Closer is built to help you make genuine friendships in person. Your safety is central to every feature we design — it's not a feature bolted on, it's a constraint that shaped every decision.
This page explains the safety measures built into Closer, tips for staying safe before, during, and after meeting someone, and how to get help if you need it.
1. Safety by Design
Every feature in Closer was designed with safety as a core constraint:
- Voluntary live sessions — you choose when to be visible on the map. You are never passively tracked. When you end your session, you disappear from the map completely.
- Real name hidden until you meet — on the map you're represented by an emoji. Others can see your photos and username if they tap your profile, but your real first name stays private until you introduce yourself face-to-face.
- Name confirmation prevents catfishing — both users must correctly enter each other's first name to become friends. This can only happen if you've actually met in person and introduced yourselves.
- Exclusive pairing — when paired, all other users disappear from your view. It's just you and your match. This keeps the experience focused and intentional.
- Leave anytime — end your live session with one tap, leave a pairing with two taps. No reason needed, no guilt, no pressure.
- Decline cooldown — after declining a pairing request, there's a 5-minute cooldown before the same user can send another. This prevents repeated unwanted requests.
- No pre-meeting messaging — you can't message someone you haven't met in person. Messaging only unlocks after both users confirm each other's names face-to-face. This eliminates harassment through unsolicited messages.
- Mutual gender filtering — gender preferences are mutual. You only see someone if your preference includes their gender and their preference includes yours. This prevents unwanted attention across preference boundaries.
- Blocking — block any user instantly. Blocking removes them from your map, messages, and all contact. They are not notified that you blocked them.
- Reporting — report any user with a description of what happened. Reporting automatically blocks the reported user. Every report is reviewed by our moderation team.
- Automatic offline detection — if your connection is lost during a pairing, the session ends after a timeout. This ensures sessions always have a clear end.
- Pairing time limit — pairings last a maximum of 30 minutes. This prevents indefinite location sharing between strangers.
- Designed for public spaces — Closer is built around campus environments like dining halls, libraries, student centers, and quads.
2. Before Going Live
These tips are shown in the app before your first live session. We encourage you to keep them in mind every time you go live:
- Go live in a public, well-populated area — dining halls, libraries, student centers, and campus quads are ideal. Avoid going live in isolated or private locations.
- Tell someone where you'll be — let a friend or family member know you're going live on Closer and where you are. A quick text is enough.
- Keep your phone charged — you'll need your phone to navigate the pairing, confirm names, and contact someone if needed.
- Review profiles before sending a request — tap a user's emoji to see their profile, photos, interests, and what they're looking for before deciding to connect.
- Remember: you're always in control — you can end your live session at any time with one tap. Going live doesn't commit you to meeting anyone.
3. During a Pairing
When you're paired with someone and heading to meet them:
- Stay in public spaces — meet your match in a public area where other people are around. Never agree to meet somewhere private or isolated.
- Stay aware of your surroundings — keep your belongings in sight and be mindful of your environment while looking for your match.
- Trust your instincts — if something feels off at any point, leave. No reason needed. Your safety always comes first.
- Use “Help Them Spot You” — describe what you're wearing or where you're sitting so your match can find you safely in a public space. This is better than wandering around looking for someone.
- You're never obligated to stay — you can end the pairing at any time with two taps. An optional reason is for app improvement only, not to pressure you into staying.
- Verify their identity during name confirmation — when you meet, introduce yourself and ask their name. Type exactly what they tell you — if it doesn't match their real first name on file, Closer will reject it. This is how Closer prevents catfishing.
4. After Meeting
Once you've met someone and confirmed each other's names, messaging unlocks between you. As your friendship develops:
- Be thoughtful about sharing personal information — take your time before sharing your phone number, social media, home address, or other personal details. Get to know someone before giving them ways to contact you outside of Closer.
- Mute or remove friends at any time — if you need space, you can mute notifications from a friend (they won't know) or remove them entirely. No explanation needed.
- Report concerning behavior — if something happened during your meetup that made you uncomfortable, you can still report the user after the fact through their chat profile.
- Respect boundaries — if someone doesn't respond to your messages or removes you as a friend, respect their decision. Do not attempt to contact them through other platforms.
5. Online Safety
- Never send money to someone you met on Closer — no matter the reason they give. If someone asks you for money, donations, or financial help, report them immediately.
- Protect your sensitive information — do not share your home address, financial information, daily routine, or passwords in messages. If you have concerns about a message you received, report it.
- Be cautious about moving off-platform — if someone pressures you to move the conversation to another app or platform before you're comfortable, that's a warning sign. Take your time.
- Report suspicious behavior — if someone's profile seems fake, their behavior feels like a scam, or anything seems off, report them through the app. It takes seconds and helps keep the community safe.
6. Blocking & Reporting
Blocking
You can block any user at any time — from their profile on the map, from a pairing, or from a chat conversation. When you block someone:
- They are immediately removed from your map and messages
- They cannot see you, send you requests, or contact you
- They are not notified that you blocked them
- You can view and manage your blocked users in Settings, and unblock at any time
Reporting
If someone violates our Community Guidelines, report them through the app. When you report someone:
- You provide a description of what happened (free-form text)
- The reported user is automatically blocked from contacting you
- The report is sent to our moderation team for review
Important: Blocking a user does not automatically report them. If someone violated our guidelines, please report them separately so our team can review and take appropriate action.
Misuse of the reporting system — including submitting false or malicious reports — is a violation of our Community Guidelines and may result in action against your account.
7. Your Privacy & Control
You are always in control of your experience:
- Your location is only shared when you choose to go live — never in the background or when you're offline
- End your live session at any time with one tap to disappear from the map
- Mute notifications from individual friends without removing them
- Remove any friend at any time — their messages are archived, not visible to you
- Delete your account at any time through Settings, which removes all your data
For full details on how we handle your data, read our Privacy Policy.
8. Emergency & Support Resources
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
Crisis Resources (Canada)
- Crisis Services Canada — call 1-833-456-4566 or text 45645 (available 24/7)
- Kids Help Phone (for young adults up to 25) — call 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868
- Campus security — save your university's campus security number in your phone before going live
Report Through Closer
To report a user or concern within the app, use the report feature on any user's profile or in a chat conversation. Reports are reviewed by our moderation team.
For any other safety concerns or questions, contact us at support@closerapp.app.