Imagine a society where if you need help, the strangers around you are your first point of call. Shoji is a social messaging app that acts as a substantial support system by connecting you with the people nearby who can help you achieve anything you need to – anywhere, anytime.

Shoji is the Japanese term for their traditional sliding rice paper doors. For us, Shoji symbolizes sliding doors moments – those instantaneous decisions in life where a choice can bring opportunity, which greatly influences the course of your life… if you choose to accept it.

Nothing! It is available for FREE on the Apple App Store and Google Play store.

Shoji is available to download from the App Store and Google Play Store. Just search for “Shoji” or click the app store badges here.

As of June 27, 2016, the minimum age requirement for Shoji is 17 years old.

Shoji relies on geolocation services to connect with the people around you. You will need to activate the geolocation settings on your smartphone.

Yes, Wi-Fi/3G/4G are all suitable.

No, the app continues to register all who’s around you in real-time.

Please refer to our Privacy Policy at http://www.shojieffect.com/privacy-policy/

Review Shoji’s Terms and Conditions to find out what constitutes a violation, and how to go about fixing a related problem. Contact us here.

We require two step verification in order to login and create an account with Shoji. From the main screen when you first open the app, login using Facebook. Next, you will be asked to input your phone number and we will send you a 4 digit code. Open your text messages to retrieve the code and input this into the verification screen on Shoji.

You can logout by clicking your profile picture in the top left corner on any screen. This will bring up a menu, and you can choose to logout.

Shoji will not post anything to your Facebook page without your permission.

We require you to sign in with your Facebook account to prevent fake profiles, and ensure your safety.

o Please refer to our Privacy Policy at http://www.shojieffect.com/privacy-policy/

If you uninstall Shoji the app will no longer be on your phone, but your account and all your contacts will be preserved.

When you first login to Shoji you are prompted to complete your Profile. You can change or edit your information at any time by returning to the Profile section.

Your name and age details are pulled from Facebook. If you would like to change this information you will have to change it directly on Facebook.

You can change your photos by navigating to the Profile section and tapping the picture tiles to change a photo or upload a new one.

The“I am looking for” hashtag describes your number one priority in that present moment. This allows you to express your current needs or goals to the people around you. The “I am looking for hashtag” also encompasses a corresponding short sentence that helps to further elaborate your number one priority. For example, “‘#JustinBieber’ I need 2 more last minute tickets.”

Change your “I am looking for” hashtag by tapping the Orange hashtag button on the bottom navigation bar. You can also change it from your profile page.

Go to the Profile section by pressing your profile picture in the top left of screen. Choose the field you want to change and tap the magnifying glass icon. This will bring up a new screen for you to search and select a new hashtag.

Go to the Profile section by pressing your profile picture in the top left of screen. Choose the section you want to edit by tapping the text box. This will bring up a new screen for you to write replacement text. Make sure you click save when you are done.

When you appear in other users’ Who’s Around Me section, they will be able to view your profile and the photos and videos you have uploaded. Additionally, if you have added anyone into your Contacts, they will also be able to see your profile.

Navigate to your Profile page and click the ‘connect to Instagram’ button. You will prompted to log in to Instagram with your username and password.

Really? We’re sad to see you go! You can delete your account in the settings panel which is accessed by pressing your profile picture in the top left of screen. You will be prompted to confirm that you want to delete your account.

Yes. You can choose to log out of the app to go offline without deleting the app. You can then log in when you’d like to use the app again.

Only your contacts and the people in your area can see your profile.

You can see someone else’s profile by clicking their profile picture from the Who’s Around Me section or the Pulse section. You can also visit a contact’s profile page by navigating to your contact list inside the Chat section and then clicking the particular user’s name.

You can open a chat with someone by clicking the Chat button when you are on their profile page.

Suppose you see someone on the street you think you might be interested to meet. However, right now you lack the confidence, or maybe you are pressed for time. You can load Shoji, see their profile and use the Flag function to be notified when you cross paths with that person again.

Go to the Profile of the person you want to Flag. Scroll down and choose the Flag button.

The Shoji Link feature brings people together and allows you to play the middleman by introducing people that might have something to offer to people that need it. Your contact does NOT have to be within proximity, so you can still make the introduction.

In order to introduce a contact to someone you see needs help on the app, navigate to their profile page and scroll down to select the Link button. You will then be asked to select a contact to introduce to the person who needs help.

See who is nearby, what their priority is, and what interests you have in common. When you are within a close distance of another user, you will be able to see their profile in the Around Me section of the app.

If another Shoji user is within 250 metres of you then their profile will appear in your Who’s Around Me section.

From the Around Me section of the app, you just need to click their profile picture in order to be taken to their profile. From here, just scroll down and click the Chat button to start a conversation.

The Hashtag you see on other people’s profile is their “I am looking for” hashtag. This lets you know their number one priority, right here right now. Can you help?

Your contact list from your phone will be added to the app in order to make it easier to start a new chat.

Go to the Chat section and choose Contacts. Click the contact you want to start (or resume) a conversation with. The chat window will appear on the next page.

You can add someone new to your contacts inside the Chat function.Begin a new chat with another Shoji user and click the “add” button located on the top right of the chat screen. If the other user also decides to add you, then they will be added to your contact list, and you will be added to their contact list.

The “I am looking for” hashtag describes your number one priority in that present moment. This allows you to express your current needs or goals to the people around you.

The “I am looking for hashtag” also encompasses a corresponding short sentence that helps to further elaborate your number one priority. For example, “‘#JustinBeiber’ I need 2 more last minute tickets.” We recommend completing the short sentence so you can be more specific.

When you first login to Shoji you will be promoted to set your I am looking for Hashtag.

Change your “I am looking for” hashtag by tapping the Orange hashtag button on the bottom navigation bar. This will bring up a new screen for you to search for a relevant hashtag or create your own.

You can change your hashtag as often as you like. We recommend updating it as soon as your needs or priorities change, which can be multiple times per day or once a week.

Send a message to a wider audience. Every Shoji user within walking distance will see your Pulse and can respond to it.

Users within a 1 km radius can see a Pulse

Each Pulse lasts 12 hours from whenit was posted.

Open the Pulse section in the app and tap the Plus symbol “+” icon in the top right corner. This will bring up a new screen for you to submit your question.

You can see your Pulse in the My Pulse window within the Pulse section.

You can comment on other people’s Pulses in the Pulse Feed by selecting a particular Pulse to show the entire thread. At the bottom of screen tap the empty field to begin typing your comment or reply.

You can click helpful if you deem a particular user’s comment helpful. This will count towards increasing their Reputation score.

When a Pulse expires it is no longer visible in other peoples’ Pulse Feed. You can see all of your Pulses, both currently active and expired, in the My Pulses section.

There is a timer on each Pulse to display how long it has until expiry.

When other users click the Helpful button on your Pulses, Pulse replies, and inside Chat, your reputation ranking increases to reflect your helpfulness.

You can see your reputation on your own profile page.

Increase your reputation by offering thoughtful solutions and replies to other people’s Pulses. As long as people find your posts helpful and engaging, they should mark your responses as Helpful and your reputation should increase.

When you click the Helpful button on other users’ Pulses, Pulse replies, and inside Chat, you help them to increase their reputation ranking and let them know that they’ve been helpful.

Currently, Shoji is only available for download in Australia. Keep an eye out for Shoji updates and for when we’ll be launching in more countries.

This is likely temporary so please try again at a later time with a strong Internet connection. If the issue persists, try reinstalling the app. To reinstall, just delete the app from your phone and download Shoji again. As long as you don't delete your account, this won't delete your Contacts, messages and Pulses.

This is likely a temporary situation; please make sure you have a strong Internet connection.

It’s likely that person either blocked you or deleted their account. Try logging out and logging back in just to be sure.

You can reach us on our Contact Us page.