Hi, I’m E!
The Foodie Explorer
“I like tasting new things in the city, but not alone. Momos, biryani, that new dessert place: you in?”
Dating & personal✨ Coming soon · early access openNoticed someone?
Noticed someone?
Say hello.
SoNearby helps you privately check whether someone you noticed is open to a respectful hello. Invisible by default — identities revealed only after mutual consent.
Coming soon. 18+ only.
2083 people are already in the queue.
Join them and we’ll ping you before launch.
Join them and we’ll ping you before launch.
How it works
From a glance to a hello, with consent at every step
SoNearby replaces swiping with a short, private interaction between people who are actually at the same place.
Notice someone
You are at a real place and someone catches your eye.
Check in at your place
Go Available at the exact cafe or venue — your check-in is the key to joining spot activities.
Hop into live rooms
See live audio rooms at your spot and join drop-in conversations with one tap.
Post on the 15-minute wall
Share short ephemeral messages that disappear after 15 minutes — no endless feeds.
Earn Aura & connect
Give kudos, build streaks, collect passport stamps and connect if both say yes.
Meet the crew
Which one are you?
SoNearby is for everyone who’d rather say hello in real life. Here are a few of the people you’ll find at your café.
Hi, I’m F!
The Founder
“Building something at 2 a.m. Looking for a co-founder, a first hire, or just someone who gets it.”
Founders & startups
Hi, I’m U!
The Bookworm
“I’m the one reading in the café corner. Ask me what page I’m on.”
Dating & personal
Hi, I’m D!
The Dog Parent
“My dog picks my friends. He’s very friendly, so your odds are good.”
Casual conversation
Hi, I’m N!
The Networker
“Let’s swap LinkedIns, or just stories. Every coffee is a chance to meet someone great.”
Professional networking
Hi, I’m &!
The Plus-One
“Two coffees, always. One’s for whoever I meet today.”
Casual conversation
Hi, I’m W!
The Wanderer
“New city every month. Airport gates are where I meet my favourite people.”
Casual conversationHi, I’m ?!
The Curious One
“Who was that by the window? I just have to know… politely, with consent.”
Casual conversationHi, I’m X!
The Comic
“Stand-up on Saturdays. If I can’t make you laugh, the coffee’s on me.”
Casual conversation
Hi, I’m P!
The Plant Parent
“I talk to my plants. They’re great listeners, but I’d love someone who talks back.”
Dating & personalYour sticker, your DP
Type your name, meet your buddy
Every letter, plus a few special symbols, has its own character. Pick yours as a profile picture or sticker in the app, or tap any buddy to try them on.
“I like tasting new things in the city, but not alone. Momos, biryani, that new dessert place: you in?”
Why SoNearby
Built for real moments, not endless feeds
You already noticed them
SoNearby starts in the real world. You saw someone at a café, a college fest, a coworking space or an airport gate. The app helps you find out, privately, whether they are open to saying hello.
Invisible by default
No public profiles, no “people nearby” list to scroll. You only become discoverable when you choose to Go Available at a real place, for a time you pick.
Mutual consent before any reveal
Photos and names are revealed only when both people say yes. Ignoring an invitation reveals nothing about you.
Never your exact location
Others see a place name and an optional landmark such as “near Gate 3”. Never your GPS position, never the distance between you, never live movement.
A mystery, not a feed
Instead of swiping, you answer a few structured clues like what someone is wearing or where they are sitting, so the right two people find each other without exposing anyone else.
Live at the spot
Check in to a cafe or venue and see who is at the spot: join drop-in audio rooms, post on a 15-minute wall, and hop into conversations with one tap.
15-minute wall & live rooms
Post short, ephemeral messages that vanish after 15 minutes and join live audio rooms for spontaneous conversation.
Aura, streaks and passport
Earn Aura points for check-ins, time spent in rooms and good-vibe kudos. Build a passport of places and keep streaks.
More than dating
Pick one or more intents per session: dating, professional networking, founders and startups, business, hiring, collaboration or just a conversation.
Verified phone login, 18+ only
Every account signs in with an OTP-verified mobile number and must be 18 or older. Block and report are always one tap away.
Free for everyone
SoNearby is free to download and free to use. There are no paid plans, no ads and nothing to unlock.
Not just dating
Every time you go available you choose what you are open to:
- Dating & personal
- Professional networking
- Founders & startups
- Business opportunities
- Hiring & careers
- Collaboration
- Casual conversation
Friday nights
The best time to be on SoNearby
Prime time, every Friday
Spots are busiest between 8 and 10 pm on Fridays. Save a Prime time room and we will nudge you before it starts.
SoNearby Nights
Hosted evenings at partner cafés with live rooms, games and a “New here?” welcome room, so your first time is never awkward.
Come with your gang
Start a Gang with friends anywhere in India, even before SoNearby opens in your city, then bring them along when it does.
Cities
Live now, and unlocking next
SoNearby opens one city at a time, so there are always people at the spots. Every early-access sign-up moves your city up the list.
Live now: Indore and Bhopal
Safety
Designed so nobody is exposed
SoNearby is 18+ and every account is tied to an OTP-verified mobile number. You are invisible until you choose to Go Available, and you can stop anytime.
- Block and report anyone, anytime.
- A cooldown after someone says no, so nobody gets pestered.
- Clues are structured choices, never free-text descriptions of someone’s body.
- No sensitive attributes like religion, caste or health are ever asked for or shown.
- Delete your account and data from inside the app.
Be ready on launch day
The whole crew is waiting at the café. Sign up and we’ll tell you the moment the doors open.
At a glance
SoNearby in one minute
- What it is
- A consent-first app to connect with someone you noticed in real life
- Made for
- A private, consent-first mobile experience
- Platforms
- Android and iPhone (coming soon)
- Age
- 18+ with an OTP-verified mobile number
- Privacy
- Invisible by default, no public profiles, never exact location
- Intents
- Dating & personal, Professional networking, Founders & startups, Business opportunities, Hiring & careers, Collaboration, Casual conversation
FAQ
Questions people ask about SoNearby
What is SoNearby?
SoNearby is a consent-first mobile app that helps you connect with someone you have already noticed in real life, at places like cafés, colleges, coworking spaces, events and airports. It is not a swipe app: there are no public profiles, you are invisible by default, and identities are revealed only after both people agree.
How is SoNearby different from Tinder, Bumble or Hinge?
Dating apps show you a feed of nearby profiles to swipe. SoNearby has no feed at all. It only works when two people are at the same real place, uses a short clue-based mystery to identify the right person, and reveals nothing until both say yes. It also supports networking, founder, hiring and friendship intents, not just dating.
Is SoNearby safe for women?
SoNearby is designed so women stay in control: you are invisible unless you choose to Go Available, nobody can see your exact location, you can ignore invitations without the other person knowing, and you can block or report in one tap. SoNearby is free for everyone.
Does SoNearby share my location?
No exact location is ever shared. When you Go Available, other people only see the place name (for example a café or an airport) and an optional landmark you type. SoNearby never shows your GPS position, the distance between users, or your movement.
Is SoNearby free?
Yes. SoNearby is free to download and free to use, with no paid plans, in-app purchases or ads.
Where is SoNearby available?
SoNearby opens city by city, starting with Indore and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. Every other city has a waitlist: pick your city when you sign up for early access, and once enough people are waiting there it unlocks and everyone on the list hears first. Inviting friends gets your city there sooner.
What are SoNearby Nights?
Friday evening is prime time on SoNearby. SoNearby Nights are hosted evenings at partner cafés and venues with live audio rooms, games and a welcome room for people who are new. Tap “I’m in” on one in the app and we remind you an hour before it starts.
When can I download SoNearby on Android and iPhone?
SoNearby is coming soon to the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. The download links on sonearby.com will go live on launch day.
Can I use SoNearby for networking and not dating?
Yes. Each time you Go Available you choose your intents, such as professional networking, founders and startups, business, hiring, collaboration or casual conversation. You can pick dating, something else, or several at once.
Who can use SoNearby?
Anyone 18 or older with a mobile number. Sign-in uses a one-time password sent by SMS, so every account is tied to a verified phone number.
What does “SoNearby” mean?
SoNearby combines the Hindi word “kaun” (who) with “connect”. The idea is simple: you noticed someone, and now you want to know who they are, with their consent.
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल
SoNearby क्या है?
SoNearby एक consent-first मोबाइल ऐप है जो आपको निजी तरीके से किसी को खोजने में मदद करता है जिसे आपने असल जिंदगी में देखा है। यह स्वाइप ऐप नहीं है; आपकी exact location साझा नहीं की जाती और पहचान केवल दोनों की सहमति पर खुलती है।
क्या SoNearby महिलाओं के लिए सुरक्षित और फ्री है?
हाँ। आप तब तक दिखाई नहीं देतीं जब तक आप खुद “Go Available” न चुनें, और दोनों की सहमति के बिना कोई पहचान नहीं बताई जाती। महिलाओं के लिए SoNearby मुफ्त है।