Frequently asked questions

Using the site: bugs, problems, abuse

How can I use BeWelcome on my mobile device/cell phone? Is there an app?

Yes, there is a BeWelcome mobile app for Android which you can download from the PlayStore or directly from https://downloads.bewelcome.org/apps/BeWelcome-1.0.0.1.apk.

Depending on your browser you may also see a message inviting you to install the app when visiting www.bewelcome.org.

For i0S/iPhone we don’t have an app yet, since BeWelcome has been focusing its limited resources on a single site version which is user-friendly on all devices and which adapts to varying screen sizes. This eliminates the need to maintain separate versions for web, Android and iOS and lets members use the same version across all their devices, without installing an app.

Another way to access BeWelcome in the same way as with a mobile app, you can add a shortcut to your home screen through the menu of your web browser:

  • Firefox: Page | Add as shortcut
  • Opera: Add to | Home screen
  • Chrome: Add to the home screen
  • iOS Safari: Tap on “Share” icon | Add to home screen
I have found a dead link, a weird profile or another problem on the website. What should I do?

Please contact us, tell us the problem and we will try to find a solution. If there is an error message, please copy that into the bug report. Thanks for helping us!

I found a profile that does not comply to the rules and the values of the site (e.g. there is a link to a pornographic website). Can you remove this?

Please send an abuse report through the contact us form or by e-mail to safety [at] bewelcome [dot] org and tell us the username of that member. We will contact the concerned member, and tell him/her to change his/her profile (delete that link). Links to pornographic web sites are often entered by a malware program running on the infected person’s computer. Whenever that person fills in a form on the internet and there is a field to enter a URL, this program enters the link automatically – so it’s not necessarily an abuse from that member. We will, however, keep an eye on them.

Can I stop messages from going to my e-mail account? For me it’s enough to read them on the website.

There are different types of messages on BeWelcome with different possible settings regarding the forwarding to your e-mail account:

  • Personal Messages: These are private messages from other members, for example requests to stay with you. To make sure that you always get these messages, even without logging on to the website, these messages will always be forwarded to your e-mail account. There is no possibility to opt out from receiving such messages. The idea of BeWelcome is to bring people together in real life and we consider a working e-mail account as one link to you in real life.
  • BeWelcome Newsletters: From time to time (usually every three months) we send out a newsletter about developments on BeWelcome and in hospitality exchange. These newsletters will only be sent to your e-mail account, not to your BeWelcome inbox. If you do not want to receive the BeWelcome newsletters, you can change your settings in your personal preferences accordingly: For the setting “I want to receive periodic news about BeWelcome by mail” choose “No” and then click on “Submit form” at the bottom of the page.
  • Notifications about local events: Sometimes, local volunteers may send out e-mails to local members about hospitality exchange events in the area. These notifications are not commercial, they are about BeWelcome events in your area or about hospitality exchange subjects. If you do not want to receive these notifications, you can change your settings in your personal preferences accordingly: For the setting “Notifications about local events” choose “No” and then click on “Submit form” at the bottom of the page.
  • Notifications from BeWelcome groups: If you are a member of one or more groups on BeWelcome, you might have chosen to receive notifications about new posts in your group(s) when you became a group member. To disable these notifications, go to the respective group page and choose “Member settings” from the sub menu below the group title. There you can choose “No” for the setting “I want to receive e-mail updates from this group”. Click on “Update member settings” to save your changes.
  • Notifications from the BeWelcome Forum: You might also receive messages from the BeWelcome Forum if you have subscribed to forum topics or tags. To review and change your forum subscription settings, please go to your “subscriptions page” and unsubscribe from the topics and tags you no longer want to be notified about (just click on the “Unsubscribe” button).
I have lost my password. What can I do?

Get a new password here.

A new password will then be sent to your mail account. Please change the password soon to prevent abuse and to make sure you will remember your password more easily.

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I heard that BeWelcome is an open source project. Where can I find the source and more information about that?

BeWelcome is indeed the first non-profit and open source based travel and hospitality exchange network. You can find more information and get access to the source by visiting our developer’s corner.