The problem
Most hangouts die in the group chat. Someone floats an idea, three
people react, nobody commits, and the moment passes. The hard part
isn't wanting to see your friends, it's all the back-and-forth
of figuring out a plan, the worry of being the one who reaches out, and
never quite knowing who's actually around.
Calendars are for things you plan ahead. Texts are for conversations.
There was never an easy way to share the simplest, most useful thing of
all: "I'm free right now, anyone want to do something?"
The idea
Flare turns being free into a single tap. You send up a
flare, a quick "I'm free" your friends can see, set to last
a couple of hours, tonight, or however long you like, and you see who
else is free right now. Wave at someone, reach out, and go. The whole
thing takes seconds.
And it all disappears on its own. There's no chat, no feed, nothing to
scroll through or keep up with. Flares fade away when their time is up,
so Flare only ever shows what's happening right now.
Everyone's equal
Everyone sees the same thing. There's no way to pay to stand out or jump the line, so letting people know you're free feels easy, because everyone's doing it too.
No pressure
A flare is a friendly "I'm around," never a demand. You can't tell who saw it, so there's no "they noticed and ignored me." Reaching out never has to feel risky.
Nothing sticks around
Nothing piles up. Flares fade away on their own, so there's nothing to scroll, nothing to keep up with, and no pressure to keep up appearances.
Privacy first
When you're free is never sold or shared. We use your contacts only to help you find friends, and we never store them. Privacy is a promise, not a product.
The basics are always free
Saying you're free, seeing who else is, and reaching out will always
be free. That's what makes Flare work, the easier it is for your
friends to join in, the more useful it gets for everyone.
What's coming
We're building optional tools for people who want to get more out of
Flare, like saved groups for your different circles of friends, and
the option to set your free time ahead of time. They're designed to
help you organize your own social life, and they'll never let anyone
pay to look more available than others, the basics always stay free.
Signing up and text messages
You sign up with your phone number, so we can make sure it's really
you and help your friends find you. When you create an account, you
consent to receive text messages (SMS) from Flare, a one-time code to
verify your number, plus important account and security alerts. Message
frequency varies, and message and data rates may apply.
We never send marketing or promotional texts, and we never share your
number or your consent with anyone else for their marketing. You can
reply STOP to opt out of non-essential texts at any
time, or HELP for help. The full details are in our
Terms of Service and
Privacy Policy.
Get in touch
Flare is built by a small team that just wanted to see their friends
more. Questions, ideas, or want early access?
Email sendaflareup@gmail.com.
