2. Selecting Your Skills

After creating your profile, you'll need to define which skills you want to learn and which skills you can teach:

• Skills to Learn: Browse through our extensive list of skills or use the search feature to find specific skills you're interested in learning. Tap on a skill to select it.
• Skills to Teach: Similarly, browse or search for skills that you're proficient in and willing to teach others. Tap to select these skills.
• Free vs. Premium Account: Free accounts can select one skill to learn and one skill to teach. Premium subscribers can add multiple skills in both categories.
• Skill Confirmation: Review and confirm your selected skills. You can always update these later in your profile settings.

Once you've completed these steps, you'll see a success message and be directed to the main homepage of the app.

3. Finding Skill Matches

The homepage displays potential skill-swapping partners based on your selected skills and location:

• Browse Cards: Each card shows a user's name, age, verification status, rating, location, and the skills they want to swap with you.
• Swipe Mechanism: Swipe right if you're interested in connecting with a person to swap skills, or swipe left if you're not interested.
• Filters: Use the filter button at the top of the screen to refine your matches by location or specific skills.
• Match Details: Tap on a card to view more details about the person, including their full profile and the specific skills they can teach you.

4. Managing Connections

After you've shown interest in potential matches, you can manage your connections through the Matches tab:

• Matches Tab: Shows people you've swiped right on, indicating your interest in learning from them.
• Requests Tab: Displays requests from others who are interested in learning from you.
• View Profile: Tap on a match or request to view the person's full profile.
• Send Connection Request: From the Matches tab, you can send a formal connection request to start the skill-swapping process.
• Approve or Decline: From the Requests tab, you can approve or decline connection requests from others.

5. Communication

Once a connection is established, you can communicate with your skill-swapping partner:

• Chat Feature: Access the chat through the chat icon on your connection's profile or through the Chats tab.
• Messaging: Use the built-in messaging system to discuss details about skill-swapping sessions, including scheduling, locations, and specific topics of interest.
• Share Information: You can share emails, links, and other contact information through the chat to facilitate your learning sessions.
• Real-time Features: The chat includes "is typing" indicators and read receipts to enhance the communication experience.

6. Managing Your Account

Access your account settings to manage various aspects of your SkillMatch experience:

• Profile Management: Update your profile picture, personal information, and location details.
• Subscription Management: View your current subscription plan and upgrade to premium if desired.
• Language Settings: Change your preferred app language at any time.
• Skill Management: Add or remove skills that you want to learn or teach (premium feature for multiple skills).
• Notification Settings: Control what notifications you receive from the app.
• Payment Methods: Add, remove, or update payment methods for premium subscriptions.

7. Premium Subscription

SkillMatch offers both free and premium subscription options:

• Free Subscription: Allows you to select one skill to learn and one skill to teach. Available for three months, after which a subscription is required.
• Premium Subscription: Enables you to add multiple skills to both learn and teach categories, enhancing your matching possibilities.
• Payment Options: Upgrade through the settings page using credit/debit cards, Google Pay, or Apple Pay.
• Subscription Management: View your subscription details and cancel your subscription if needed through the account settings.

8. Reviewing Skill Exchanges

After completing skill-swapping sessions, you can provide feedback about your experience:

• Review System: Rate your skill-swapping partner on a star-based system based on the quality of their teaching.
• Specific Feedback: Your reviews are tied to specific skills, so if you learned multiple skills from one person, you can provide separate reviews for each skill.
• Rating Visibility: Ratings contribute to users' overall profiles, helping others make informed decisions about potential skill-swapping partners.

9. Safety and Privacy

SkillMatch prioritizes your safety and privacy:

• Verification Badge: Some users have verification badges, indicating that they have been verified by our system.
• Privacy Controls: Manage your profile visibility and what information is shared with other users.
• Reporting: If you encounter inappropriate behavior, you can report users through their profile or chat.
• Safety Tips: We recommend meeting in public places for initial skill-swapping sessions and taking appropriate safety precautions.

10. Getting Help

If you need assistance while using SkillMatch, we offer several support options:

• In-app Help: Access the help center through the settings menu for frequently asked questions and guides.
• Customer Support: Contact our support team via email or through the app for personalized assistance.
• Feedback: Share your suggestions or report issues to help us improve the SkillMatch experience.

We hope this guide helps you make the most of your SkillMatch experience. Our platform is designed to facilitate meaningful skill exchanges and connections between people who want to learn from each other. Happy skill matching!