Why can I only add friends using QR codes and links?

[Minim]

I have expanded on the info in this thread and others in this how-to:

Advanced contact-adding tutorial

There is a quick guide, so try that first; this is a more detailed guide. It is possible to make contact with someone in Deltachat just like in a regular e-mail client, by typing in their e-mail address and sending them a unencrypted message. But the e-mail addresses Deltachat will give you automatically (Chatmail addresses) only work for encrypted mail. Encryption hides your messages from data harvesters, and it’s a good way to stop spam. Encrypted mail contacts need to be introduced to each …