During a Session

Both people move through the same ritual together.

Progress and Rounds

The progress bar shows your current round, such as 3/10. Each round is one prompt or one Private Pulse. Nobody moves ahead alone — the next card appears once you have both acted.

Both avatars appear at the top so you can see your partner is there. If their connection drops, a banner says so before you start wondering.

Dots under the card show the question's intensity: one is light, three is the kind of question you remember.

Taking Turns

Bonded highlights whoever answers first on each card, then swaps. The host opens the first question and it alternates from there.

This is a suggestion about who speaks, not a lock. Neither person is ever prevented from tapping, so a partner who steps away can never strand you.

Normal Question Rounds

For most prompts, answer out loud first, then choose:

Action	Meaning
Done answering	You have answered out loud.
Pass	You prefer not to answer this prompt.
Flag this moment	You mark the prompt as meaningful, after you have answered or passed.

After your choice, Bonded waits for your partner.

Nothing is typed and nothing is recorded. The card is a prompt for a conversation between the two of you.

Passing

Passing is allowed, costs nothing, and is never shown to your partner as a judgement. A ritual continues when one or both people pass.

Waiting for Partner

If you see "Waiting for your partner", Bonded is waiting for the other person to answer, pass, flag, signal, or choose a Private Pulse reveal option.

Resonance Moments

A resonance moment happens only when both people flag the same prompt.

If this happens	Result
Only you flag a prompt	It is marked on your side, but it is not a shared resonance moment.
Only your partner flags a prompt	Not shared until you both flag.
Both people flag the same prompt	Bonded marks it as a shared resonance moment.

Resonance moments can appear in the Memory Capsule and in Insights.

Closing Questions

Most decks end with a closing prompt. It uses a simpler layout and is meant as a final reflection before the ritual completes.

Ending Early

Either person can end a ritual in progress. Bonded asks to confirm, then closes it for both of you. Anything already saved is kept.

Playing in a Group

A Group plays like a Duo — everyone sees the same question on their own phone, answers out loud, and taps Done answering or Pass — with a few differences because there are more of you:

Faces around the table. Everyone's avatar sits along the top in a fixed order. The person whose turn it is glows; a check mark means someone has finished this round. A faded face means that person's connection dropped.
Round the table. One person opens each question — the host opens the first — and the turn moves round the table as people tap. Like in a Duo, this is a suggestion, never a lock.
Nobody sees who passed. A finished player just shows a check mark, whether they answered or passed.
Waiting for… After you tap, Bonded says who the round is still waiting for.
Shared moments need most of the group, not just two people: a moment is shared when more than half of the players flag it.
Move on. If someone forgets to tap, the host can move the group on once at least half have finished. If the host's phone has been gone for about 30 seconds, anyone who has finished can.
Leave or end. A player can leave; the game carries on without them. Only the host can end it for everyone. If everyone else leaves, the game closes.

Dares

Some decks include dares — a card that asks one person to do something rather than answer. A dare is for one person: in a Duo, whoever the turn line says goes first; in a Group, whoever opens that round. They tap Done it or Pass; everyone else watches. In a Group the host can skip a dare.

Real-Time Behavior

Platform	How updates arrive
Mobile app	A live connection carries partner joined, answered, passed, flagged, Private Pulse, completed, and abandoned events.
Web guest	Polls the ritual roughly every 2 seconds. Updates may feel slightly delayed compared with the app.

After the Ritual

When the last round resolves, Bonded shows the Memory Capsule view. If you played with someone who is not yet a friend, a card offers to connect — see Friends and Connections.

Session Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely cause	What to try
Stuck waiting for partner	Partner has not acted, disconnected, or web polling is delayed.	Ask them to check their screen. Wait a few seconds if they are on web.
A "reconnecting" banner appears	The live connection dropped.	Stay on the screen; it reconnects on its own.
Button does not respond	A request may be in progress or failed.	Wait briefly, then tap again once the loading state clears.
"That did not go through"	The answer, pass, or flag request failed.	Tap again on a stable connection.
Session will not load	You are not a participant, the token expired, or the ritual no longer exists.	Return home and rejoin with the current code, or sign in again.
Language seems wrong	The host chose the language before inviting you.	Start a new ritual with the preferred language.
Session ended early	The host cancelled it, someone ended it, or all rounds completed.	Start or request a new one.
A Group is stuck on one person	Someone forgot to tap or their phone dropped.	The host can tap Move on once half the group has finished.
"This dare is for someone else"	Only the person the dare is for can do it.	Watch — or, if you are the host, skip it.