Have you ever opened a social app, seen people nearby, and wondered just how much of your location is being shared?
You’re not alone. Most social platforms today offer proximity-based features that show who’s around you. They’re designed to help people connect more easily, but they also shift the boundary between being social and being visible.
At Sociera, we believe proximity should feel exciting, not risky. That’s why we built a platform that lets people discover each other in real time, while staying in control of how and when they appear to others.
Here’s what we’ve learned and why we designed Sociera the way we did.
The problem with passive location sharing
Many apps reveal your exact location or keep a record of where you’ve been — often without you realising.
Sociera takes a different approach: you control who can see you, and your location is never visible to anyone outside that chosen audience. There is no public trail of your movements, and no one can view where you were after the moment has passed.
This matters. In the UK, 1.5 million people over the age of 16 reported being stalked in the year ending March 2024 (ONS). In the US, 81 percent of stalking victims said technology played a role (justice.gov). 63 percent of women who were stalked said social media was used to monitor or contact them (CDC). And police-reported incidents linked to dating apps rose by 175 percent in the UK between 2017 and 2021 (Global Dating Insights).
We’re not suggesting location-based features are inherently unsafe — but users should always know when they’re visible, who can see them, and how that visibility works.
At Sociera, visibility is always mutual. Our “quid pro quo” philosophy means no one can see you unless you can see them. No silent or one-way viewing.
What Sociera shows and what it doesn’t
In Sociera, you’ll see other users in real time if they’re within your chosen range. They’ll see your profile only under the same conditions — mutual visibility, always.
Positions are shown visually on the map as dynamic pins, so you can tell exactly where someone is within range, but never with GPS coordinates. No one outside that range will ever see you appear on their map.
When someone leaves your range, their profile disappears. There’s no public trail, no archive, and nothing for others to search later.
Ghost Mode: Your presence, your choice
Activate Ghost Mode and you vanish from everyone’s map instantly — and they vanish from yours. Your device stops sending location updates to the live discovery features, making you completely invisible in real time, protecting both you and your privacy.
Ghost Mode can be turned on or off instantly, giving you the freedom to browse privately whenever you want.
Passed By: private discovery after the moment
Let’s say you pass someone in range but don’t interact at that moment. If you share interests and were nearby, Sociera may suggest a “Passed By” connection afterward.
This lets you discover people you might have missed without revealing exactly where or when the interaction happened. Suggestions disappear if you don’t act on them, and no one can view your past movements.
Why we designed it this way
We built Sociera to support genuine, real-world connections without sacrificing control. The app is grounded in three core principles:
Visibility should be mutual and intentional. You decide when you appear and to whom.
Your exact location belongs to you. It is never exposed beyond your chosen visibility range — no public trails, no one-way watching.
Discovery should feel natural. You’re not being tracked; you’re simply appearing to others when you choose to be in range.
You can still meet people in the moment, but always with clear rules, full control, and the ability to disappear instantly.
A better way to connect
As location-based discovery becomes more common in social apps, people are asking tougher questions about their visibility and privacy. Who can see me? What’s remembered? What happens after I leave?
Sociera answers those questions by design. We don’t build public maps of your life — we create a space where presence is temporary, control is in your hands, and connections happen when you want them to.
Local discovery doesn’t have to mean exposure. It can be as safe and simple as starting a conversation when you’re ready.
If that’s the kind of connection you’re looking for, Sociera is ready for you.
Want to learn more or get early access?
Visit www.sociera.com or follow us for updates.
