NearfolkThe orbit: a calm picture of who is near
The orbit is Nearfolk's picture of your friendships. You sit in the centre and each person sits on one of three rings: Near, Drifting or Far. Where they sit depends on the time since you last talked and the rhythm you chose for them. Reaching out moves them back toward you.
Coming soon to iPhone
How does the orbit decide who is near?
Every person has a rhythm: about weekly, every two weeks, about monthly, every three months or twice a year. Nearfolk divides the days since your last talk by that rhythm. A result under 1 is Near, from 1 up to 2 is Drifting, and 2 or more is Far.
A friend with a monthly rhythm is Near for the first month, Drifting through the second, and Far after about two months of silence. A friend you set to twice a year can be quiet for months and still be Near, because that is the pace you chose together.
| Rhythm | Near | Drifting | Far |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly (7 days) | under 7 days | 7 to 13 days | 14 days or more |
| Every two weeks (14 days) | under 14 days | 14 to 27 days | 28 days or more |
| Monthly (30 days) | under 30 days | 30 to 59 days | 60 days or more |
| Every three months (90 days) | under 90 days | 90 to 179 days | 180 days or more |
| Twice a year (180 days) | under 180 days | 180 to 359 days | 360 days or more |
What does the picture look like?
The orbit is drawn as three rings around you, with a soft sky behind it. Each person is a small avatar with initials or a name. Their spot on the ring comes from how far through that zone they are, and their angle is fixed by their identity, so people keep their place instead of jumping around.
On Today the orbit is the hero image, and tapping it opens People. In People you can switch between a grouped list and the orbit, and filter by circle chips such as family, college or the old team.
Because the angle comes from the person and not from the date, you can learn the picture over time. The friend at the top left is always the friend at the top left, and you notice who moves outward.
Where do you start?
During setup you add a few names, three to five is a good start, and answer one question for each: when did you last talk? The choices are this week, this month, months or ages. A rough guess is enough.
Then the orbit assembles on screen and people settle onto their rings. If some of them are drifting, Nearfolk offers to start with the friend who has waited longest, and you can send a card or a message right there.
- Add three to five friends you would hate to lose touch with.
- Pick roughly when you last talked to each.
- Watch the orbit place them.
- Reach out to the first suggestion, or tap Later.
What pulls a friend back to Near?
Any logged moment. After you use Message, Call or Card, Nearfolk asks what you did, and you can also log a moment by hand with a kind, a day and an optional note. A chat, a call, a card and a meetup all count the same.
The friend animates inward and a short toast confirms that they are near again. The history on their profile keeps a plain timeline of those moments, so you can see when you last actually talked.
What are circles for?
Circles group people the way your life does: family, college, the old team. Each person can belong to one or more circles, and the People tab can filter the list and the orbit by circle. Deleting a circle never removes the people in it.
Circles also feed the monthly recap, which names the circle you were closest to. The free plan includes one circle and Plus has no limit.
Can I change a person's rhythm?
Yes, at any time from their profile or the edit screen. Change the rhythm when a friendship changes pace: a close friend who moved abroad may move from monthly to every two weeks, and a colleague from the old job may settle at twice a year.
Rhythm marks the moment when Nearfolk starts to think of someone, and you decide what to do next.
Is the orbit free?
Yes. The orbit, the zones and the list view are in the free plan. Free keeps 10 people and one circle. Plus removes those limits, and nobody is hidden if you ever go back to Free.
The orbit is also the first thing new users see. During setup it assembles in a few seconds and tells you how many people are drifting, or that everyone is near.
Frequently asked questions
What do Near, Drifting and Far mean in Nearfolk?
They compare the time since you last talked with the rhythm you set for that friend. Under one rhythm is Near, up to twice the rhythm is Drifting, and beyond that is Far.
Is Far a bad thing?
No. It only means a long time has passed compared with the pace you chose. Far is the zone where a small message often means the most.
What happens to someone I have never logged?
A person with no talk logged yet is placed as Far and shown as never logged, so they are among the first suggestions. Pick a rough date when you add them to avoid that.
Does Nearfolk know when I actually text someone?
No. It cannot read your messages or call history. You log a moment with one tap, or by choosing what you did after you use Message or Call inside Nearfolk.