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Everything you need to know about connecting, teaching, and learning on Hobvia.
🚀
Getting Started
1
Create your account
Sign up with your email address. You'll receive a one-time code to verify your identity — no password needed.
2
Pick your interests
Choose the hobbies and activities you love. Hobvia uses these to personalise your feed, suggest nearby people, and surface classes that match what you're into.
3
Set your location
Allow location access so you can discover people and classes near you. Your exact coordinates are never shown to other users — only your city.
📰
Feed & Social
1
Post to the feed
Share updates, photos, or videos from the Feed tab. Posts are visible to everyone on Hobvia who shares at least one of your interests.
2
Discover nearby members
The Nearby tab shows members in your area who share your interests. Tap a profile to view their portfolio, interests, and reviews.
3
Send a direct message
Tap the chat icon on any profile or start a conversation from the Messages tab. DMs are private and end-to-end visible only to you and the recipient.
🎓
Booking a Class
1
Find a class
Open the Classes tab and browse listings that match your interests. Tap a listing to see the instructor's bio, pricing, schedule, and student reviews.
2
Choose a session type
Classes are offered in two pricing models. Per-session: pay for a single 1-on-1 or group session at a time — good for trying something out. Monthly program: enrol in an ongoing program billed automatically each month — better value for regular learners.
3
Enable auto-payment (optional, recommended for drop-off)
For per-session classes (individual or group), you can check 'Enable auto-payment (recommended for drop-off)' to skip QR scanning. Payment releases automatically 2 hours after class. Perfect if you're dropping off a child or won't meet the instructor. This option only appears once you've attended a session with that instructor before, and it's never pre-checked — you must opt in yourself each time.
4
Pay securely
Complete checkout with a card via Stripe. The price shown is the final price — no additional fees. Your booking is confirmed instantly once payment succeeds. Monthly programs are billed automatically every month on the same date you first enrolled, and renew until you cancel.
💡 You can cancel an upcoming per-session booking from the Classes tab as long as the session is more than 48 hours away. To cancel a monthly program subscription, tap 'Cancel subscription' — some instructors require cancellation notice, so check the class listing before you enrol. See the Cancellations & Rescheduling section below for full details.
📷 Confirming attendance: You have 3 options: (1) Enable auto-payment during booking — payment releases 2 hours after class, no action needed. (2) Scan QR code during/after class. (3) Tap 'Confirm Attendance' after class (no camera needed). See the Attending a Class section for full details.
⚠️ Auto-payment warning: Only enable auto-payment if you know and trust the instructor. Payment releases automatically without requiring you to verify attendance. For first-time instructors or unfamiliar situations, use QR scan or manual confirmation instead.
📆
Per-session Classes
Per-session classes are single, pay-as-you-go sessions — either 1-on-1 (individual) or open to a group. Students pick a specific date and time from the slots the instructor has made available.
For instructors — setting up your listing
1
Set your availability slots
When creating or editing a per-session class, tap "+ Add Slot" to define when you are available to teach. Each slot has a day of the week and a start time — for example, "Tuesday at 6:00 PM". You can add as many slots as you like. Students will only be able to book sessions that fall on one of these slots, so add every recurring window when you are free.
💡 Slots repeat weekly by default. If a student has already booked a slot, that specific date + time is automatically blocked so no one else can double-book the same 1-on-1 session.
2
Set a minimum booking notice
Minimum booking notice is the shortest amount of time in advance that a student is allowed to book. For example, setting 24 hours means students cannot book a session that starts within the next 24 hours. This gives you enough preparation time and prevents last-minute surprises. You can set it to 0 if you are happy to accept same-day bookings.
3
Add class policies (optional)
Use the Class Policies field to add any requirements or expectations students should know before booking — for example: "Bring your own equipment", "No refunds within 48 hours", or "Suitable for ages 16+". This text is shown to the student on the booking screen before they confirm their booking.
📋 The Class Policies field is optional but recommended. Use it to set clear expectations upfront and reduce misunderstandings.
For students — booking a per-session class
1
Pick an available slot
Open the class listing and tap 'Book Session'. The calendar shows all upcoming available slots based on the instructor's schedule. Grayed-out slots are already taken or fall within the minimum booking notice window.
2
Review the class policies
If the instructor has added class policies, you'll see them on the booking screen before you complete your booking. Make sure you read them carefully — booking the class confirms you understand the instructor's conditions.
3
Complete payment
Pay securely with a card. Your booking is confirmed immediately. You can view it under your upcoming bookings in the Classes tab.
For students — Enable auto-payment (recommended for drop-off)
1
Check the auto-payment box when booking
When booking an individual or group per-session class, you'll see "Enable auto-payment (recommended for drop-off)". Check this box if you're dropping off a child or won't meet the instructor. Payment releases automatically 2 hours after class ends — no QR scan needed.
2
Only offered for repeat students
This option only appears once you've attended a session with that instructor before — it's never checked automatically, so you'll need to tick the box yourself if you want to use it. Otherwise, use QR scan or manual confirmation instead.
💡 Perfect for drop-off scenarios: Parent drops off child → Class happens → 2 hours later payment auto-releases. No QR scan needed, no action required from you!
🗓️
Monthly Classes
Monthly classes are ongoing programs billed once a month. Students enrol for a recurring schedule and are automatically charged every month on the same date they first enrolled. This section explains all the scheduling options instructors can configure.
For instructors — scheduling options
1
Session schedule: Fixed vs Any day
Fixed means you pick the exact day(s) of the week the class runs — students enrol and show up on those specific days. Any day means the instructor is flexible and students choose which day of the week works for them at booking time. Use "Any day" for 1-on-1 programs where you want students to self-schedule within your available windows.
2
Session frequency
Choose how often sessions occur each week: Weekly (once every 7 days), Biweekly (every other week), or Monthly (once per month). This controls how many sessions a student gets within their monthly billing period.
3
Class days
Select which days of the week the class is available. For fixed schedules you can pick multiple days (e.g. Monday and Thursday for a twice-weekly program). For any-day schedules these become the pool of days students can choose from when they book.
4
Fixed time vs time range
Fixed time: you set one specific start time for the session (e.g. 10:00 AM). All students on that day attend at that exact time. Time range: you set a window (e.g. 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM) and students pick their preferred slot within it at booking time. Time range is most useful for 1-on-1 classes where different students can take different slots within the same availability window.
5
Start date: Next available date vs First selected day of the month
Next available date means the student's program begins on the very next upcoming occurrence of the chosen class day after they enrol — could be just a few days away. First selected day of the month means the program starts on the first occurrence of the chosen day in the upcoming calendar month — giving both you and the student a clean, predictable programme start. For example, if a student enrols mid-October for a Monday class, 'Next available' might start that same week, while 'First selected day of the month' would start on the first Monday of November.
💡 First selected day of the month is the better choice for structured programs where all students should start at the same point in the curriculum. Next available date suits open-entry classes where students can join at any time.
6
Minimum booking notice
Same as per-session classes — this is the minimum number of hours before the first session that a student must complete their enrolment. For example, setting 48 hours prevents students from enrolling for a session that starts tomorrow. Set it to 0 to allow enrollments right up until the session begins.
7
Cancellation notice
Choose whether students must give notice before cancelling. 'None' (default): students can cancel anytime and their access simply continues until the end of their current billing period, with no further charge. 'Notice by day 5': students must cancel within the first 5 days of their own billing cycle to avoid being charged again — if they cancel later, they're billed for one more cycle before the subscription actually ends.
💡 This setting is optional and only applies to monthly programs. It protects your income when a student drops with little notice, since a vacated recurring slot is harder to refill than a single session.
For instructors — seeing waitlist demand
8
See who's waiting
When a monthly 1-on-1 (or "both") class has no open slot left, students can join a waitlist for you instead. If anyone's waiting, you'll see a "🔔 N waiting" badge on the class card in My Classes. The count is shared across every class you run for that interest, not counted per listing — so if you teach three monthly Piano classes, all three show the same number.
9
Act on the demand
There's no notification when someone joins the waitlist — check the badge on your class cards periodically. If you see people waiting, consider opening an extra availability slot or listing a second class for that interest. The next person in line is notified automatically the moment a slot actually frees up (a cancellation, for example) — you don't need to do anything for that part.
For instructors — session history & make-ups
10
View a student's session history
Open My Classes, tap a monthly class to expand it, and find the student in the Student Sessions panel. Tap "📋 Session History" next to their name to see every session — regular and make-up — with its date, type, and status (Scheduled, Attended, Absent, or Cancelled). It's read-only and always available, so you can check it anytime without affecting anything.
11
Schedule a make-up for a missed session
When a student is marked absent for a session, a "Needs Makeup" section appears automatically on that class card with a count badge. Tap "📅 Schedule Makeup" next to their name, pick a date and time — any time in the future works, there's no notice-period requirement — and confirm. The student doesn't pay again; they already covered it with their monthly subscription, so this just re-schedules the session they missed.
12
Manage an upcoming make-up
Scheduled make-ups show under "Upcoming Makeups" on the class card. From there you can mark one "✓ Mark Attended", "🙅 Mark Absent", or "✕ Cancel" it — cancelling reopens the original absence so you can schedule a new make-up time.
💡 Make-ups are attendance-only — no QR scan or payment step. The student is notified by push notification and email, but the make-up doesn't appear in their own Bookings list, so let them know directly if the exact time matters.
For students — enrolling in a monthly class
1
Choose your day and time
If the instructor offers a fixed schedule, you'll see the set day(s) and time(s) to confirm. If the instructor allows any day or offers a time range, you'll pick your preferred day and time slot from the available options at checkout.
2
Your program start date
Depending on the instructor's setting, your program either starts on the next upcoming class day or on the first occurrence of your chosen day in the coming month. This is clearly shown on the booking confirmation screen before you pay.
3
Monthly billing
Your card is charged once for the first month at checkout. From month 2 onwards, billing happens automatically every month on that same date. Some instructors require cancellation notice before you can cancel without being billed again — check the class listing, or see the Cancellations & Rescheduling section for full details.
📷 Monthly program students only need to scan the instructor's QR code at their very first session to confirm enrolment. All subsequent sessions are automatically confirmed when your monthly payment processes.
For students — joining a waitlist when a class is full
1
Join when there's no open slot
If a monthly 1-on-1 program has no available day or time left, you'll see a "🔔 Join Waitlist" button on the booking screen instead of a bookable slot. Tap it to add yourself to the queue — no payment or commitment required to join.
2
How the queue is scoped
You're queued for that instructor and that interest, not just the one class listing you tried to book — so if the instructor runs more than one monthly class for the same interest, a freed slot in any of them counts. Entries are handled first come, first served, in the order you joined.
3
Getting notified
The moment a slot actually frees up — most often because another student cancels — whoever's been waiting longest gets a push notification. It's not held for you, so book it promptly once you're notified.
💡 Booking any class for the same interest — with any instructor, not just the one you waitlisted for — automatically removes you from every waitlist you'd joined for that interest, since you no longer need to wait.
🔄
Cancellations & Rescheduling
For students — cancelling a per-session booking
1
Find your booking
Go to the Classes tab and scroll to your upcoming bookings. Each confirmed booking shows a 'Cancel' button.
2
Cancel more than 48 hours before the session
Tap 'Cancel' on the booking card. You can cancel a per-session booking at any time as long as the session is more than 48 hours away.
3
Within 48 hours — no cancellation allowed
Once you're inside the 48-hour window before a session, the Cancel button is disabled and the booking is locked. At this stage the booking is non-refundable and cannot be cancelled.
⏰ 48-hour rule: Cancellations must be made more than 48 hours before the session start time. Inside that window the booking is locked and non-refundable. Plan ahead to avoid losing your spot fee.
For students — cancelling a monthly program
1
Tap 'Cancel subscription'
Find the program under your upcoming bookings in the Classes tab and tap 'Cancel subscription'. Your access always continues until the end of your current paid billing period — cancelling never cuts off a session you've already paid for.
2
Check whether the instructor requires notice
Some instructors require cancellation notice; others don't. This is shown on the class listing and in the cancellation confirmation screen before you confirm.
3
No notice required
If the instructor hasn't set a notice requirement, you can cancel anytime — you won't be charged again, and your access ends when the current billing period finishes.
4
Notice required — cancel within the first 5 days of your billing cycle
If the instructor requires notice, cancel within the first 5 days of your current billing cycle (the 5 days after your last charge) to avoid being billed again. Cancelling after day 5 means you'll be charged one more time before the subscription ends — you'll see the exact date of that final charge before you confirm.
📅 Billing cycle, not calendar month: The 5-day notice window is based on your own billing cycle — the date you were last charged — not the 1st of the calendar month. Two students in the same class can have different cutoff dates depending on when they enrolled.
For instructors — cancellation notice for monthly programs
1
Turn it on when you list the class
When creating or editing a monthly program, choose 'Notice by day 5' under Cancellation Notice to require students to cancel within the first 5 days of their billing cycle, or leave it on 'None' to let them cancel anytime with no further charge.
2
What happens when a student cancels late
If a student cancels after day 5 of their billing cycle, their subscription keeps running — the already-due renewal still charges — and stops automatically after that final cycle. You keep getting paid for that student's slot for one more cycle instead of losing it with zero notice.
For instructors — rescheduling a class
1
Open your class listing
Go to the Classes tab and find the class you want to reschedule. Tap the '✏️ Edit' button on your class card.
2
Edit up to 4 hours before the session
You can update the schedule, time, or location of your class as long as the next upcoming session is more than 4 hours away. The Edit button is automatically disabled within the 4-hour window to protect enrolled students.
3
Students are notified
When you reschedule, all students with upcoming bookings receive an in-app notification about the change.
4
Student's free-cancel window
After an instructor reschedules, students have a 24-hour window to cancel their booking free of charge — even if it falls inside the normal 48-hour cutoff. This window is noted on their booking card.
⚠️ 4-hour reschedule cutoff: The Edit button on your class listing is disabled within 4 hours of the next scheduled session. Finalize any changes well in advance so your students can plan accordingly.
📷
Attending a Class & Confirming Attendance
Attendance confirmation is how Hobvia verifies that a session actually took place. It protects students, ensures instructors are paid fairly, and unlocks the ability to leave a review. You have multiple ways to confirm attendance.
⚠️ Confirmation rules by session type: Individual sessions — confirmation required at every session (QR scan, Confirm button, or auto-payment). Monthly programs — confirmation required at your first session only; all subsequent months are auto-confirmed each time your subscription renews.
For students — Three ways to confirm attendance
After attending a class, you have three options to confirm attendance:
1
Option A: Scan QR Code (default method)
Tap "📷 Scan QR Code to Attend" during or after class, point your camera at the instructor's QR code, and payment releases immediately. The scan window opens 2 hours before class and stays open for 12 hours after class starts.
2
Option B: Confirm Attendance (no camera needed)
After class ends, tap "✓ Confirm Attendance" in your bookings. A slide-in card shows booking details — tap "✓ Yes, I attended" to confirm. Payment releases immediately. Available for up to 5 days after class starts. Perfect if you forgot to scan QR or dropped off a child.
3
Option C: Auto-payment (enabled during booking)
If you enabled auto-payment when booking, no action needed! Payment releases automatically 2 hours after class ends. No QR scan, no confirmation button — completely automatic.
💡 Auto-payment is only available for per-session classes, and only once you've attended a session with that instructor before.
📋 Reminder system: If you forget to confirm attendance, you'll get a push notification once class ends, repeating hourly until you act. The confirmation window closes 5 days after class starts.
For students — Booking organization
Your bookings are organized into 3 categories for easy navigation:
1
📅 Upcoming
Future classes, active monthly subscriptions, and classes needing QR scan (within 12 hours) or confirmation (within 5 days). Always visible.
2
🕐 Recent (Past 7 days)
Classes from the last week. Easy access to confirm attendance or leave reviews. Always visible.
3
📦 Past (7+ days ago)
Archived bookings. Collapsed by default — tap to expand and view history.
For students — Payout status indicators
You'll see status text next to your bookings:
⏳ Awaiting scanNeed to scan QR or tap Confirm Attendance
💸 Paid outPayment released to instructor
❌ Payout failedIssue with payment (contact support)
⚠️ Payout not releasedAttended but payment pending (contact support)
For instructors — Showing your QR code
1
Open your Bookings list
Go to the Classes tab, tap your class listing, then tap '📋 Bookings' to see everyone signed up for a session.
2
Display QR code during class
Find the booking and tap '🔲 Show QR Code' (green, prominent button). Show the QR code on your screen. Students scan to confirm attendance — this triggers payment release to your account. For monthly programs, only the first session requires a scan; subsequent months auto-confirm automatically each time the subscription renews.
🔒 Security: Only show QR codes in person during class. Never share screenshots. Each QR code is unique per session and tied to a specific class and date.
For instructors — Payment timeline
Student has auto-paymentYou receive payment 2 hours after class ends
Student scans QRPayment released immediately
Student confirms attendancePayment released immediately
Student no-show (you report)You receive payment immediately during class
Student forgetsHourly reminder after class → 5-day confirm window (individual per-session payouts still auto-release after 24h regardless) → Manual review after 7 days
For instructors — Reporting a no-show
1
Student does not attend
If a student booked but did not show up to class, you can report them as a no-show to release your payment.
2
Report during class time only
Open the booking card during your class (between start time and end time). Tap "⚠️ Report No-Show" button. This button only appears during the class time window.
3
GPS verification required
The app will request your location to verify you are at the class location. You must be within 100 meters of the class address. This prevents false reports.
4
Payment released immediately
Once verified, your payment is released immediately and the booking is marked as no-show. The student cannot dispute this after it is reported.
⚠️ No-show requirements: Can only be reported during class time (start to end). GPS location must match class address within 100m. Cannot report no-show if student enabled auto-payment. One-time action — cannot be undone or re-reported.
⭐
Leaving a Review
1
Attendance required
You can only review a class after your attendance has been confirmed via QR scan. This ensures all reviews come from students who actually attended.
2
Tap 'Leave a Review'
After the session ends, a '★ Leave a Review' button appears on your booking card in the Classes tab.
3
Rate and share your experience
Choose a star rating (1–5) and optionally write up to 500 characters about your experience. Your review appears on the instructor's profile and helps other students make informed decisions.
📝 Reviews can only be submitted once per booking and cannot be edited after submission.
🏫
Teaching a Class
1
Set up your payout account (required)
Before you can list a class, you must connect a Stripe payout account so students' payments can be transferred to you. Go to the Classes tab and tap 'Set up Payouts'. You'll be taken through a quick Stripe onboarding — you'll need your bank details and identity verification. This is a one-time setup.
2
Access your Stripe Express Dashboard
Once your payout account is active, you can open your personal Stripe Express Dashboard at any time. Go to More → Open → (the button next to your payout status). The dashboard lets you: view your current balance and scheduled payout dates; browse your full earnings history and individual transaction details; download tax documents (e.g. 1099-K for US instructors) when they're issued; update your payout bank account or debit card; and review any open disputes or refund requests from students.
💡 The Stripe Express Dashboard is your financial hub as an instructor. Bookmark it or return to it from More → Open → any time you want to check your earnings or manage your payout settings.
Creating & managing your classes
3
Create a class listing
Once your payout account is active, tap '+ List Class'. Add a title, description, interest category, duration, and location. Choose a pricing model: per-session (1-on-1 or group, charged per booking) or monthly program (students pay automatically every month, starting from when they enrol). Set your price — this is the final price students pay, and the full amount is what you receive.
4
Set your schedule
Add recurring schedule slots (e.g. every Tuesday at 6 pm) so students know when you're available. Students book specific upcoming sessions based on your schedule.
5
Manage bookings
View all upcoming bookings from your class card. You'll receive an in-app notification each time a student books your class.
6
Display QR code to confirm attendance and release payment
At the start of each class, open the booking in the Classes tab and tap '🔲 Show QR Code'. For individual sessions, each student must scan the code every session — their payment is released to your account as soon as they scan. For monthly programs, students scan once at their first session to confirm enrolment; from month 2 onwards, attendance is auto-confirmed and payment is transferred to you automatically each time their subscription renews.
7
Pause or delete a listing
Tap '⏸ Pause' to temporarily hide a class from new bookings, or '🗑 Delete' to remove it permanently. Existing confirmed bookings are not affected by pausing.
💳 Payouts are processed by Stripe and typically arrive in your bank account within 2–7 business days after each transfer.
🏢
Studios
A studio lets a business list classes under one shared identity and staff them with multiple instructors, instead of every instructor listing and getting paid individually.
Setting up a studio
1
Create your studio
Go to More → Create a studio and give it a name. You can also set one up during sign-up by choosing '🏢 Business (multiple instructors)' and entering your business name — this creates the studio for you automatically.
2
One studio per owner
You can own only one studio. There's no limit on how many other studios you can join as an instructor member.
Studio bank accounts & payouts
1
Choose a payout mode
As the studio owner, pick how classes under your studio get paid out: Direct pays each instructor into their own personal Stripe account, same as an individual listing. Owner's account routes all payouts to your personal Stripe account. Business account sets up a separate Stripe account for the studio itself, distinct from your personal one.
2
Connect Stripe for the studio
If you choose the owner's account or business account mode, you'll be taken through Stripe onboarding to connect (or reuse) the relevant account before classes under the studio can accept payments.
💡 Switching payout modes only affects future payouts — it doesn't move money that's already been processed.
Listing classes under your studio
1
List under your studio
When creating a class, choose who it's listed under: yourself, or one of the studios you belong to. As the studio owner, you can also assign which instructor teaches the class; instructor members can only list classes under themselves.
Inviting & approving instructors
1
Share your invite code
Each studio has its own invite code, visible to the owner in More → your studio. Share it with instructors you want to bring on board.
2
Instructors enter the code to join
The instructor goes to More → Join a different studio and enters the code they were given. This isn't available to anyone who already owns their own studio.
3
Approve join requests
When someone joins with your code, they show up as pending in your studio's member list until you approve them. They aren't an active member — and can't be assigned classes — until you do.
Assigning & reassigning instructors
1
Assign an instructor when listing a class
As studio owner, pick which active member teaches a class at the time you create it.
2
Reassign an instructor later
Tap '🔄 Reassign Instructor' on a studio class card to hand it to a different active member. Existing bookings, pricing, and payouts are unaffected — the studio's payout routing stays the same either way. Both the previous and new instructor are notified of the change.
Reassigning students
1
Move a student to another class
Tap '🔀 Move to another class' on a student's upcoming booking to move them to a different class under your studio. This only works for monthly bookings, and the destination class must be in the same studio and the same type (1-on-1 or group). Their existing subscription and billing continue unchanged after the move.
🏆
XP, Streaks & Achievements
Hobvia rewards active participation with XP (experience points), streaks, and achievement badges.
🔥Daily login streak
streak bonus
💬
Help & Support
Have a question or spotted a problem? We're here to help.
Report a bugMore → Report a Bug inside the app
Send feedbackMore → Send Feedback
Email uscontactus@hobvia.com