New edition · 20 September 2026 · IMS Hub Editorial
An introduction request is an invitation to consider a conversation. You can read the profile, decide whether the connection interests you and choose what to share at your own pace. A familiar university name or an appealing photo may prompt a closer look, but neither creates an obligation to accept.
Connect gives the recipient two clear responses: accept or ignore. If you accept, you make a separate choice about your own contact methods. Understanding that decision makes it easier to respond thoughtfully instead of treating every request as a notification that needs an immediate yes.
Open the request and read the context
Open Introductions from Connect. Incoming invitations appear under Recent requests, where you can open the person’s profile before responding. You can also reach your connections from your own Connect profile.
Read the bio for an interest or purpose you recognize. Look at any approved academic status in context: an incoming student, current student and graduate may have very different experiences. A common institution can be a starting point, but the bio helps you decide what you might actually discuss.
Imagine that a student interested in language practice receives a request from someone whose bio mentions the same interest. That is a reasonable basis for considering an introduction. If the profile instead offers very little relevant context, the recipient may choose to leave the request alone. Both decisions fit a considered approach to meeting people.
Accept with your own sharing choice
Choose Accept when you want to continue. The contact-sharing sheet asks which of your available methods you want this person to receive. Select at least one and confirm with Accept and connect.
If you need to add a method first, save it privately in the Contact vault and return. Merely adding a number or handle does not accept the introduction. WhatsApp, WeChat, Instagram and Telegram are supported, and nothing is selected for this new exchange by default.
Your selection belongs to this connection. You might choose one method for student conversations while keeping your other methods private. The sender receives what you select; you receive the methods they selected with their request. There is no requirement to provide every available way to reach you.
Once the acceptance is confirmed, Connect can show the approved shared contacts. Use the available contact action to move to the external service. It is fine to begin with a short greeting and agree on what you would like to discuss before making plans.
Ignore a request when it does not fit
Choose Ignore if you do not want the introduction. Ignoring shares no contact details. The interface handles the decision privately, so you do not need to write an explanation or start an external conversation to decline.
You can also take time to decide. Requests may expire or otherwise stop being active; if the app says a request is no longer available, refresh instead of assuming an acceptance succeeded. Only act on the current state shown in the app.
Ignoring is useful when a request simply does not suit you. If there is a specific concern about the profile or conduct, open the profile’s Safety options to consider blocking or making a private report. Those controls address a different need from declining an ordinary invitation.
Begin the conversation at a comfortable pace
Acceptance makes selected contact details available; it does not set an agenda. A first message in the external app might say, “Hi, we connected through IMS Hub. I noticed your interest in language practice. What are you learning at the moment?” It gives the other person room to respond without imposing a task.
Receiving introductions and existing mutual contacts remain included in Basic, subject to eligibility, consent and safety controls. You can revisit sharing choices later through the connection’s Manage sharing control.
Explore Connect in IMS Hub and use each request as a decision about one person and one possible conversation.
