CR4VE Help & FAQ

This page explains how core features behave, especially around chat, blocking, and reports.

Staying safe

We do not verify the identity of all users. Use caution when interacting with others and trust your instincts.

Before meeting

• Verify identity: Use a video or voice call to confirm they are real. If they share social links, check them carefully and watch for new or sparse profiles.
• Share details: Tell a trusted friend where you are going, who you are meeting, and set a check-in time or share live location.
• Meet in public first: Choose a familiar, public, queer-friendly spot for the first meetup, not your home or theirs.
• Arrange your own transport: Have a plan to get home so you can leave if you feel uncomfortable.
• Limit personal info: Avoid listing your phone, work, address, or other identifying details on your public profile. Be cautious about sharing private or sensitive material.

On the app & account

• Privacy settings: Disable exact distance or location sharing if you want to keep your location private.
• Secure your account: Use a strong, unique password and enable PIN or biometric lock.
• Use block/report: Block anyone who makes you uncomfortable and report abusive or suspicious profiles.

During the meetup

• Trust your gut: Leave immediately if something feels off, even if it is awkward.
• Stay clear-headed: Avoid substances that impair judgment.
• Keep your phone ready: Make sure your phone is charged and accessible in case you need help.

Chats

If I delete a chat, is it deleted for both users?

No. Deleting (clearing) a chat removes it from your view. Messages are permanently deleted only once both chat participants have cleared them.

Are messages stored after I clear a chat?

Yes, until the other participant also clears the chat or you delete your account. After both clear, messages and attachments are deleted from our systems.

What about attachments and media in chats?

Chat attachments are deleted when messages are deleted. For one-time media, the file is deleted shortly after it is viewed.

Will I get email notifications for chat messages?

If your chat email preference is on, we may send a delayed fallback email for new messages when you are offline. We skip the email if you come back online or read the message before send time, and we rate-limit these emails per conversation.

How do I opt out of email notifications?

Go to Settings and use the email toggles:

• Email: chat fallback
• Email: report confirmations

You can also use the unsubscribe link included in email messages for that specific email type.

Profiles

What name shows up if I haven’t set one?

If you skip setting a display name, we show a friendly default like "Newbie" instead of a technical account ID. You can change your display name anytime in Settings.

What handle is shown on my profile?

Your handle appears as @handle under your profile details. If you haven’t set one yet, we show a default handle (for example, @newbie) until you update it in Settings.

How do I share a profile?

You can only share profiles for people who have Profile sharing turned on. If it is available, open their profile and tap the share icon to send a link in chat or use the system share sheet.

Do shared profile links expire?

Yes. Share links expire after about 24 hours. If a link is accessed 3+ times, we show an alert so you can disable profile sharing if needed.

Can I revoke shared profile links?

Yes. Turn off "Profile sharing" in Settings to revoke active links and stop new access.

Favorites

What does the Favs tab show?

The Favs tab has two views:

• `Favs`: people you favorited.
• `Interactions`: people who sent you an interaction signal (for example `Interested`, `Say hi`, `👋`, `🔥`, `😈`, `🍻`, `Train together`, `Push each other`).

Will I be notified when someone sends an interaction?

Yes. When someone sends you an interaction, CR4VE shows an in-app notification and a badge on the Favs tab. If your app is closed and notifications are enabled, you receive a push notification.

How do I add or remove favorites?

Tap the star on a profile card to toggle favorites. The Favs tab updates automatically.

Moods and reactions

What is a mood?

A mood is a short, live status you can set from the Nearby top bar or Settings avatar action. It is meant to reflect what you are up for right now.

How long does a mood stay active?

By default, moods expire after 2 hours and clear automatically.

Where do moods appear?

Active moods can appear in Nearby profile cards, story rings/tray, and profile headers (depending on privacy settings).

How do mood reactions work?

Mood interactions are routed through the same interaction system as profile/story reactions. Tapping a mood pill opens an in-app action modal with contextual options. Choosing one sends that specific action label (for example `Train together`, `Push each other`, `Invite out`) or opens chat quickly, so the receiver can see clear intent instead of only an emoji.

Can I hide moods?

Yes. In Settings:

• Turn off `Show my mood` to hide your own mood from others.
• Turn on `Hide spicy mood` to exclude that mood from your Nearby feed.

Blocking

What happens when I block someone?

Chats and interactions between you and that user are removed from our systems. This includes conversation records, messages, and chat media.

Does blocking remove reports?

No. Reports can be retained even if a chat is deleted or a block occurs (see Reports).

Reports and moderation

How do I submit a report outside the app?

Use the Report page linked in the website footer. It is meant for legal or safety issues and routes directly to the moderation team.

CR4VE is not an emergency service. If you are in immediate danger, contact local authorities.

How quickly are reports reviewed?

We triage safety reports promptly, usually within 24 hours. For urgent risks (for example, minors, credible threats, or non-consensual sexual content), we prioritize review as quickly as possible and may take interim action while the review is ongoing.

Do I get confirmation after filing a report?

Yes. If your report confirmation email preference is on and we have a deliverable address for your account, we send a report-received confirmation email.

What data is included in a report?

Reports include target context to support moderation review. For chat reports, this can include snapshots of recent messages (for example, up to the last 50 messages). For profile or story reports, this can include relevant profile or story details.

How long are reports kept?

Reports and moderation records are kept for at least 28 days and longer if required for safety or legal investigations.

How photo moderation works (avatars and public albums)

Avatar photos and public album media are first reviewed by an automated AI safety check. If content passes this check, it can be approved automatically. If content does not pass or needs additional review, it stays pending for manual review by our moderation team. During review, content may be temporarily hidden. If content is rejected, it will not appear publicly and you may be asked to upload a different image.

Do you moderate chat content too?

Yes. We combine proactive controls (media safety checks, rate limits, and abuse controls) with reactive report-based review for chats. Reported chat content can be reviewed by moderators and used for enforcement.

Accounts and data

What happens if I delete my account?

Your account is scheduled for deletion for 28 days. During this period your profile and data are hidden and you are logged out. After 28 days, your data is permanently deleted and your login account is removed.

Can I request account deletion on the web?

Yes. If you cannot access the app, use `https://cr4ve.app/account-deletion` to submit a deletion request. We may ask for verification before processing.

Can I restore my account after deleting it?

Yes. If you log back in during the 28-day window, the app will prompt you to restore your account. Confirming restores access immediately. If you do nothing, the deletion proceeds at the end of the window.

Do you send emails when I delete my account?

Yes. We send a deletion-started email when you request deletion, a reminder email before permanent deletion if the account is still pending deletion, and a restore confirmation email if you restore during the retention window.

What if I try to log back in after the 28 days?

Your account has already been purged, so you will need to create a new account.

Is data stored on my device?

Yes. The app may store cached chat data and sign-in information on your device. This data is removed when you log out, clear app storage, or uninstall the app.

Why can’t I save gender/tribes/looking for/HIV status?

These are treated as sensitive profile details. Turn on "Allow sensitive info" in Settings to give explicit consent. You can leave them blank or withdraw consent at any time.

How do I request a copy or correction of my data?

Email help@mail.cr4ve.app or call +353 89 952 7998 with your account handle and the type of request (access/export/correction/deletion). For legal/privacy rights requests, use legal@mail.cr4ve.app. We respond within 30 days and may ask for verification.

GDPR (EU/EEA)

Where can I find GDPR information?

See our Privacy Policy for CR4VE's GDPR legal bases, your EU/EEA rights, and how to contact us to exercise those rights. You can also lodge a complaint with the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC).

Location

How long do I stay visible on Nearby after going offline?

We show recently active users on the Nearby grid for a short window after they go offline. Core (and trial) accounts remain visible for up to 2 hours, and Elite accounts for up to 4 hours.

Is my location stored?

We use location to power Nearby and chat features, but your exact location is not shown to other users. They only see an approximate distance from you (e.g., how far away you are).

Location data is not kept longer than necessary for service operation.

Explore map pins use an obfuscated, approximate location (bucketed to ~2km cells).

Can I hide my distance?

Yes. In Settings, turn off "Show distance to others" and we will hide your distance on profile views. You can turn it back on anytime.

Stealth mode

Does Stealth hide me from Last Views?

Yes. When Stealth is enabled, your profile views are not recorded for other users, so you won’t appear in their Last Views.

Does Stealth remove past views?

No. Stealth only affects new views going forward. If you viewed someone before turning it on, that past view remains in their history.

Flare

What is Flare?

Flare is a temporary visibility highlight that adds a glowing border around your profile and lightly boosts you in Nearby for a short time (about 30 minutes). It does not guarantee matches.

How often can I use Flare?

Core: 1 Flare per day. Elite: 5 Flare activations per day. Trial accounts do not include Flare.

Stories

What are Stories?

Stories are 24-hour photo posts that appear as a ring on your profile and in the Nearby grid. Anyone who can view your profile can view your active story.

How do I post a Story?

Go to Settings and tap the Story icon next to “Preview profile,” or tap the Story icon in the Nearby top bar. Choose Camera or Gallery, pick any photo ratio, and post.

How do I view someone’s Story?

In Nearby, you can tap their avatar in the Stories row at the top of the grid (scroll horizontally to see more). The row only shows people with an active story. You can also tap their profile ring on their profile. Stories auto-advance and close after the last slide. Photos are fit to your screen with a blurred background of the same image.

What are the emoji buttons in Story Viewer?

When you view someone else's story, the bottom reaction bar shows one-tap emoji actions:

• `❤️`
• `😂`
• `👀`
• `🔥`
• `👋`
• `😈`

Tapping one sends an interaction signal immediately and keeps the Story Viewer open. The app also shows a quick burst animation on tap.

How does someone know I reacted to their Story?

Story reactions currently use the same interaction system as profile reactions. The receiver gets:

• in-app interaction notification (when online),
• Favs/Interactions badge update,
• push notification fallback (when offline and notifications are enabled).

Story reactions are labeled as coming from a Story, so recipients can tell where the interaction came from.

Can I delete my own Story?

Yes. Open your story and use the delete option to remove it immediately.

How many Stories can I post?

Core (and trial): 1 story per 24 hours. Elite: 5 stories per 24 hours. Stories expire after 24 hours.

Why can’t I see my Story right away?

Stories follow the same content rules as avatars and public albums. If your story is still under review, it won’t show publicly yet, but you’ll see its status in Settings.

Viewed Me opt-out

What happens when I opt out of Viewed Me?

You browse anonymously and your profile views are not recorded for other users. Your own "Viewed Me" list is disabled while the setting is on.

Can I turn it back on?

Yes. Toggle "Viewed Me opt-out" off in Settings to resume recording and access your list.