What does it cost?
Nothing during the beta. Every feature on this page is free for testers.
I'm new to investing. Will I be lost?
That's exactly who Learn mode is for. Switch it on and every figure on a stock's page becomes tappable, with a plain-English explanation built around that company's actual numbers, so the card teaches you as you read it instead of sending you off to look things up. There is also a stock market simulator if you would rather learn by doing than by reading.
Does it do crypto?
Yes. Write the pair with the dollar quote, like $BTC-USD, $ETH-USD or $SOL-USD, and you get the same card in the thread that a stock gets, plus a full page with a scrubable chart out to five years, market cap, circulating supply and a short explanation of what the coin is. Coins go in your watchlists next to your stocks, they show up on the group's leaderboard, and you can ask Max about them. A bare $BTC is read as a stock ticker, which is why coins carry the -USD.
Why TestFlight and not the App Store?
StockChat is in open beta: anyone can install it, no invite needed. TestFlight is Apple's official way to distribute a beta. It's a free app from Apple. Install it first, then the link installs StockChat. An App Store release is the plan.
Do I have to connect a brokerage account?
No. StockChat has no brokerage integration today, asks for no financial credentials, and executes no trades. It's a conversation about stocks, not a place to buy them. If you want to practise without risking anything, there is paper trading built in: simulated money, real prices.
Can strangers find my group?
No. There is no public feed, no directory, no follower counts, and no way to browse other people's groups. The only way in is the group's 6-character join code, from someone already in the thread. Anyone holding that code can join, so send it deliberately.
Who can see my group's messages?
The people holding your group's join code, so share it only with people you mean to include. There's no public feed and no discovery, and message text is encrypted both in storage and inside notifications. For the full detail on how messages are stored and who can access what, read the privacy policy.
Is this investment advice?
No. StockChat is informational and educational. It isn't a broker-dealer or an investment adviser, nothing in it is a recommendation, and market data can be delayed or wrong. Your money, your call.
Is there an Android version?
Not today. It's iPhone only, and built natively for iOS.