Frequently Asked Questions
General
What is Wattpad?
Wattpad is all about letting readers and writers share, discover and connect. You can share what you have written, or discover interesting works by others. You can share what you like - maybe your best story - and see if others like it. Read what others have written and share your thought and feedback with them. You can read from your PC or take it with you on your mobile phone. Your mobile phone is now your favorite book that you can bring with you anywhere.
How do I find what I want to read?
There are lots to choose from on Wattpad. You can browse What's Hot and What's New in one of over 20 languages supported. You can also search on the website by title, author, keywords or topics. Discover new writers by checking out the Most Popular list of writers. You can also browse and search from your mobile phone, at m.wattpad.com with your mobile browser, or with the Wattpad mobile application.
What is a wattcode?
A wattcode is used to quickly access a book from your phone. Each item on Wattpad has a wattcode, enter this number into Wattpad on your phone to instantly retrieve the book. You only need to enter it once, Wattpad will remember what you've read recently.
What does it mean to be someone's fan?
Becoming a fan is a great way to show support for the writers you like. You can be notified by email if your favorite writers publish something new. It's also a great way to see what other fans are reading and discover new writers you find interesting.
How do I get on the What's Hot or On the Rise list?
These lists are based on feedback from other members about your work, usually by reading, voting and commenting. The exact way they work are always changing so watch carefully because you might appear on them next!
What is the popularity score?
It's a score for how popular a story is, the higher the better! Whenever someone votes, tweets or likes a story, this will increase the popularity score. It's updated daily.
Can I suggest a story to be featured on the site?
If you have a story you would like to see featured, send us your suggestion and our team will review it!
How do I access a private upload?
If the story you are trying to access is private, this means it is available by invitation only. The owner will need to send you the URL directly and you must be a fan in order to access it.
How do I access or change my account information?
To see your account information, select "My Account" from the list of links at the top navigation menu after you log in. Here you can personalize your profile and set your account preferences.
How do I change my user name?
You can change your user name from your account page. Your name is very important and if you change it some things will be affected. If anyone is linking to your profile change or your widget, it will no longer be available.
I am not getting email alerts.
Check your junk or spam folder, maybe it's getting sent there. If it is, make sure you add the sender to your safe list! NOTE: Comcast email addresses are not able to receive Wattpad email alerts. Please use another email address or contact your Comcast support to request them to enable it.
I can't log into my account.
If you see a username/password incorrect message, check that you have typed it in correctly or click "forgot" link to retrieve your password. If the page just refreshes without logging you in, check that you have cookies enabled in your browser. This is needed to keep you logged in to the site.
I would like to close my account.
To close your account, click the "Close Account" link at the bottom right of the My Account page.
Hmm... I think I found a problem
We are always improving Wattpad! If you find a problem or have a suggestion, send us a comment. We look forward to your feedback!
Writing
What kind of writing can I publish on Wattpad?
The kind of work you share is up to you. Here are a few suggestions - a short story, poetry, serial novel, screenplay... Remember, you'll be sharing it with the entire Wattpad community. When you publish, add some tags to help categorize and for others to discover your work. You can also upload material for private use. Do not upload any restricted material or copyright material for which you do not have the rights to (see our content guidelines)
Do I retain the copyright if I publish it here?
Yes. You retain all the rights to your own work. If you want to make the work available with conditions, please specify the copyright terms. For instance, you can use Creative Commons Attribution No Derivative license if you want your work to be freely distributing but not modified. You can see other licenses available at Creative Commons.
How do I prevent others from stealing my story?
When you post your work on Wattpad, this establishes proof for the date your work was created. If there is any dispute about the original source of the work, the registered date of your digital work on Wattpad provides third-party proof that the work was created by you on a certain date. For more information, visit the US copyright office or your country's copyright agency.
How do I write and share my work?
You can compose your work using your favorite word processor. OpenOffice is a popular, free program that is compatible with MS Word. You can use an online word processor like Google Docs. Once you have written and saved your work, you can upload it from the UPLOAD tab on this site.
How do I add more parts to a story?
If your story has multiple parts, you can group them together by creating a Story Group. To do this, hover over your avatar at the top and click on "My Story Groups". Click "Create New Story Group". Give it a name and a description. Next time you upload a new part, choose the story group it belongs to. You can also add the part later by modifying the Story Group through the "My Story Groups" menu.
How to I add a picture or to my story?
To add a picture, you need to first put the picture in a photo sharing sites, such as Photobucket or flickr. Then go to your story and click Add Picture and paste the link into the edit box. Using Photobucket, you can add slideshows as well.
Can I edit or delete my stories?
You can edit or delete your uploads by clicking the EDIT STORY link on the story page. The EDIT STORY link is just under the Add Picture button on the right side of the page.
Why does my story's read count sometimes go down?
The read count is updated periodically and you may see the number go up and down at times. Don't worry, the count will correct itself eventually.
I posted my story publicly but it says it is copyrighted/restricted material. It's no longer accessible!
If you received this warning message while uploading, your work will not be available to the public. If you believe this is an error, please contact us and we will correct this.
Someone has posted my work here without my permission, what should I do?
If someone has posted your work here without asking for your permission, you can leave a message for the user. Very often, it's just a fan that wants to share your work. If you would like to have your work removed, you can contact us. Please provide all the required information to ensure a quick response.
Can I suggest a story to be featured on the site?
If you have a story you would like to see featured, send us your suggestion and we will review it!
How do I get more people to read my stuff?
Be sure to tell people about your stuff! Linking your Facebook and Twitter accounts is an easy way to let others know automatically whenever you post a new story. You can also get involved in the Wattpad community. Read other's stories and leave an honest, thoughtful comment. They will likely appreciate your comment and return the favor. As you get more reads and votes, you may appear on What's Hot and this will helps even more people discover your work! Here are some tips for you to promote your works.
How do I change my works from being Public to Private or vice versa?
Once you have set the story as public, you cannot change it to private, or vice versa. Should you need assistance with the change, please contact us. Be sure to include a link to your story so we know which you are referring to.
How do I change the rating in my story?
We encourage users to self rate their stories. However, all stories will also be automatically rated by our system. Once the story is automatically rated, you cannot rate it downwards. Should you want us to re-rate your story, just let us know. Be sure to include a link to your story.
Reading on Mobile
iPhone or iPod Touch
How do I get the Wattpad app for my iPhone?
Search for "wattpad" in the App Store, or click here to install it via iTunes.
Can I read without an internet connection?
Yes. First you need to download and save the book while connected by browsing a book and tapping the "Save" icon. This will add the book to your personal library. Once it is saved to your library, you no longer need a connection to continue reading.
Can I transfer a book via USB?
No. You need a wireless connection (WIFI, EDGE, 3G) to download books to your iPhone or iPod Touch. Once it's downloaded, you can save the entire book so you can continue to read it without a connection.
Where do I enter the wattcode?
You can enter the wattcode directly into the search box, it will find that title instantly.
How do I bookmark what I'm reading?
You will be prompted to save the book when you close it, if it has not been saved to your library yet. Once it is added to your library, what you read is automatically bookmarked. If your reading is interrupted or you stop reading, when you resume next time it will take you right back to where you had left off.
How do I download all the parts to a story?
When a book is saved into your library, all of the parts will be saved and available to be read.
The app was working but now it won't start up
Enable the airplane mode on your iPhone, or disable WiFi on your iPod Touch. Launch the Wattpad app. Once it starts, go back and disable airplane mode again. The app should now resume operation without problems.
BlackBerry
What versions of BlackBerry OS are supported?
For OS 4.2 or newer, you can download directly from the mobile site at m.wattpad.com. For 4.1, click here to download the file to install using Desktop Manager.
The application fails to connect to the network.
Go to SETTINGS > ADVANCED SETTINGS > APPLICATIONS to ensure that the app has permission to access the network. Restart your phone to clear the memory of unused items. If this still doesn't work, you can download the standalone version of the book for reading offline. Go to m.wattpad.com on your BlackBerry Browser, then search by the title or wattcode of what you would like to read.
How do I delete standalone offline books?
To delete this from your BlackBerry, go to SETTINGS > ADVANCED SETTINGS > APPLICATIONS and select the application you want to delete.
I deleted the app, why does it still say ARCHIVED on App World?
This is how App World handles deleted applications. It remains archived so that you can download it again later if you wish.
The download failed on App World, what should I do?
You can also download the Wattpad application directly from our site. Go to m.wattpad.com on your BlackBerry Browser and follow the link to download.
Other mobile phones
How do I read ebooks on my phone?
To get started, all you need is a mobile phone and a data plan. If you can access the internet from your phone, then you're ready to go! Go to m.wattpad.com on your phone's browser to download Wattpad. It's free!
Does Wattpad work with my phone?
Wattpad works on most Java-enabled mobile phones, including Windows Mobile and BlackBerry devices. iPhone and iPod Touch versions are also available. For more info, click here.
How do I install Wattpad to my phone?
The easiest way to get the Wattpad mobile application is to go to m.wattpad.com on your phone's web browser. If you are a more advanced user, you can also download the files to your PC first from here. After you have it to your PC, then you can transfer it to your phone using a USB cable, bluetooth or infrared.
Can I still use Wattpad to read on my phone if I am not connected to the network?
The Wattpad application stores several pages of text at a time, so intermittent network outage should not affect your reading. If you are often reading where there is no network connection (like on an airplane), you can download the entire book to your phone. Look for the "Read on mobile" option at the right side of the page. Each book is downloaded as a standalone application and can be run without a network connection.
How do I bookmark what I'm reading?
What you are reading is automaticallly bookmarked. If your reading is interrupted or you stop reading, when you resume next time it will take you right back to where you had left off.
The Wattpad application cannot connect to the server
To use Wattpad on your mobile phone, you must have an internet connection set up. Your phone may not have an Internet connection set up already, but most phone manufacturers and operators can help you set it up, free of charge. To automatically setup your phone, go to your phone manufacturer's setup website: Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, BenQ-Siemens. If your manufacturer is not listed here, you may also visit your mobile operator's website. For BlackBerry devices, ensure your TCP settings are correct (Advanced Settings > TCP) You can also download the entire book to your phone to read offline. Choose the "Read offline" option at the bottom of the book information page for instructions.
Some of the keys are not working
If the softkeys are not working, you can use the */# keys instead. If the directional keys are not working, you can also use 2/4/6/8 to navigate.
The screen backlight keeps turning off while I'm reading
On some phones, the backlight turns off automatically if no keys are pressed for a while. You can change the backlight option in "Settings" from AUTO to ON, this will keep the backlight lit on most phones. For most Motorola phones (such as the RAZR) you should keep the backlight setting in AUTO for best results. Other phones also have a backlight option in the application settings, you can use this to set the backlight.
I still can't get Wattpad to work on my phone!
Don't despair! Contact us and describe the problem you're having and we'll have our small but motivated team look into the problem.
