New edition · 20 September 2026 · IMS Hub Editorial
A useful first session in Connect starts with a small intention: meet someone who shares an interest, find a fellow student nearby, or get to know people connected to your university. You do not need a polished personal brand. You need a clear profile and an understanding of what you are choosing to share.
Connect is the people side of IMS Hub’s Academic + Connect experience. Academic supports study research and shortlisting; Connect helps people discover one another and make introductions. Here is how to move from a new profile to a considered first request.
Complete the three setup essentials
Connect is available to eligible users aged 16 or older, subject to any higher local minimum. Follow the account-details prompts and check the information before confirming it. Account confirmation is a setup step; it should not be read as an independent verification of someone’s identity.
The readiness checklist covers account details, your profile and photos. For the profile, write your own short bio and accept the community standards. Add at least one profile photo to finish the core setup. Academic evidence is optional when you first get started, so you can prepare your ordinary profile before deciding whether to submit university information for review.
Give the bio one useful job: explain what another person could talk to you about. For example, a student might write, “Engineering student who enjoys photography and weekend walks. Happy to compare study routines and exchange beginner language practice.” That gives a reader several natural starting points without asking them to guess your interests.
Review the profile someone else will read
Choose a clear main photo and make sure your bio still sounds like you. You can add more photos later, up to six in total. A photo that shows an interest can support the words in your bio, while a short caption can explain its context.
Keep contact handles out of the bio if you want to use Connect’s individual sharing choices. The app provides a private contact vault for WhatsApp, WeChat, Instagram and Telegram. Saving a method there prepares it for a later decision; it does not send an introduction or share it with everyone who sees your profile.
You can return to your Connect profile to edit the bio, manage photos and review profile preferences. Treat setup as a useful first version that you can maintain as your interests change.
Choose a discovery route that fits your purpose
For nearby discovery, open Connect and press and hold the Connect button until the progress completes. The app requests foreground location to start a live session. Read the resulting status before you begin browsing; a permission or connection issue may need attention first.
University-community discovery is a separate option. It uses an approved institutional affiliation and your choice to include that community. It can show eligible people from the same institution across locations, including different stages of study. It is useful when a shared university matters more to you than being nearby.
Basic includes 20 distinct discovery profiles per UTC day and five outgoing introductions per UTC calendar month. Core and Pro include expanded Connect, with daily, pending-request and safety controls still applying. Use your available introductions for people whose profiles give you a reason to connect.
Make one considered introduction
Open a profile and read it before choosing Request introduction. You will select the contact methods you are willing to share if the person accepts. The recipient makes a separate choice of their own. Acceptance unlocks only the selected methods, and the conversation continues through an external app.
A first session can be complete after one relevant request. You can review its progress in Introductions, respond to incoming requests and return to discovery another time. Explore IMS Hub on mobile to begin with a profile that represents you clearly.
خلاصهٔ فارسی
برای شروع در Connect، اطلاعات حساب را بررسی کنید، معرفی کوتاهی بنویسید، اصول جامعه را بپذیرید و دستکم یک عکس اضافه کنید. برای یافتن افراد نزدیک، دکمهٔ Connect را نگه دارید و دسترسی موقعیت مکانی هنگام استفاده از برنامه را بررسی کنید. جامعهٔ دانشگاهی به تأیید وابستگی دانشگاهی و انتخاب شما نیاز دارد. ذخیرهٔ راه ارتباطی بهتنهایی آن را منتشر نمیکند؛ هنگام ارسال یا پذیرفتن درخواست، مشخص میکنید کدام روش پس از پذیرش در اختیار طرف مقابل قرار بگیرد.
