Frequently Asked Questions

RotaTalk is a voice-first social network that turns any journey into a social experience, instantly connecting everyone on the road in live voice channels. Whether you're a long-haul trucker, a traveler, or just someone looking for road assistance, RotaTalk connects you live with other people on the move.

Key features include:

• Instant voice channels for real-time communication
• Live map & discovery to see other users around you
• Mini & Maxi player for flexible conversation management
• Driver-focused smart design with automatic light/dark theme
• Secure community with encrypted communications
• Multi-language support (11 languages available)

1. Download RotaTalk from the App Store or Google Play Store
2. Create an account using your email address or phone number (phone signup available in limited countries)
3. Verify your email or phone number
4. Join available channels
5. Start communicating with other drivers

RotaTalk uses live voice channels for real-time communication:

• Join public channels specific to your region, route, or interests
• Share traffic updates, get radar alerts, or just have conversations
• All communication is hands-free and designed for safe driving
• Use the Mini Player to browse while staying connected to conversations
• Switch to Maxi Player for detailed channel information and map view

RotaTalk features two player modes for flexible conversation management:

• Mini Player: Drag to any corner of the screen, lets you browse the app while staying connected to conversations
• Maxi Player: Full-featured view with detailed channel information, live map showing everyone's location, friend invitation features, and favorite channel functionality

Never miss the conversation while using other app features!

RotaTalk channels are live voice communication rooms organized by:

• Region: Connect with drivers in your area
• Route: Join channels for specific highways or routes
• Interests: Topic-based channels for different discussions

Each channel has experienced moderators and user reporting features to maintain a respectful, professional environment.

Yes! You can apply to be a moderator directly from within the app. Our community is built on respect and professionalism, and we welcome responsible users who want to help maintain a positive environment for all drivers.

RotaTalk's "Go Live" feature gives you complete control over location sharing:

• Manual Control: You must actively tap "Go Live" to share your location with others in your channel
• Session-Based: Location sharing is temporary and automatically stops when you leave a channel or close the app
• Mutual Benefit: To see others on the map, you must first share your own location by going "Live"
• Always Controllable: You can manually stop sharing at any time with the "Stop" button
• Privacy First: Your location is never shared without your explicit, ongoing consent

This feature is particularly useful when you need to connect with other drivers in your area or request help.

To see other users on the map, you need to first tap "Go Live" and share your own location. This creates a fair and reciprocal system where everyone who wants to see others must also be willing to share their location.

If you've already gone "Live" and still can't see others, it means there are no other users currently sharing their location in your area or channel.

To share your location with others:

1. Join a voice channel
2. Look for the "Go Live" button on the map
3. Tap "Go Live" to start sharing your location
4. Your location will now be visible to others in your channel

Remember: Your location sharing will automatically stop when you leave the channel or close the app.

No, absolutely not. RotaTalk only shares your location when you explicitly choose to "Go Live." Here's how it works:

• Manual Action Required: You must actively tap "Go Live" to share your location
• Session-Based: Sharing automatically stops when you leave a channel or close the app
• No Background Sharing: Your location is never shared in the background or without your knowledge
• Complete Control: You decide when to start and stop sharing

You can stop sharing your location in several ways:

• Manual Stop: Tap the "Stop" button while you're "Live"
• Leave Channel: Exit the voice channel you're in
• Close App: Close or minimize the RotaTalk app

Location sharing will also automatically stop if you lose internet connection or if the app crashes.

Yes, we take the security of your location data seriously:

• Data is hosted on servers located within the European Union
• We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures
• Only the last known location is stored for safety purposes
• Location data is only used for essential service functionality
• Your location is only shared with others when you're "Live"

RotaTalk is designed specifically for drivers with safety and usability in mind:

• Eye-friendly Design: Automatic light/dark theme that adapts to your environment
• Non-distracting Notifications: Smart notifications that don't interfere with driving
• Haptic Feedback: Feel your microphone status without looking at the screen
• Hands-free Operation: All features designed to keep your eyes on the road
• Professional Environment: Built with input from real truck drivers

RotaTalk is available in 11 languages:

• English, Turkish, Spanish, German, French
• Portuguese, Ukrainian, Italian, Polish, Dutch, Russian

Our translations are AI-assisted, so there may be small errors. We appreciate your understanding and ask you to please report any potential translation errors to support@rotatalk.com.

Yes, your safety and privacy are our priority:

• Secure Communications: All voice communications are protected with industry-standard encryption
• GDPR & KVKK Compliant: Full compliance with privacy regulations
• Transparent Privacy Policy: Clear information about data usage
• Secure Community: Experienced admins and user reporting features
• Respectful Environment: Professional community standards

When you block another user, the blocking is mutual and comprehensive:

• Complete Invisibility: Neither of you can see each other on maps, in channel participant lists, or user profiles
• Audio Muting: You won't hear their voice and they won't hear yours in any voice channels
• Real-time Effect: The block takes effect immediately across the entire app
• Mutual Block: Even though only you initiated the block, they also cannot see or interact with you

This ensures a complete separation for both users' safety and comfort.

If another user blocks you, you will experience the same effects as if you had blocked them:

• You won't see them: They disappear from your maps, channels, and participant lists
• You won't hear them: Their audio is automatically muted in voice channels
• No notification: You won't receive any notification that you've been blocked
• Seamless experience: The app continues to work normally, they simply aren't visible to you

This mutual invisibility protects both users' privacy and prevents harassment.

No, we do not send notifications when someone is blocked:

• No direct notification: The blocked user won't receive a message saying they've been blocked
• Mutual invisibility: From their perspective, you simply disappear from the app
• Privacy protection: This prevents potential retaliation or harassment attempts
• Natural experience: The app continues working for them, but without seeing you

This design protects your safety while maintaining a respectful user experience.

If you're in a channel with blocked users, you'll see a modified count and explanation:

• Modified Count Display: Instead of "5 online", you might see "5 online (2 blocked)"
• Information Banner: A temporary banner appears explaining that some participants are hidden due to blocking
• Your Protection: This ensures you're aware of the actual channel activity while protecting your blocking privacy
• Accurate Information: You always know the real number of people in the channel, just not who they are

This transparency helps you understand channel activity while maintaining the blocking system's effectiveness.

You can manage your blocked users list through the app:

1. Open the RotaTalk app
2. Go to the Menu tab
3. Select "Privacy & Safety"
4. Choose "Blocked Users"
5. View your list of blocked users and tap "Unblock" next to anyone you want to unblock

Note: Once you unblock someone, you'll both be able to see and communicate with each other again immediately. They won't be notified that they were previously blocked or that they've been unblocked.

To delete your RotaTalk account:

1. Open the RotaTalk app
2. Go to Menu
3. Select "Account"
4. Choose "Account Deletion"
5. Follow the next steps

After the 30-day grace period:

• All your personal information is permanently deleted
• Your username becomes available for others
• Your voice messages are not stored as RotaTalk uses live streaming (no recording)
• Your location data is deleted

No, RotaTalk does not record your voice communications:

• Real-time Communication: All voice communications happen in real-time only
• No Recording: Voice messages are not stored on our servers
• Real-time Only: Communications happen in real-time and are not saved
• Privacy Protection: Your conversations remain private and temporary

This ensures your voice communications are truly private and not stored anywhere.

Currently, RotaTalk does not have a user-to-user blocking feature:

• No Blocking: You cannot block individual users from contacting you
• Channel Moderation: Channel moderators can manage users within their channels
• Report System: You can report abusive behavior in two ways:
  • Email support@rotatalk.com directly
  • Use the "Report User" option in user profiles when viewing the user list in channels
• Community Guidelines: All users must follow our terms of service

If you experience issues with other users, please contact our support team for assistance.

You are fully responsible for your microphone control:

• Your Responsibility: You control when your microphone is on or off
• Manual Control: Your mic stays open until you manually turn it off
• Moderator Assistance: Channel moderators can mute your microphone if needed (e.g., if you forget to turn it off)
• Not Private: Remember: this is not a private conversation - others can hear you when your mic is on
• Your Content: You are responsible for everything transmitted through your microphone

When you first join a channel, you'll see an important warning about microphone usage and your responsibility for all transmitted content.

RotaTalk has age restrictions for user safety:

• Minimum Age: You must be at least the minimum age of digital consent in your country, or the age specified by the app's local rating on your device's app store (such as the App Store or Google Play), whichever is higher
• Age Verification: We may request age verification if needed
• Parental Consent: Users under 18 may need parental consent where required by law
• Professional Use: RotaTalk is designed for professional drivers and mobile workers

Please check your local app store rating for the specific age requirement in your region.

No, analytics cannot be opted out as they are essential for service functionality:

• Essential Service Data: Analytics are used for app functionality and improvement
• No Opt-out: Analytics data collection cannot be disabled
• Service Enhancement: This data helps us improve app performance and add new features
• No Advertising: Data is not used for advertising or tracking purposes

Analytics are used solely for service functionality and have been disclosed to Apple and Google as required.

If you experience technical problems with RotaTalk:

• Contact Support: Email support@rotatalk.com with detailed information
• Include Details: Describe the issue, your device, and steps to reproduce
• Response Time: We aim to respond within 24-48 hours
• Bug Reports: Technical issues help us improve the app

For urgent issues, please mark your email as "URGENT" in the subject line.

RotaTalk is designed for professional drivers to connect and communicate. The following activities are prohibited:

• Commercial Activities: No commercial solicitation, advertising of cargo transportation services, or posting cargo availability/transportation requests
• Trade & Transactions: No conducting any form of trade or commercial transactions
• False Information: No sharing false, misleading, or deliberately inaccurate information
• Abusive Behavior: No harassing, abusive, or discriminatory behavior
• Illegal Activities: No illegal activities or promotion of illegal content
• Privacy Violations: No sharing personal or sensitive information of others without consent

Violating these rules may result in account suspension or device banning to maintain a safe community environment.

RotaTalk uses device-level banning to prevent abusive behavior and maintain a safe community:

• Device Banning: If you violate our terms, your device may be banned to prevent creating new accounts for abusive behavior
• Persistent Ban: Device bans remain in effect even if you delete your account, preventing new account creation on that device
• Security Measure: This system helps protect other users from repeated abusive behavior attempts
• Appeal Process: If you believe your device was banned in error, contact support@rotatalk.com

This system ensures that banned users cannot simply create new accounts to continue problematic behavior.

Try these troubleshooting steps:

1. Check your internet connection
2. Ensure you have the latest app version
3. Restart or reinstall the app
4. If problems persist, contact support through the app's feedback functionality. You can find it in Menu screen.

You can report inappropriate behavior by:

1. Using the report button in the channel
2. Contacting a channel moderator
3. Submitting a report through the feedback form

All reports are handled confidentially and investigated promptly.