Signing in
It says my details are wrong, but I'm sure they're right
“Invalid credentials.”
Why it happens. The email or the password does not match. We deliberately do not say which one, so nobody can use the login page to find out who has an account.
What to do. Check for a stray space at the start or end, and that Caps Lock is off. Try your username instead of your email. If you signed up with Google or Facebook, use that button — you may never have set a password. Still stuck? Use Forgot password.
I'm being told to slow down
“Too many requests. Please try again later.”
Why it happens. Too many attempts in a short time. Logging in allows 10 tries a minute.
What to do. Wait a minute and try once more. Nothing is locked and your account is fine.
My account is suspended
“This account is suspended.”
Why it happens. Our moderation team suspended the account after a rules breach.
What to do. Email support@ceylonchat.com from the address on the account and ask for a review.
The login code never arrives
Why it happens. Two-factor codes go to email or SMS and last 10 minutes.
What to do. Check spam. Tap Resend — you can request up to 3 codes a minute. If you use SMS and changed your number, email support@ceylonchat.com from the address on the account.
I get signed out on my other devices
Why it happens. This is deliberate. Changing your password, resetting it, or switching two-factor login on or off ends every other session.
What to do. Log in again on those devices. If it happens without you changing anything, change your password immediately — someone else may have.
Password and email
The reset link doesn't work
“This reset link is invalid or has expired.”
Why it happens. Reset links last one hour and work only once. Requesting a second link cancels the first.
What to do. Ask for a new link and use the newest email in your inbox. Open it in the same browser you want to log in with.
No reset email at all
Why it happens. The address may not have an account, or the mail is in spam. We show the same message either way.
What to do. Check spam and promotions. Try any other address you might have used. If you joined with Google or Facebook, use that button instead of a password.
My verification code is refused
“Invalid or expired code.”
Why it happens. Codes last 10 minutes and can only be used once.
What to do. Request a fresh code and type the newest one. Watch for an older code still sitting at the top of your inbox.
I can't turn on SMS login
“Add a phone number before enabling SMS two-factor login.”
Why it happens. SMS codes need a verified phone number on your account.
What to do. Add and verify your phone first, in international format — for example +94771234567 or +447700900123.
Photos and uploads
My photo won't upload
“File too large (max 8MB).”
Why it happens. The file is bigger than 8 MB.
What to do. Send the photo to yourself in a chat app and save the smaller copy, or export it at a lower resolution. Photos straight from a modern camera are often over the limit.
It says my file type isn't supported
“Unsupported file type. Use JPG, PNG, WEBP, or GIF.”
Why it happens. The file is not one of the four formats we accept — most often an iPhone HEIC photo. Renaming the file does not help, because we check the actual contents.
What to do. On iPhone: Settings, Camera, Formats, Most Compatible for future photos. For an existing photo, open it in Photos, tap Edit then Done, and upload the new version.
My profile picture looks blurry
Why it happens. The picture was smaller than the space it fills.
What to do. Upload one at least 720 × 720 pixels for a profile picture, or 1200 × 400 for a cover photo.
My picture won't attach to a listing or event
Why it happens. Both forms upload the file directly now, with the same rules as feed photos.
What to do. Use a JPG, PNG, WEBP or GIF under 8 MB. iPhone HEIC photos are refused — see the file-type fix above.
Posting and the feed
My post won't send
“Post cannot be empty.”
Why it happens. There is no text. A picture on its own is not enough.
What to do. Add at least a word or two, then post.
Friends say they can't see my post
Why it happens. The audience was set to Only me, or to a custom list they are not on. Blocked people never see your posts either.
What to do. Open the post and check the audience shown under your name. The audience cannot be changed after posting — delete it and post again with the right audience.
I can't find my own post in search
Why it happens. Search only looks at public posts. Friends, Only me and custom-list posts are never searchable, even by the people allowed to see them.
What to do. Find it on your profile timeline instead.
I can't delete my comment
Why it happens. The Delete link sits under the comment itself, and only appears for comments you wrote or comments on your own post.
What to do. Find the comment in the feed and tap Delete under it. Comments cannot be edited — delete and write it again.
I'm posting too quickly
“Too many requests. Please try again later.”
Why it happens. There are limits of roughly 20 posts, 30 comments and 60 messages a minute to keep spam under control.
What to do. Wait a minute. Normal use never reaches these numbers.
Friends, messages and groups
My friend request won't send
“This user isn't accepting friend requests from you.”
Why it happens. They only accept requests from friends of friends, or from nobody.
What to do. Follow them instead to see their public posts, or ask a mutual friend to introduce you.
I can't message someone
“You can't message this user.”
Why it happens. One of you has blocked the other.
What to do. If you blocked them by mistake, go to Settings, Blocked users, and unblock. If they blocked you, respect that and do not try to reach them another way.
I joined a group but there are no posts
Why it happens. Group walls are not built yet. Groups today are a directory of communities and their members.
What to do. Share with the community on the main feed. Group posting is on the roadmap.
I can't find how to leave a group
Why it happens. The Leave button only appears on groups you have actually joined.
What to do. Open Groups. Any group you are in shows a green Joined label with Leave beside it.
Ads, points and payouts
I can't create an ad yet
“Your ad account is still being reviewed.”
Why it happens. New advertisers are checked by a person before their first ad.
What to do. This usually takes less than a day. If it has been longer, email advertise@ceylonchat.com.
My ad is approved but nothing is showing
Why it happens. An approved ad only runs against money that has actually been paid in.
What to do. Open the ad and tap Add money. The status changes from Needs funding to Running.
Request payout is greyed out
Why it happens. A payout needs three things: Stripe connected, Stripe's checks passed, and a balance of at least $5.00.
What to do. Finish Stripe onboarding, then reload the Earn money page — we ask Stripe for your status each time it opens. If Stripe is still asking for a document, finish that first. Anything else, email support@ceylonchat.com.
What can I spend points on?
Why it happens. Nothing yet — the rewards programme is still being built.
What to do. Points have no cash value today. Keep collecting them; they carry over.
Still stuck
Email support@ceylonchat.com with your username, what you were trying to do, and a screenshot if you have one — including the exact words of any error message. That is usually enough for us to find the problem straight away.