Question 1

What is aftrs?

Accepted Answer

aftrs shows you which of your friends are out right now, and helps you get to them. You flip yourself to 'partying' or 'looking', optionally snap a photo of the room you're in, and the friends you choose see where the energy is. You can chat one to one, or in a Partycast group that builds itself around whoever you're actually out with.

It's live, not permanent. When you go invisible, or when we auto-ghost you after a few hours, the signal disappears. No feed, no grid, no history. See how it works.

Question 2

Is it aftrs or afters?

Accepted Answer

Both, sort of. The word is "afters", as in the after party, the bit after the club shuts when nobody wants to go home. Our app is spelled aftrs, no 'e'. If you searched for the afters app and landed here, you're in the right place. We're not the ice cream shop.

Read more about what afters means.

Question 3

Is it free?

Accepted Answer

Yes, completely. We may add paid extras later, but the core experience will always be free. We don't sell your data and we never will. Read exactly what we collect in our Privacy Policy.

Question 4

Is anyone actually using it?

Accepted Answer

Yes. aftrs is live on iOS and Android and growing fast, starting with queer nightlife in London. It works anywhere though, and it gets better the more of your circle is on it.

Question 5

Do I need my whole group on it for it to work?

Accepted Answer

No, but it does get better with more of your people. Two or three friends is enough for it to beat texting "where are you???" around a club at 1am.

Question 6

Is this an events app?

Accepted Answer

No. You can't list or browse events on aftrs. It's for the live, messy, "ok… where next?" part of the night, once the listed thing is over.

Question 7

Who can actually see my location?

Accepted Answer

Only friends you've both accepted, and only when you choose to be visible. Invisible is your default: in that state literally nobody can see you.

When you go 'partying' or 'looking', you pick who sees you: all your friends, or just your inner circle. Your inner circle is private, nobody knows who's in it. Your location only updates while the app is open, so there's no background tracking, and if you forget to switch off we auto-ghost you after a few hours.

Question 8

Could this out me?

Accepted Answer

Nothing on aftrs is public and you're invisible by default, so your status and location are only ever seen by friends you've approved. The one thing worth knowing: if someone already has your number saved, they may see that an aftrs account exists when they join. They see nothing else, ever, unless you accept them.

Question 9

Do messages really disappear?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every message, one to one or in a Partycast, is permanently wiped after 24 hours. Photos live inside your status and vanish the moment you go invisible. There are no read receipts either, so nobody can pressure you for a reply.

Question 10

What if someone makes me uncomfortable?

Accepted Answer

Only friends can see you in the first place, and you can unfriend, block and report anyone instantly in the app. We take every report seriously. If the vibe shifts, flipping back to invisible takes one tap.

Question 11

Can I delete my account and my data?

Accepted Answer

Yes, any time, straight from the app, or via Delete my account. Everything goes. Details are in our Privacy Policy.

Question 12

Is aftrs responsible for what happens at a party?

Accepted Answer

No. aftrs is a coordination tool, we don't host, organise or endorse anything. Look after each other, stick with people you trust, and practise harm reduction. If something happens on the app that we should know about, report it.

Question 13

How do I add friends?

Accepted Answer

Three ways: find people from your phone book, share your aftrs code so a tap fires off a request, or show your QR code in the smoking area and let someone scan it. No number swap needed. Every friendship is two-way, you both have to accept.

Question 14

What's the difference between 'partying' and 'looking'?

Accepted Answer

'Partying' means you're already somewhere with something going on. 'Looking' means you're up for more and want to know where to go. Both put you on your friends' map for that session only, and you choose who sees each one.

Question 15

What is Partycast?

Accepted Answer

Partycast is a group chat that builds itself around the friends you're actually out with right now, and updates as the night moves. Someone heads home, they drop out. Someone turns up, they join. It uses GPS plus Bluetooth so it still works inside clubs and across festival sites. More in how it works.

Question 16

What are status photos for?

Accepted Answer

So your friends can see what they'd actually be walking into: is it three people in a kitchen or a proper dancefloor. They're optional, they're only seen by whoever can see your status, and they disappear when you do. Nothing is saved to a grid.

Question 17

Is there an etiquette to it?

Accepted Answer

Message before you turn up. Somebody showing as 'partying' isn't a blanket invitation, and your friends are sharing their location because they trust you. Be sound, check in, look after each other.

Question 18

Is it only for late nights?

Accepted Answer

No. It works whenever your people are out. Sunday sessions, day parties, a long lunch that's clearly going somewhere. If someone's up for more, aftrs is useful.

Question 19

Will it kill my battery?

Accepted Answer

No. Location only updates while the app is open, and Partycast's nearby detection is deliberately lightweight. We know your phone is on 12%.

Question 20

What's coming next?

Accepted Answer

We ship often and log every release on What's new. On the way: vibe-based discovery and a private little black book for the people you meet on nights out.

Question 21

How is this different from Snap Map or Find My Friends?

Accepted Answer

Same category, opposite philosophy. Snap Map and Find My Friends broadcast you continuously to everyone you've shared with, and they track in the background. aftrs is invisible by default. You turn a signal on for one night, choose who sees it, and it switches itself off. It also tells you something useful, not just a dot: are they out, are they up for more, what does the room look like.

Question 22

Does this replace my group chat?

Accepted Answer

Only the part that never works. Keep the memes on WhatsApp. When the night is actually moving, a thread with 340 unread messages can't tell you where anyone is. Partycast can, because it builds itself from who's genuinely nearby and changes as people come and go.

Question 23

Is aftrs like Partiful or Resident Advisor?

Accepted Answer

No. Those are for planned events with listings and RSVPs. aftrs has no listings. It's for the unplanned bit: 2am, the club is closing, and you need to know which of your friends are still out.

Question 24

Is aftrs a dating or hookup app like Grindr?

Accepted Answer

No. aftrs is built around friends you've already added, not strangers nearby. Some people will use it for dating-adjacent things, that's life, but the point is real-life coordination with your people: kitchen chats at 4am, dancefloors, Sunday sessions.

Question 25

Is aftrs a private, queer-first alternative to Find My Friends?

Accepted Answer

Yes, that's a fair description. We built aftrs for queer community first, on the principle that location-sharing should be a choice you make for one night, not a permanent broadcast. Invisible by default, you pick who sees you, you can restrict any session to your inner circle, and nothing is ever public.

Questions, answered

The Basics

Privacy & Safety

Using aftrs

Comparisons