Whether you have a question about how Closer works, need help with your account, or want to report a concern — you're in the right place. Browse the questions below, or reach out to us directly.
Closer helps university students meet friends in person, right now. You go “live” on a map when you're down to hang out, match with someone nearby who's also live, and meet up within minutes. No swiping, no endless messaging — just real people ready to connect face-to-face.
Download Closer, verify your phone number, and build your profile. You'll add your first name (kept private until you meet someone), a username, date of birth, gender, profile photo, interests, and what you're looking for.
Notifications — so you know when someone wants to meet you. Location — so the app can show who's nearby. The “Always Allow” location permission is only used during active pairings so the session continues when you switch apps briefly. Closer never tracks your location in the background outside of a pairing.
Closer is designed for university students, but anyone 18 or older can use it.
Add a profile photo, up to 2 gallery photos, your interests (3–5 from 15 categories), what you're looking for, and your university. A completion ring around your profile photo shows your progress — you need at least 90% completion to go live, so everyone on the map has a real, complete profile.
Tap “Ready” on the map screen to preview how your profile looks to others, then tap “Go Live.” A 3-second countdown confirms your intent — going live is always a deliberate choice.
Other live users within roughly 1 km whose gender preferences match yours (and vice versa — it's mutual). You never see existing friends or blocked users on the map.
No. Your location is only shared while you have an active live session. When you end it, you disappear from the map completely. Closer does not track your location in the background.
As long as you want. End your session anytime with one tap.
You choose an emoji to represent yourself on the map — there are over 750 options. Other live users see your emoji before they tap to view your profile. You can change it anytime from the map screen.
Tap someone's emoji on the map to view their profile, then tap “Get Closer.” They'll receive a notification and can accept or decline.
A notification slides in showing their photo and username. You have 60 seconds to view their profile and accept or decline.
You'll see a brief notification. There's a 5-minute cooldown before you can send them another request — this prevents repeated unwanted requests.
All other users disappear from the map — it's just you and your match. You can see each other's live locations and have up to 30 minutes to find each other. A timer at the top counts down, shifting from purple to orange to red.
A one-way description card where you write what you're wearing or where you're sitting (e.g., “Red sweater by the windows”). Your match sees this in real time to help find you. You can update it up to 3 times.
Three suggested ice-breakers based on your shared interests, shown during a pairing. They give you something to talk about when you meet. You can refresh them individually or all at once until you find one that feels natural.
When you spot your match (or think you do), send a wave. They'll see a full-screen animation with your username — it's a playful, low-pressure way to signal “I see you!” without shouting across the room. There's a 10-second cooldown between waves.
Yes. Tap the end button, confirm, and optionally share a reason. No explanation needed — you can always leave. Your match sees a brief message: “They ended the connection.”
After meeting in person, tap “Add Friend” and enter their first name. Both users must correctly confirm each other's name. This is how Closer verifies you actually met face-to-face.
Name confirmation is Closer's anti-catfishing system. It proves you physically met the person and introduced yourselves — you can't guess a stranger's name without asking them. Type exactly what they tell you — if it doesn't match their real first name on file, Closer will reject it.
No. Messaging only unlocks after both users confirm each other's names in person. This is by design — it eliminates unsolicited messages and ensures every conversation starts from a real connection.
Tap the chat icon on the map screen. Your friends list shows all your connections with their latest messages.
Open their chat, tap the info icon at the top, and toggle “Mute Notifications.” They won't know you muted them. You'll still see their messages — you just won't get notifications for them.
Open their chat, tap the info icon, and tap “Remove Friend.” You can optionally share a reason. Their messages are archived — they won't be visible to you anymore.
Conversation prompts sent to you and your friends to encourage chatting. They're fun suggestions to keep the connection going — think of them as ice-breakers for existing friends.
From their profile on the map, during a pairing, or from a chat conversation. Blocking instantly removes them from your map and messages. They cannot see you, send you requests, or contact you. They are not notified. You can view and manage your blocked users in Settings.
From their profile or chat, tap “Report.” Describe what happened in your own words. Reporting automatically blocks the user. Every report is reviewed by our team.
No. Blocking and reporting are separate actions. If someone violated our Community Guidelines, please report them separately so we can review and take appropriate action.
End the session immediately — one tap to end your live session, two taps to end a pairing. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. You can also contact Crisis Services Canada at 1-833-456-4566 or Kids Help Phone (for young adults up to 25) at 1-800-668-6868. Report the user through the app afterward.
Read our Safety Tips page for detailed guidance on staying safe before, during, and after meeting someone. You can also tap “How Closer Works” in Settings for an in-app walkthrough.
Tap your profile photo in the top corner of the map screen. Switch to the Edit tab to update any field — photos, interests, bio, what you're looking for, and more.
Tap the filter icon on the map screen to change your “Show Me” preference (Men, Women, or Everyone). This filter is mutual — you only see someone if your preference includes their gender and theirs includes yours.
Go to Settings, scroll to the bottom, and tap “Delete Account.” This permanently removes your profile, photos, messages, and all associated data. Your phone number is retained in our authentication system so you can re-register in the future if you choose.
Only what's needed: profile information you provide, location while live, messages to friends, and anonymous analytics (no personally identifiable information). Read our Privacy Policy for full details.
Closer supports one active session per account. Signing in on a new device will sign you out of the previous one.
For the full details on how Closer works, your rights, and our commitments to you: