Only download Mechi from mechyapp.com. We never send the app through WhatsApp, Telegram, email or other websites. A copy from anywhere else may have been changed to steal your details.
Before you start
- An Android phone running Android 7.0 or newer. Mechi is not yet available for iPhone.
- At least 200 MB of free storage space.
- An internet connection. Wi-Fi is best, as the download is fairly large.
- A real email address you can open, to confirm your account.
Install step by step
The exact words differ a little between phone brands, but the steps are the same.
- Download. On your phone, open mechyapp.com/install.html in Chrome and tap Download Mechi. If Chrome asks whether to keep the file, tap Download anyway. Chrome asks this for every app downloaded from a website.
- Open the file. When the download finishes, tap Open. If you missed it, open your Files or Downloads app and tap mechi.apk.
- Allow the install. The first time, your phone says it is not allowed to install unknown apps from this source. Tap Settings, switch on Allow from this source, then tap the back arrow.
- Install. Tap Install. If Play Protect (the phone's built-in scanner) offers to check the app, tap Scan app and wait a few seconds. This is a normal check for apps that do not come from an app store.
- Open Mechi. Tap Open, then sign up with your real name and email. We send you a 6-digit code to confirm your email.
After installing
- Switch "Install unknown apps" back off for extra safety: go to Settings, Apps, Special app access, Install unknown apps, choose Chrome (or the app you downloaded with) and turn it off. Mechi keeps working.
- Delete the downloaded file (mechi.apk) from your Downloads to free up space. The app stays installed.
- When Mechi asks for your location, choose While using the app. Mechi needs it to show people near you, and never shows anyone your exact location.
Updating Mechi
When a new version is ready, download it from this page in the same way and tap Update (or Install). There is no need to uninstall first: your account, matches and messages stay as they are.
If something goes wrong
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| "App not installed" | An older copy of Mechi from somewhere else may be on the phone. Uninstall it (press and hold the Mechi icon, then Uninstall), then install again. Also check you have enough free space. |
| "There was a problem parsing the package" | The download did not finish. Delete mechi.apk from Downloads and download it again, ideally on Wi-Fi. |
| Play Protect says the app is blocked or unsafe | Make sure you downloaded the file from mechyapp.com. If you did, tap More details, then Install anyway. If you are unsure, do not install it and email [email protected]. |
| Nothing happens when I tap the file | Open the file from your Files or Downloads app instead, and make sure you allowed installs from that app (step 3). |
| Mechi says it cannot reach the server | Check your internet connection. The first time you open Mechi in a while it can take up to a minute to connect. |
Still stuck? Email [email protected] with your phone model and a screenshot of the message you see.
Stay safe
- Mechi only ever asks for your phone number on the Premium screen, to send the M-Pesa payment prompt. You enter your M-Pesa PIN only on Safaricom's own prompt, never inside a chat or a website.
- Mechi never asks you to install other apps, and never asks for access to your contacts, SMS, calls or camera.
- If anyone sends you a "Mechi" app or link outside mechyapp.com, do not open it. Report it to [email protected].