FAQ

Can I use Bonded without paying?

Yes. Free accounts host one ritual a week on the Starter deck, up to 4 questions, and can always join someone else's ritual — including a Premium host's full 10-question ritual. Other decks, longer rituals, saved capsules, insights, and pings require Premium.

Do I need an account to try it?

No. The five-question quiz runs before any account exists, and your answers stay on your device until you save them. You need an account to start or join a ritual.

Which deck will I get?

The first two quiz questions decide it. See the routing table in The Connection Profile Quiz. If your deck is a Premium one, your first ritual runs free on Starter at the same pace and tone.

Can I join without the app?

Yes. If the host shares a web invite link, you can join in a browser. You can also enter a 6-character code in the web guest flow.

Do both people need accounts?

For the mobile app, yes — sign-in is passwordless with an email link, Google, or Apple. A guest can also join through the web without installing the app, and the guest email field is optional.

Are answers visible to my partner?

No. Bonded never collects typed answer text for normal rounds. You choose whether you would answer or pass, and the conversation happens between the two of you. Your partner sees progress and shared state, not words.

Why is one of us highlighted?

Bonded suggests who answers first on each card, then swaps. It is a suggestion only — neither person is ever blocked from tapping, so a partner who steps away cannot strand you.

Are Private Pulse values private?

Yes during the live ritual. A value appears in the Memory Capsule only if both people choose Reveal at the end. If either chooses Keep it private, both stay hidden.

Why can I only have one ritual open?

A ritual is a shared moment between two people, and a second one running underneath it would fragment both. Finish it, or end it from Home or from inside the ritual, and you can start another straight away.

Why did my ritual end?

Because all rounds completed, the host cancelled it while waiting, someone ended it, or it was no longer active. Completed rituals show a post-ritual summary.

How do people find me?

By username only, and only if Settings > Discoverability > Let people find me is on. Lookup by email or phone number does not exist in Bonded.

Is Discovery live now?

Yes. The discoverability switch used to be a preference for a future feature; it now genuinely controls whether you appear in user search. It still has nothing to do with location, Bluetooth, band pairing, or proximity — Bonded has none of those.

Can I write my own message on a ping?

No. Every word on a ping card is written by Bonded. That is deliberate: there is nothing in a ping to moderate and nothing a stranger can put on someone's lock screen. Choose from twelve vibes instead.

How often can I change my username or avatar?

Roughly once every 14 days each. The app tells you when the next change is available.

Do you collect my phone number?

No, not any more. It only ever existed for lookup by number, and that feature is gone. The field is ignored and stored values have been purged.

Can I use Bonded in Greek?

Yes, for ritual and deck content. The host chooses the language before creating the invite, and either person can preview a deck in either language. The app interface itself is in English; there is no app-language switch.

Can I redo the quiz or onboarding?

The quiz can be re-run and saves over your existing Connection Profile. Onboarding resumes if incomplete but has no "redo" button — you can still change your username, bio, avatar, prompt answers, and every preference from Profile and Settings.

How do I keep Memory Capsules?

Finish rituals and create shared moments — both flagging the same prompt, or both revealing a Private Pulse. The saved archive is a Premium feature.

What happens if my partner disconnects?

The app tells you, with a banner, before you start wondering. Wait briefly and ask them to reopen the app or link. Web guests may have a short delay because the web flow polls about every 2 seconds.

How do I report or block someone?

From their ⋯ menu on the Friends tab or their profile, from a ping card, or from a profile answer. Reporting is private and asks afterwards whether you also want to block. Blocking takes effect immediately and is reversible from Settings > Safety > Blocked people.

What are Connection Insights?

Premium reflections built from completed rituals: what resonates, where you pause, how often you choose to be seen, the depth you choose, and what you reveal together. They are not scores or professional assessments.

How do I buy or restore Premium?

Tap Start Premium or any locked Premium feature to open the store paywall. To recover a previous purchase, open Settings > Restore purchases with the same Apple ID used originally.

How do I get my data, or delete my account?

Settings > Privacy controls > Download my data prepares a file with everything Bonded holds about you. Settings > Danger zone > Delete account removes the account permanently after two confirmations. Deleting the account does not cancel an Apple subscription — cancel that in the App Store.

Who should I contact if nothing here fixes my issue?

For safety matters, use the address on Settings > Safety > Community rules. For everything else, contact Bonded support at https://bonded.studio/feedback/. Include your device type, app version if visible, what you were trying to do, the exact error message, and whether you were host or guest.