Support

Support Near

Tips are optional. An Apple tip in the app earns Scout Points automatically — 10 for every dollar — which unlock cosmetic markers and colours and nothing else. A Venmo tip cannot be checked by the app, so if you would like the points, put your Near account email in the Venmo note and say what you would like unlocked, and James will add it by hand. On the website, choose an amount below to open James’s Venmo profile; on iPhone, the app offers Apple StoreKit tips in Settings → Personal Settings.

Getting started

• Everyone signs in or creates an account. One person taps Create a game and shares the invite link.
• Everyone else opens that link, signs in, and picks a team in the lobby.
• The host taps Start game. Teams lock, the hiding countdown begins, and seekers can start asking questions when it ends.
• Between rounds the lobby unlocks so you can switch teams without creating a new room.

Common problems

The map is blank

Near draws its map with Apple Maps. A slow connection or a temporary Apple Maps authorization problem can delay the map and game overlays. Check your connection, tapRetry Map if it appears, then reopen the room if the map remains blank.

My location is not updating

Near only asks for location after you join a game — it never requests it just for opening the app. Check that location permission is granted in your device settings, then tap the ⌖ button. If it says location is blocked, allow it for Near and tap again.

A question says nobody has a current location

Questions need a live position on both sides. A position that has stopped updating for about two minutes is treated as stale and cleared, which is deliberate — a stale position should never be presented as live. Have the other team open Near, confirm sharing is on, and check Near’s location permission in the device settings.

I cannot ask another question

Only one question can be pending at a time. Wait for the hiding team to send their answer, or finish the Thermometer trip you started.

The invite link does not work

Invite links stop working once the round starts, and rooms expire after seven days. Ask the host to end the room and create a new one.

Privacy and your data

• Leave a game — sidebar → Settings → Leave game. Clears your session and your location.
• Delete a room for everyone — the room owner can end and delete it from Settings.
• Delete your account — Settings & Room → Personal Settings → Delete Account, or use the web deletion page. Immediate and irreversible.
• Request a copy of your data — email the address above. Rooms expire after seven days, so ask promptly.

Full detail is in the Privacy Policy.

Safety

Near is a game, not a safety or emergency service. GPS is approximate. Do not trespass, do not use the app while driving, and follow local laws and transit rules. If anyone withdraws consent, stop the game.

If someone is using Near to track a person who did not agree, email the address above with the details.

Reporting a bug

Helpful details: what you were doing, what you expected, what happened instead, your device and operating-system version, and roughly when it occurred.