base

• what is Blink and what is it for?
  Blink is a map app with your friends on it! with Blink you can always stay updated on where your friends are, who they’re with, and what they’re doing. you can chat within the app, compete in steps count, exchange stickers, post check-ins, send each other whaddups and do many other things. we are growing every day, so new features are popping up regularly

• how to make a new Blink account?
  to create an account, you need to enter your phone number during registration. it's important that the number is your real one, not virtual or temporary — accounts cannot be created with such numbers. once you enter your number, we will send you a password in the form of an SMS code. each time you log in, the code will also be new, so for constant access to your account, you will only need your phone.

• how to get my friends on the map?
  tap the lower left icon on the map with two people on it; this will open the friends section ⟶ click the "invite" button in the top left. there are different ways to find a friend. you can add them directly from your phone book, search by their username in Blink, or by their phone number. if you're both nearby and have already downloaded Blink, you can add each other by bump: just both choose this function and shake your phones!

• my friend does not have an account in Blink yet. how do I invite them?
  if your friend isn't registered on Blink, you can invite them to the app and also earn stars for it! to do this, invite your friend using your referral link. tap the lower left icon on the map with two people; this will open the friends section ⟶ click the "invite" button in the top left. here, tap the large "invite friends to your map" button under the gray text "on other social media." you can either choose "copy" and manually send the link to your friend, or directly forward it in your preferred messenger. you can also invite a friend from your phone book if they are in your contacts. to do this, in the friends section, tap on the "from your contacts" option at the top of the page, find the friend you want in the opened window, and tap "invite". when your friend registers on Blink, you will receive a notification ️

• how to mark sleepovers on the map?
  sleepovers appear automatically after a night spent in a new location. it's important that your phone is on at night, with internet and geolocation enabled. typically, the marker is set about 24 hours after the overnight stay, but it may take a bit more time, up to a couple of days

• how to mark my home/work/school?
  all these markers appear automatically over time when the algorithm recognizes these places on your map. this may take up to a couple of weeks. to get the home marker, you need to stay there overnight for a while without turning off your phone, internet, and geolocation at night. for school and work, you just need to attend regularly and open Blink there more often. however, it’s important to note that the work marker cannot appear if you spend less than 6 hours a day at that location.

• how to change Blink language?
  usually, Blink uses your phone's system language. if the system is set to english, then Blink will be in that language. however, you can change the language in the app on Android by going to settings ⟶ "language" and choosing the one you want.

account

• how to delete my Blink account?
  go to your profile section (upper right icon) ⟶ tap the gear icon ⚙️ in the top right corner ⟶ scroll to the very bottom until you see the gray text "delete account." click on it if you want to delete your account. you will have 30 days to recover your account if you change your mind about deleting it. after this period, it will be permanently deleted.

• how to change an account's phone number?
  to change your number, message us at support @blink_report on Telegram.

• how to change or delete my avatar?
  to change your avatar, go to your profile section (upper right icon with a person) ⟶ tap the pencil icon in the top left corner ⟶ tap "change" under the avatar. here you can choose an avatar from your gallery (don't forget to give Blink access to it) or take a photo directly with the camera. you can also change your avatar from the profile section by: tap on the avatar and press the "change photo" button at the bottom. you cannot completely delete the avatar so that nothing remains in its place; you can only replace it with another one.

• I want to hide my profile from search. how to do it?
  open your profile (button in the top right corner) ⟶ tap the gear icon ⚙️ in the top right corner ⟶ "privacy". here you can turn on or off the necessary options. for example, if you don't want to be shown to anyone in recommendations, turn off the toggle for that option.

• how to edit my profile information?
  open your profile (button in the top right corner) ⟶ tap the pencil icon in the top left. here you can change your bio, username and name. you can also change your avatar or pin, specify gender and date of birth ️

• how to change my profile color?
  go to your profile ⟶ tap the palette icon in the top left corner. here you can customize 3 colors that will be displayed in your profile. or tap the button in the middle of the circle to select colors randomly.

• how can I see how many times my profile was viewed?
  open your profile ⟶ tap the square with eyes . here you can see your views for the week and for the whole month. ️you won't be able to see who exactly viewed it.

functions

• what is bump? how to do it?
  bump is a feature in Blink that you can use with a friend when you meet. as soon as you and your friend do a bump, all your friends will receive a notification that you are together! make sure to try it the next time you see each other to do a bump, you need to open the app on two phones nearby and shake them up and down. it’s important that you and that user are friends with each other. otherwise, instead of bumping for the first time, you will send each other friend requests.

• we're shaking our phones but the bump doesn't work. what should we do?
  the bump might not work if one of the phones (or both) doesn't have an accelerometer with gyroscope sensor. this sensor helps Blink understand that the phone is being shaken. it can't be installed or added to the phone — it's either built into the phone originally or it isn't. but even in this case, you can still do a bump, here's how: — together with your friend on your phones, tap the icon in the bottom left corner of the map with two people (friends section); — tap "invite"; — here, select "using bump" and start shaking your phones! if it still doesn't work, we have a complete guide about bumping — tap here ️

• how to connect steps?
  IOS we get steps through the "Health" service. when you first launch Blink, the app will request all the necessary permissions — just grant them, and steps will be counted automatically in Blink! Android with Google services steps are counted automatically. but if you've been walking with your phone for a couple of days and steps in Blink are still 0 or they're counted incorrectly, you need to download Google Fit and grant it access to the "Health and Sports" service. once you download Google Fit, open it, and on the main screen, you will see a prompt to do synchronization — click "Start". and as soon as steps are in Google Fit, they will appear in Blink! Honor/Huawei without Google services on Honor and Huawei smartphones, steps are counted automatically, without synchronization with health services. ️

• why do steps count drop down in month and week rating?
  this is where simple arithmetic comes into play. let’s explain in more detail. in the weekly top, steps made in the last 7 days are counted. that is, each day, steps made 7 days ago are subtracted, and new steps made today are added. so, if there aren’t enough new steps, the number may decrease. the same goes for the monthly ranking — each day, steps made 30 days ago are subtracted, and fresh ones are added.

• what are check-ins? what can I share with them?
  check-ins are like "stories" in our app. in them, you can share a photo or video with friends, and also tag the location where you're checking in! if you frequently post check-ins in the same place, you can even become its mayor. only you and your friends can see your check-ins. the first 24 hours, the check-in is visible in the check-ins section, and after that, all check-ins move to your profile, where only you and your friends can see them. regular users not in your friends list cannot see your check-ins. finding check-ins in your profile is easy: open it and tap on the check-in photos. plus, your check-in locations are saved on your footprints map, you can check them out there too to delete a check-in, tap on it ⟶ click the three dots in the upper right corner ⟶ "delete". you can also save the photo to your gallery by selecting the appropriate option.

• how to become the mayor of a place?
  you have ambitious plans! we like it. to become the mayor of any place, you need to post check-ins there as often as possible. the more check-ins in that place in the last 30 days, the higher you will be in the top. so even after becoming a mayor, don’t relax to avoid losing your position! only the last 30 days are counted.

• what are pops and what are they for? how to get them?
  pops are little stars that you receive for inviting friends. other users can see your pops in your profile, and you can view them in the section with a star there. currently, pops have no specific use besides looking nice and earning respect, but everyone can see them in your profile. and in the future, who knows how pops might come in handy...

• where can I find my footprints? what are they?
  footprints are hidden behind the planet icon — it's the very bottom icon in the row on the right. click on it to open the map of your footprints. footprints are literally your traces on the map! when you walk somewhere with a phone that has Blink, your trace will remain on the map in this section. and then on this screen, you can see which zones and places you've already unlocked. your check-in locations are also marked here. this way, you can explore the whole world, visit countries, and simply find new places in your hometown ️

• what is a whaddup? how to send/delete it?
  a whaddup is a special sticker. to put it simply, it's like a check-in that only you and your friend, with whom you exchanged whaddups, can see. now let's explain how it works. when your friend wants to see where you are and what you're doing right now, they can send you a whaddup. you will have 2 hours from the moment the whaddup is sent to respond — send a photo or video to your friend. as soon as you respond to the whaddup, your friend will have 24 hours to view your response. after 24 hours from its creation, the content of the whaddup will turn to dust and disappear from your chat. you cannot delete a sent whaddup. but it will evaporate itself after 24 hours from sending, and only you and your friend can see it in your chat. no one else will be able to see the whaddup, so don't worry. it also won't be saved in your profile. by the way, whaddups have a counter! it appears at the bottom when you open a whaddup from a friend.

• how to unlock all stickers?
  stickers will unlock if you log into Blink for the required number of consecutive days. full days are counted (24 hours). so if the stickers didn’t unlock exactly on the third day, wait until tomorrow — they will definitely unlock.

• why is there no widget on Android? when will it be available?
  currently, the widget on Android is in development, but we plan to add it in the future.

friends

• how to find out when a friend was last online?
  go to the chat with the friend — under their username, you will see the time of their last visit.

• where can I see incoming/outgoing friend requests?
  new friend requests are always displayed every time you log into the app. if you want to see all requests including outgoing ones — go to the friends section and click "requests". here you can also cancel or decline them.

• what is the time next to the friend's icon?
  his is the time your friend has been in his current location. h = hours, m = minutes.

• how to hide your geolocation from someone?
  if you want to temporarily hide from a specific friend, you can enable a temporary freeze for them. to do this, tap the gear icon in the upper right corner on the map ⟶ “visibility settings” ⟶ select “freeze mode” and tap the desired time. you can freeze your geolocation for a maximum of 24 hours, after which you will need to enable the freeze again if necessary. during the freeze, your friend will just see that you are standing still, meaning your last geolocation at the moment of freezing. besides freezing, you can enable “approximate location” — the geolocation will be transmitted to the friend with some inaccuracy. unlike freezing, where there are no markers for the friend, with approximate location, you will have a “low accuracy” marker — your friend can see it. but this marker can also appear due to poor satellite connection, so your friend may not know for sure.

• how to know if a friend has frozen you?
  you can’t know for sure, that’s the point of the freeze feature. but during a freeze, the friend will just stay in one place for a long time, and their geolocation won’t change.

• how to delete a friend?
  go to the profile of the friend you want to remove ⟶ tap the three dots in the top right corner ⟶ "delete from friends." after that, the friend will disappear from your map and won't see your geolocation, just as you won't see theirs.

• how to block a user?
  go to the profile of the user you want to block ⟶ click the gear icon in the upper left corner ⟶ “block.”

• how to unblock a user? where to see your blacklist?
  go to your profile ⟶ tap the gear icon in the top right corner ⟶ "privacy" ⟶ "blacklist". to unblock a user, tap the gear icon next to their username and select "unblock".

map and geo

• how to change your location?
  you cannot manually change your geolocation — we show the location transmitted by your phone. inaccuracies can occur due to GPS interference, poor signal, and other issues not on our end. if your geolocation in Blink is displayed incorrectly, you need to do the following: open Blink ⟶ tap the gear icon (settings) ⟶ “report geolocation problems.” if the button is not there, update the app to the latest version. this won’t change your geolocation, but we will receive all the necessary information to help us address the issue. the interference should resolve itself over time, as it is usually caused by external sources.

• how to change the map style?
  click on the gear icon in the upper right corner under the profile section ⟶ "map style".

• why is constant access to geo needed?
  without constant access to geolocation, Blink cannot show your location to friends in real-time. without permission to access geolocation in any mode, it cannot update your geo in the background. this means your geolocation will only update when you enter the app, which is not ideal.

• does Blink work without the internet?
  no. internet access is required to update geolocation and transmit it in real-time.

• what is freeze mode and approximate location? how to enable them?
  freeze mode and approximate geo are two slightly different features that allow you to hide from your friends' view for a while. with freeze mode, you can “fix” your geolocation at a location for a specific friend, while an approximate location will show your location with some inaccuracy. freezing cannot be detected, only guessed. with approximate location, the story is a bit different — once you enable it for a friend, you will see a “low accuracy” marker. to enable freeze mode or approximate location, do the following: on the map, tap the gear icon in the upper right corner ⟶ "visibility settings" ⟶ here, select “freeze mode” or “approximate location” and tap the needed time. you can enable them for a maximum of 24 hours; afterward, you will need to enable them again if necessary.

• what does the crossed-out geo icon on the friend’s pin mean?
  it means that Blink is not receiving the geolocation from the friend's phone. this can happen for various reasons: — the friend has not allowed access to geolocation in any mode for Blink and hasn’t opened the app for a long time; — the friend simply hasn’t opened the app for a very long time; — the friend has turned off geolocation/access to it for Blink; — the friend's phone/internet/connectivity is turned off, or there are strong interferences with them.

• how to change the colored trail when moving/how to change pin style?
  when a user moves on the map, they leave a colored trail behind. this is the pin style, which can be changed to another one (if they're unlocked!) to change pin style, go to your profile section (upper right icon) ⟶ tap the pencil icon in the top left corner ⟶ "pin style" ⟶ choose the one you want here. note that you can only change your own pin style. but all friends will see it when you're moving ️

general questions about Blink

• why is Blink called that way?
  we love World of Warcraft, and “blink” is a skill used by mages to teleport themselves forward. we named the app after it.

• what is a “pin”?
  a pin is a user’s “profile” on the map. so when you open Blink, you see your pin and your friends' pins on the map.

• what are those messages at the top when entering the app? who writes them?
  these are our welcome messages or welcome phrases, whichever you prefer. we come up with them, specifically the guys from the marketing department. by the way, these phrases often change and new ones are added so that no one gets bored

• who are Blink ambassadors?
  ambassadors are a special group of active users of the app who promote Blink in their city. in return, they receive various privileges, such as special status in the app, merch, VIP passes to all our events, and many other perks. if you want to join the ranks of top-tier blinklings, recruitment is always open! fill out the application here ️

• how can I get a special status and badge next to my nickname? how to get the “certified blinkling” status?
  there are currently two types of special statuses in Blink. let’s explain each in detail. ambassador status: a status held by current Blink ambassadors. you can get it by becoming an ambassador and joining their ranks. “certified blinkling” status: this was reward for star battles, which were contests in march and september 2024. currently, this status cannot be obtained. this section will surely be updated in the future, as we plan many new contests. follow @blinkmap on telegram, and you definitely won’t miss anything.

possible problems and their solutions

• i have an inaccuracy on the map! what should i do?
  right now we are using maps from third-party providers, so we can't change them on our end. on Android devices with Google services, we use Google Maps, on iOS it’s Apple Maps, and on Huawei/Honor it’s Petal Maps. if you see an inaccuracy, you need to report it to them. nevertheless, we are developing our own maps that we work on every day. in the future, Blink will only have it’s own maps, the same for all devices. it will be beautiful and convenient, we guarantee it.

• i have a problem, how do i contact support?
  our support is available on Telegram: @blink_report. there, seven days a week, real people — support agents — respond to Blink users. if you encounter any problems with the app, write to this account and describe them in as much detail as possible, and we will try to figure it out together. if for some reason you can’t write in Telegram, you can contact us via email at help@blinkmap.com.

• where can I suggest my ideas for improving the app?
  we are always happy to see interesting ideas in our support (Telegram: @blink_report).

• my geolocation is determined incorrectly. what should I do?
  like any app with maps, we show the geolocation that your phone provides to us. you can verify this by opening another map app — like Google Maps, which would be good for comparison. inaccuracies can occur due to GPS disruptions in the area (for example, if the signal is being jammed), poor connectivity, and other issues like external interference from metal barriers. also, GPS has a margin of error of about 20 meters, which is within the norm. if your geolocation in Blink is displayed incorrectly, do the following: open Blink ⟶ tap on the gear (settings) ⟶ “report geolocation problems.” if you don’t see the button, update the app to the latest version. this way, you will send all the information directly to our developers, and this will help us analyze the problem. no, it won't fix your geolocation instantly, let’s be clear, it will just send us the necessary data so we can investigate it. but we are working on our end to make everything reflect as accurately as possible and to minimize such disruptions! so this information will be very useful to us. and issues with geolocation usually resolve themselves over time because they are caused by external sources or the device itself.

• my friend's geolocation is determined incorrectly. what should i do?
  here, just like with your geolocation — we show the location that the user’s phone provides. if your friend’s geolocation is displayed incorrectly, it means that their phone has sent us that information for some reason. sometimes, a friend may not have granted Blink access to geolocation in any mode or may have disabled background operation. because of this, their location will only update when they open the app, so they definitely need to check those permissions. also, your friend may not have opened the app in a while, or there could be GPS signal disruptions in their area. additionally, your friend might have simply frozen their geolocation from you or turned on “approximate location.” in this case, we won’t be able to say for sure. nevertheless, if your friend’s geolocation is constantly incorrect, they should write to us in Telegram: @blink_report. we’ll see what the issue is!