Why only 10 connections?

Because real relationships take real effort. Ten is large enough for variety, small enough that no one gets lost. Every person in your Circle is someone you chose intentionally.

Pings are one-tap emotional check-ins. Send a thinking-of-you, a wave, a hug, a heart, a nudge, or a celebration — no words needed. Each ping has a 24-hour cooldown to keep it genuine.

How is my privacy protected?

Screenshots are blocked, the app locks with Face ID or fingerprint, messages can auto-delete, and we never sell or analyze your conversations. Your privacy is the product, not your data.

What makes The Circle different from WhatsApp or iMessage?

The Circle limits you to 10 connections and gives you tools to nurture them — pings, nudges, streaks, a personal Life timeline, and privacy features like screenshot blocking and disappearing messages.

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Getting Started

What is The Circle?
The Circle is a private social platform for your closest relationships. Instead of accumulating hundreds of shallow connections, The Circle limits you to 10 meaningful 1-to-1 connections and gives you tools to actively nurture each one — including private messaging, a personal Life timeline, emotional pings, and relationship insights.

Key Features:

10 Connections Max: Choose up to 10 people for your Circle — each connection is private and 1-to-1
Life Timeline: Share moments, photos, videos, and voice notes on your personal feed
Pings: Six types of one-tap emotional check-ins (thinking of you, wave, hug, heart, nudge, celebrate)
Private Messaging: 1-to-1 chat with reactions, replies, voice messages, and disappearing messages
Connection Insights: Track interaction streaks, engagement history, and get nudges when friendships go quiet
Privacy Suite: Screenshot blocking, biometric app lock, disappearing messages, and view-once media

Creating an Account:

Download The Circle from the App Store or Google Play
Tap Get Started on the welcome screen
Sign up with your email or Apple Sign In
Choose a username and set up your profile (avatar, display name, bio)
Verify your email by clicking the link sent to your inbox
Start adding your first connections

Forgot Your Password?

On the sign-in screen, tap Forgot password?
Enter your email address
Check your email for a reset link
Click the link and create a new password

Connections

What are Connections?
Connections are 1-to-1 relationships with the people who matter most to you. You can have up to 10 connections at a time. Each connection gives you access to private messaging, their Life timeline, and relationship insights.

Adding a Connection:

Go to the My Circle tab
Tap the + button to find people
Search by username, email, or browse your phone contacts
Send a connection request
Once accepted, you can message each other, view each other's Life timeline, and send pings

Managing Connections:

Connection Insights: Tap a connection to see interaction streaks, last interaction, and engagement history
Special Dates: Add birthdays, anniversaries, and custom dates for each connection
Sorting: Sort connections by name, last interaction, or "needs attention"

Removing a Connection:

Open the connection's profile and tap Remove Connection. This frees up a spot in your Circle for someone new. Removing a connection also removes your message history with that person.

Private Messaging

Sending Messages:

Tap on any connection to open your private conversation. Type your message and tap send. You can also access your conversations from the Messages list.

Voice Messages:

Tap and hold the microphone icon, speak your message, and release to send. Swipe left while holding to cancel.

Sending Photos & Videos:

Tap the attachment icon to take a photo/video or select from your library. You can also record video directly in the app.

Message Features:

Reactions: Long-press on any message to choose from 6 emoji reactions
Reply Threading: Swipe right on a message to quote and reply
Edit: Long-press your own message and tap Edit (within 15 minutes of sending)
Delete: Swipe left on your own message to delete it
Read Receipts: See when your message has been delivered and read
Online Status: See when your connections are online in real time

Disappearing Messages:

Set messages to automatically delete after 24 hours, 7 days, or 30 days. This is a per-conversation setting — tap the timer icon in any chat to configure it.

View-Once Messages:

Send photos or videos that self-destruct after being viewed once. Enable the View Once option before sending any media.

Life Timeline

What is your Life?
Your Life is a personal timeline feed where you and your connections share moments. Think of it as your own private social feed — only your connections can see it. You can post moments, and your connections can write on your wall.

Posting a Moment:

Go to the Life tab
Tap the + button to create a new moment
Add text, photos, videos, or voice notes
Use @mentions to tag connections in your post
Optionally set the moment to auto-delete after 1 hour, 24 hours, or 7 days
Tap Post

Interacting with Moments:

React with one of 6 reaction types (like, laugh, wow, sad, fire, clap)
Leave threaded comments on any moment
Post a wall message on a connection's Life timeline
Edit your own moments within 15 minutes of posting

Media Gallery:

All photos and videos shared across your conversations and timeline are collected in your Media Gallery. Filter by type, date range, or author, and tap any item to go back to its original context.

Profile & Settings

Editing Your Profile:

Go to Profile tab
Tap Edit Profile
Update your profile picture, display name, username, or bio
Tap Save

Blocking Users:

View the user's profile and tap Block. Blocked users cannot send you messages, see your Life timeline, or send you connection requests.

Notification Settings:

Go to Profile → Notifications to customize push notifications for messages, reactions, invitations, and mentions. You can also set check-in reminder frequency.

Active Sessions:

View and manage devices where you're logged in at Profile → Active Sessions. You can revoke access to any device.

Downloading Your Data:

Go to Profile → Download My Data to request an export of all your data. You'll receive an email within 24 hours with a download link.

Deleting Your Account:

Go to Profile → Delete Account. This permanently deletes your account, all your data, and removes all your connections. This cannot be undone.

Privacy & Security

Privacy by Design:
The Circle is built with privacy at its core. Your conversations are never analyzed or used for advertising. We don't sell your data to third parties. What happens in your Circle stays in your Circle.

App Lock:

Protect your app with biometric authentication (Face ID or fingerprint). Go to Profile → Privacy & Security → Enable App Lock and choose your lock timeout (immediate, 1 minute, 5 minutes, or never).

Screenshot Protection:

Screenshots are automatically blocked on Android using FLAG_SECURE. On iOS, screenshot attempts are detected. The app also blurs its content in the app switcher to protect your privacy when multitasking.

Online Status & Last Seen:

Control who can see your activity at Profile → Privacy & Security. Toggle Show Online Status or Show Last Seen. Note: If you hide your status, you also cannot see others' status.

Disappearing Messages & View-Once:

Set conversations to auto-delete messages after 24 hours, 7 days, or 30 days. Send view-once photos and videos that self-destruct after being opened.

Troubleshooting

Messages Not Sending:

Check your internet connection
Try switching between WiFi and cellular data
A clock icon means the message is queued; tap to retry
Messages sent offline will send automatically when you reconnect

Not Receiving Notifications:

Check notifications are enabled in The Circle (Profile → Notifications)
Check device Settings → Notifications → The Circle
Make sure the conversation isn't muted
Check if Do Not Disturb is enabled on your device

Can't Sign In:

Tap Forgot password? to reset your password
Check spam/junk folders for verification email
Contact support if you believe your account was compromised

App Crashing:

Force close the app and reopen
Check for app updates in your app store
Restart your device
If problems persist, contact support

Frequently Asked Questions

How many connections can I have?
You can have up to 10 connections at a time — your closest people, chosen intentionally.

What are Pings?
Pings are one-tap emotional check-ins. Send a wave, hug, heart, or "thinking of you" without typing a message.

Is The Circle free?
Yes. The Circle is free to download and use with all features included. An optional premium subscription will be available for an ad-free experience and extended media storage.

What is the Life timeline?
Your Life is a personal feed where you share moments with your connections. Your connections can react, comment, and post on your wall. Only your 10 connections can see it.

Can I unsend a message?
You can delete your own messages, but if the other person has already seen it, they may have read it. Consider using disappearing messages for sensitive conversations.

Are my conversations private?
Yes. Your conversations are never analyzed, sold, or used for advertising. Screenshots are blocked, and you can set messages to auto-delete.

Can The Circle staff read my messages?
We do not access, read, or analyze your private conversations. Your privacy is our product, not your data.

Can I change my username?
Yes, go to Profile → Edit Profile → Username. Note that usernames must be unique.

How do I recover a deleted account?
Deleted accounts cannot be recovered. You would need to create a new account.

Contact Support

If you need additional help:

In-App Support: Profile → Help & Support → Contact Support
Email: support@thecircle.app
Bug Reports: Profile → Help & Support → Report a Bug
Feature Requests: Profile → Help & Support → Feature Requests

Support