There is no shame in asking for help. We've compiled a collection of our most frequently asked questions to help get you out of a head-scratching jam.
Trace Friends is a fun hangout for over 18's where you can connect, chat or flirt with people in your area. The more you play, the more you score. Yup, that's right - it turns meeting people into a game. It's super fun and just by logging in, being active and chatting to people, you get to see who's better at climbing the social ladder.
Zero. Zip. Nada. Trace Friends is completely free to use. We do have a virtual currency called Gems to spend on fun extras like Ghost Mode, Power Messages and more, but it's completely optional. In fact, we're a generous bunch - we give you free Gems every day, every hour when you log in. But, if you really can't wait for more free Gems, you can buy loads of Gems at ridiculously - and we really do mean ridiculously - low prices.
The No.1 rule - keep it clean, not mean. There is no rule book, but we expect everyone to be cool and respectful of others. We will not hesitate to delete anyone who is threatening, offensive or harassing others. The same applies if we find photos that contain inappropriate, copyrighted, pornographic and/or illegal content. Find out more in our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
You can join with your email address or if you prefer a faster signup, join with a social network account, e.g. Facebook. For now, Trace Friends is only available on Android devices, but we plan to take over the world! Coming to Apple devices very soon.
We can't help you find it, but we can help you reset it. On the login page, click on the Forgotten Password link, enter the email address you joined with. We'll send you an email with a password reset link - just follow the instructions.
From the menu, select Settings and look for Log Out at the bottom.
Tap on any part of your profile photo or name at the top of the menu and you'll see your magnificent self as others do. Select 'Edit' to tweak it to perfection.
From your profile page, import photos from Facebook or Instagram or, if you have a great photo on your device, upload it. If you think you're looking pretty awesome right now, grab a selfie and upload your latest look.
A friendly face gets a lot more attention than a sour one. Just please remember to keep your pants on.
Tap in the middle of the photo you want to set as your profile photo and select the 'Make Profile Photo' option when prompted.
NOTE: If you tap on the bottom right corner of the photo, you'll be asked if you want to delete the photo.
Tap on the bottom right corner of the photo you want to delete and select the 'Delete' option when prompted.
Our support team may delete a photo if the quality is really bad, if it contains contact details, offensive material or any other content not allowed as described in our Terms of Use.
Being popular is hard work and maybe it's time for a short holiday. Go to the Settings page and select the 'Hide Profile' option. Nobody will find you in their search results and you will not be able to search for others.
NOTE: Your matches and people you've previously exchanged messages with will still be able to see and contact you.
If you want to take a temporary break from Trace Friends, select the 'Hide Profile' option on the Settings page. If you want to call it quits permanently, you'll find the 'Delete My Profile' option at the bottom of the Settings page.
Absolutely, and we encourage that you do so that we show you the right people. In the Find People page, the gear icon at the top right corner of the page will take you there.
Look for the green dot below their name. If it's green, they're online.
At Trace Friends we always try and show you cool people you haven't seen yet. If we can't show new people within your distance selection, we'll start showing you people slightly outside your specified area to keep it fresh. Who knows, it may even lead to a road trip.
Sure you can. Select the 'Hide Profile' option on the Settings page. Your profile will no longer appear in search results.
NOTE: Once your profile is hidden, you won't be able to find people either. Existing matches, fans, favourites and people who have previously contacted you will still be able to see and contact you.
Views are all about seeing and being seen. Who checked you out... and who you're checking out.
We thought about that too. While viewing someone's profile tap on the 'more options' (three dots) icon and select Ghost Mode. They'll never know you were there (unless, of course, you view their profile again).
Connections are all about likes. It shows you all the people you've added as a favourite or who have added you as a favourite (called fans). If you've favourited each other, then you'll show in eachother's Matches.
Easily. The moment you remove them as a favourite (by tapping the heart icon again), they'll no longer display in your Matches or in your Favourites.
NOTE: If you remove someone as a favourite, they will still appear in your Fans until they remove you as a Favourite.
While viewing a profile, tap on the chat icon to start a conversation. You'll need to unlock the conversation if it's not already unlocked. Once unlocked, you can both swap messages for 7 days.
A new message alert will show next to the Chat option in the menu. If you're offline, we'll send you a push notification.
NOTE: If you've chosen to 'Block Notifications' on the Settings page, you will not receive any push notifications.
If the chat icon is filled, it means a conversation is currently unlocked and you're free to chat away. If it's empty, then one of you need to unlock the conversation (even if you've previously chatted to each other).
The cost to unlock a conversation is determined by the level the person has reached on Trace Friends.
Use a Power Message to get someone's attention. Power Messages are pushed to the top of the recipient's inbox until it's been read. We'll also notify you the moment they've read your message if you're offline.
NOTE: If you've chosen to 'Block Notifications' on the Settings page, you won't receive any push notifications.
While you're on the chat page, tap the message icon with the thunderbolt in it. You'll notice that the icon will change colour. Type your message and hit the send icon. Your conversation will be moved to the top of the recipient's inbox until it's been read.
Gems are the virtual currency you can use on Trace Friends to unlock conversations and other fun extras like Profile Views, Ghost Mode and Power Message.
Your Gems total displays at the top of every page when you're logged in.
We're a generous bunch - we give you free Gems every day, every hour just for logging in. Completing your profile, adding photos and sharing Trace Friends with friends will score you a few in the bank too. Plus, you get rewarded with the same number of Gems with each new level you unlock. If you've run out of Gems, you can easily buy more.
Tap on Gems in the menu or on the Gems icon at the top of the page. Choose a payment method and the number of Gems you want to buy.
Check the Gems screen to see the various payment methods we offer.
We show you a record of the Gems you've received and why, including all Gems purchases from the last 30 days. Tap on Gems in the menu or on the Gems icon at the top of every screen and select the 'Recent Gems Received' option at the bottom of the page.
Remember we said that we're a generous bunch? Well, the timer counts down the time left until your next batch of free Gems come your way. Is that cool or what?
Buzz Points are activity points, but we thought calling it Buzz Points sounded cooler. Basically, we give you Buzz Points for being you. The more you do, the more you get. The more you get, the more levels you unlock. The more levels you unlock, the higher you rank on the social ladder. The higher you rank on the social ladder, the more you can brag to your friends. The more you brag to your friends, the more likely they are to like you less. So don't brag too much, but make sure you collect points to push up your level.
Read the above Q&A - get Buzz Points.
The LVL and number displayed with the star icon at the top of every page will give you a clue ;-)
Absolutely. What good is earning bragging rights if no one can see it? Everyone's level is displayed in search results and when viewing a profile.
Go to the Buzz Points page in the menu and select the 'Buzz Points Achieved' page. We'll show you the different ways you can earn more Buzz Points as well as the ones you've already discovered.
We show you a record of the Buzz Points you've earned in the last 30 days and why. Select the Buzz Points page in the menu and select the 'Recent Buzz Points Earned' option at the bottom.
Remember we said that you need points to unlock the next level? The Next Level indicator shows the number of Buzz Points you need to unlock the next level, as well as the number of Buzz Points you've collected so far.
This is very important - please read and follow the Online Safety guidelines to help keep you safe online and offline.
Absolutely. Your personal information is needed to create your profile, but we will never reveal it to anyone else or sell it to 3rd parties. Find out more in the Privacy Policy.
Go to the Settings page in the menu and select the 'Change Email/Password' option. Update your email or password. Easy.
Yes, it's very easy. Tap on the 'more options' (three dots) icon while viewing the person you want to block's profile and select Block.
NOTE: Once you've blocked someone, you can't unblock them again. Be sure about permanently blocking someone when selecting this option.
If anyone is threatening or behaving inappropriately towards you, block and/or report them immediately. To help keep Trace Friends fun for everyone, we encourage you to report any suspicious profiles that seem fake, underage or contain any illegal or offensive content.
To report someone, click on the 'more options' (three dots) icon while viewing the person's profile and select the Report option. Follow the easy instructions.
All complaints are investigated confidentially by our support team.