owner Key and Master Password can be used to change all your other keys and take full control of your account. Never enter them on any website, app, or form — not even v4call. Keep them stored offline in a safe place. If your Posting or Active key is ever compromised, you can use the Owner Key to reset them and recover your account.

Where to find your keys: Log into hive.blog → click your avatar (top right) → Wallet → Keys & Permissions. You can reveal each private key by clicking the eye icon. Save them securely.

Using v4call

Once logged in, you are in the lobby. You can see who is online and contact them. Each user has three buttons:

📞
VOICE CALL
audio only
🎥
VIDEO CALL
audio + camera
💬
DIRECT MESSAGE
encrypted text

If the person you are contacting has set rates, you will see a payment screen before the call connects. It shows exactly how much you will pay — ring fee, connect fee, duration rate — and you approve it through Hive Keychain. You are never charged without seeing the amount first.

If they accept custom tokens (like community coins), you will see a currency picker letting you choose which currency to pay with. Token payments typically have lower rates than HBD.

Unused credit is always refunded. If you deposit for 10 minutes but hang up after 3, the remaining credit goes back to your wallet automatically.

Direct Messages

DMs are end-to-end encrypted — the server stores only encrypted text that it cannot read. Only you and the recipient can decrypt the messages using your Hive posting keys.

When you log in, you will see an alert if you have unread DMs. Click a username in the alert to read the full conversation. Messages are stored for a limited time (set by the server admin) and then automatically deleted.

Setting Your Own Rates

Want people to pay to contact you? You can set your own rates for voice calls, video calls, and text messages.

1

Go to the Rate Editor — a tool that builds your rate card and posts it to the Hive blockchain.

Open Rate Editor →
2

Set your prices for each call type — ring fee (paid just to ring you), connect fee (paid when you answer), and per-hour duration rate. You can set different rates for different days and times.

3

Click Post to Hive — Keychain will ask you to approve the post. Your rates are now live and anyone on v4call can see them.

The rate editor also supports custom token sections, blocked user lists, and named lists for giving friends/family better rates. Explore the options — the editor generates the correct format automatically.

Custom Tokens

You can create your own token on Hive-Engine and accept it as payment on v4call. This lets you offer discounted rates to people who hold your token — building a community around your content.

Tokens are created on Hive-Engine. Once you have a token, add a [TOKEN:YOURSYMBOL] section in the Rate Editor with your token-specific rates.

📖 A step-by-step guide for creating custom Hive-Engine tokens is on CompleteNoobs.com.

Rooms

You can create private rooms for group conversations. Toggle users in the lobby to select them, give your room a name, and click Create & Invite. Selected users receive an invite popup.

Rooms support encrypted messaging, voice, and video. They are ephemeral — when the last person leaves, the room and all its messages are permanently deleted.

Quick Tips

Install Hive Keychain before you sign in — it makes everything easier
You can use the lobby broadcast chat for free — no payment needed
Check the payment screen carefully before approving — you always see the price first
Unused call credit is refunded automatically when the call ends
Your messages are encrypted — only you and the recipient can read them
Never enter your Owner Key or Master Password on any website
Never share your private keys with anyone

Useful Links

Create a Hive Account — free blockchain account
How to buy Hive Based Dollars - Get some $
Create a Hive Account — create additional hive blockchain account's
Hive Keychain — browser wallet extension
Hive.blog — view your Hive wallet, keys, and blog
tribaldex — create and trade custom tokens
CompleteNoobs.com — guides, wiki, and more info
Rate Editor — set your call and message rates

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