GLOWN
◢ SIGNAL ◤

Support

help, bug reports, and questions

Need help? Email us directly.

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We read every message. Expect a response within a few days.

What is Glown?

Glown is an AR messaging app for friends. From the AR view you can:

Frequently asked

How do I add a friend?

Each account has a 6-character share code (shown at the top of the GRID screen). Ask a friend for theirs, tap TUNE INTO A FREQUENCY, enter their code, and tap REQUEST. They'll see your request under INCOMING SIGNALS on their GRID screen and can accept or decline.

How does DROP work?

Tap DROP in the dock. The cyberpunk map opens — pan and zoom to find the spot, then the crosshair at the center is where your pin will land. You can also tap HERE to drop at your current location. Tap NEXT, pick the friends you want to send it to, choose an icon and color, type a message, and send.

How does BEAM work?

Tap BEAM in the dock. Pick the friend you want to send to, choose an icon and color, type a message, and send. The friend gets a push notification — when they open the app, the beam takes over their screen. They can dismiss it or hit REPLY to send one back.

What's the difference between a DROP and a BEAM?

A drop is anchored to a place. The recipient sees it as a neon sign floating at that location when they're physically nearby in AR, or as a pin on the global map. A beam is direct — it doesn't have a location, and it appears as a full-screen takeover the moment the recipient opens the app.

Why can't my friend see my drop?

A few possibilities, in order of likelihood:

Where does the map show drops from?

The map shows every drop involving you — drops you sent and drops sent to you — anywhere in the world. There's no distance limit on the map. AR is local (500m); the map is global.

Where does Glown work?

Glown works best outdoors with a clear view of the sky (for good GPS and AR tracking). It can work indoors but message anchoring becomes less precise. Works worldwide — no regional restrictions.

How long do messages last?

24 hours by default for both drops and beams. After that, they disappear automatically and are removed from our servers. We may add variable lifespans (1 hour, 7 days, etc.) in a future update.

Can I delete a message I dropped?

Yes — tap the pin in AR or on the map and select BURN. The drop is permanently deleted for everyone.

Can I hide a drop somebody else sent me?

Yes — tap the pin in AR or on the map and select BURN. For drops you didn't send, BURN hides the message from your view only. The sender and any other recipients can still see it. The drop won't reappear on your map or in AR.

How do I delete every drop I've ever sent?

Open the GRID screen and scroll to the Danger Zone. Tap WIPE ALL MY MESSAGES and confirm. This removes every drop and beam you've sent. It cannot be undone.

How do I block someone?

On the GRID screen, long-press on a friend and select BLOCK. Their friendship is ended, any pending requests are cancelled, and their messages are hidden from you (in both directions — they also can't see yours). You can unblock them later from the BLOCKED section.

How do I report a message or user?

To report a specific drop: tap it in AR or on the map, then select REPORT. To report a user: long-press their name on the GRID screen and select REPORT. Reports go directly to the developer for review.

How do I delete my account?

GRID screen → scroll to Danger Zone → tap Delete My Account → type DELETE to confirm. This permanently erases your profile, messages, friendships, blocks, push tokens, and login credentials. It cannot be undone.

What permissions does Glown need and why?

Does Glown cost money?

No. Glown is free. There are no subscriptions, no in-app purchases, and no ads. The app is a personal project — if it grows, we may add optional paid features, but the core will stay free.

Can I use Glown without friends?

Not yet. Glown is friends-only by design. You need to be connected to at least one friend before you can drop or beam (since both require selecting recipients). This is intentional — Glown is not a public broadcast tool.

Known issues

Still need help?

Email us at [email protected] with:

We're a small operation — we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

Legal

See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.