Tell your friends to Ping! you

What is Ping!

Ping! is iphone-to-iphone messaging that also works with the iPod Touch.  Ping! works with push notifications so that messages can be delivered ANYWHERE in the world, instantly.  The experience is simple and familiar (resembles SMS!) but does not incur additional carrier charges, like text messaging would.

Ping! is like Blackberry Messenger/BBM!

Ping! is similar to BBM in that you can message other iPhones and iPod Touches quickly and easily without text messaging costs.  Ping! is intended for your friends and works only when you have your friend's Ping! ID to start messaging.

Getting started

What is a Ping! ID?

Your Ping! ID identifies you and is required to send messages.  Choose a Ping! ID that you are WILLING TO KEEP AND IDENTIFIES YOU.  (E.g. gary.fung, johnsmith2000, amymcd).  It will be easier for your friends to ping! you if you have a simple ID that represents YOU - your first and last name is recommended.  Note that your ID must be between 4-20 characters in length.

Can I change my Ping! ID?

At the moment, no.  In future updates, this may be possible but similar to your phone number, changing it will have consequences to your friends trying to Ping! you.  The next update will have the ability to unregister your ID.

Do I need wifi or 3G?

Ping! works with either wifi or 3G(data) in order to send push notifications to your device.  It will also work on EDGE, but will inherently be much slower relative to 3G. 

Does Ping! work with iPod Touch?

Yes.  If you have an iPod Touch, Ping! allows you to send messages to other iPod Touches AND iPhones when you are connected to wifi.

Do I need iPhone OS 3.0 software?

Yes. Version 3.0 of the operating system (or higher) is required because it enables push notifications.  Without this software, you will not be able to send/receive any messages.  This applies to iPod Touch as well. 

Using Ping!

I have successfully created my Ping! ID, what now?

Please review the homepage.   Share your Ping! ID with your friends with iPhones and iPod Touch.  You can also send your friends an invitation to get Ping! so you can start messaging each other from anywhere in the world.  

How do I set up my photo?

Linking the Ping! ID to the contact in your Address Book will allow you to see their photo/picture.  Currently, Ping! is not intended to function like an IM system where users have a profile photo.  

I am getting messages from people I don't know.  How can I stop this?

In a future update, you will be able to block users from sending you messages.  In the meanwhile, please email support with the Ping! ID you are receiving messages from to have those users blocked.

When I travel, does this mean I can use Ping! to save money?

Yes.  Ping! will help you save money from SMS and roaming SMS charges.  However, data/roaming data(3G) or wifi is still required because Ping! messages are pushed to your device.  If you can use wifi during your travels, Ping! is ideal.  Consult your local carrier about roaming charges.

Features

Can I update my status?

Ping! is straight-forward SMS-style messaging.  Currently, you cannot indicate your status.

What about group-chat?

Currently, Ping! does not support group-chat.  Messages are sent to one Ping! contact at a time.

Can I use landscape mode?

Yes.  Landscape mode is available for sending messages.

Troubleshooting

I can’t get past the initial "Connecting please wait" screen.  What’s wrong?

When Ping! first launches, it attempts to setup push notifications on your device.  In order to do so, you must satisfy the following requirements:

1) Have a stable functioning internet connection (it can be any of WiFi, 3G, EDGE)

2) Did not unlock your device

3) Have unrestricted network access on the port 5223 according to Apple's engineers who have contacted us. This is usually a problem for iPod Touch users who are behind a proxy or a firewall (e.g. company/university network etc).  If you are an iPhone user, we encourage you to use the cell network rather than Wifi if you have this problem.

If you have met these requirements, ensure all your notifications are ON in Settings->Notifications->Ping! before launching the app.

If this still does not allow you to connect, reinstalling OS 3.0 should do the trick. 

When installing, connect to the Internet and log in to iTunes.  Internet connection is required so that iTunes can log into your account and enable push service.

My iPhone is unlocked.  Is there is no way Ping! can work for me?

Apple blocks access to their notification server from unlocked devices. If you have an unlocked device, there may be a solution.  Please visit the Ping! Facebook community for more information.

If my iPhone is jailbroken, will Ping! work?

"Unlocked" does not equal "jailbroken".  If you have purchased your iPhone from an unofficial iPhone carrier, you have an unlocked device.  Ping! works perfectly fine on jailbroken devices.  

I can’t receive messages (OR my friend can’t receive my messages).  What's wrong?

Updated information available here.

I am seeing odd text like "String_….", can I fix this?

This is due to language support issues and will be fixed in the next update.  You can turn your device to "English" mode in the meantime.

I am receiving messages, but they come in late.  Is that normal?

We've seen that the majority of notifications are near instant.  However, for some users, notifications come in late (sometimes a few minutes up to a day).  This is an issue associated with Apple's push notification service (APNS).  We deliver the message to APNS and in turn, they are responsible for delivering it to your devices.  Since this service from Apple is still relatively new, it can sometimes experience issues.  This tends to have less impact on other push apps than Ping! due to the nature of the program.  We encourage you to voice your concern to Apple at the following link:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

I received notifications but cannot see the message in the app when I launch it.  Why?

Currently Ping! does not confirm the download of your messages. When you launch the app, it immediately begins to download your new messages.  If the network was interrupted half way through the download, your message will be lost.  This will be improved in a later version to avoid losing messages.  However, in the meantime, it is key to ensure good internet/cellular connection before downloading new messages. This has been a non-issue for the majority of users but we've noticed this as a problem for users who are on a weak cell network.

Ping! seems to crash but my friends have no problem with the app.  What's going on?

Cases may vary.  Updates are underway.  We know you are excited to use the app and we will make Ping! work, we promise!