Help & Support

Updated: August 31, 2026

Orbit helps you remember the people, places, photos, and music connected to the paths you cross. This guide explains the features that most often depend on iOS permissions or timing.

1. Getting started

1. Complete onboarding and sign in with Apple or Google.
2. Choose a unique username and add only the profile details you want other signed-in users to see.
3. Open Profile → Settings and enable Location sharing if you want live crossings and a private daily route.
4. Open Gallery Map when you want Orbit to find photo-based memories. Photo permission is requested from that flow.
5. Use Apple Music's Share button and choose Orbit when you want to add a song to your map or music history.

Some or all app access may require an active Orbit Premium subscription after onboarding.

2. How crossings are found

Visit-based crossings

Orbit receives occasional iOS visit or significant-location-change events when Location sharing is enabled. The matching service compares approximate location cells and actual event times. Two compatible signals can become a crossing when they are no more than one hour apart.

The ten-minute “time slot” used by Orbit is only a database lookup index. It does not mean you had to be in the same place during the same ten-minute block, and it does not reduce the product's one-hour matching window.

Place and stamp memories

A quick movement signal can appear as a pin. When iOS provides enough evidence that you stayed at a place—normally about 30 minutes or more—Orbit may show a stamp or enrich the crossing as a shared place. Missing arrival or departure events can prevent a stamp even when you really stayed there.

Photo-based historical crossings

With Photos permission, Orbit can use the time and location already attached to accessible photos to find older approximate visit signals. The photo itself is not uploaded for matching.

Why a crossing may be missing or wrong

• One person had Location sharing or the required iOS permission turned off.
• iOS did not deliver a background visit or significant-change event.
• The devices recorded events more than one hour apart.
• The approximate cells did not overlap closely enough.
• The area was unusually crowded and Orbit suppressed the candidate set to reduce false matches.
• Photo metadata was missing, edited, or inaccurate.

A crossing is an approximate product result, not proof that two people saw each other or were at an exact address.

3. Location sharing and permissions

Turn Location sharing on

In Orbit, open Profile → Settings → Location sharing. iOS may first ask for When In Use access and then separately ask whether Orbit may continue receiving eligible events in the background. Choose the permission level you are comfortable with.

Change or revoke access

Open iPhone Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → Orbit. You can change the permission at any time. You can also turn Location sharing off inside Orbit; this stops Orbit's visit and significant-change monitoring.

Does Orbit use continuous GPS?

No. Orbit uses Apple's lower-power visit and significant-location-change services rather than continuous turn-by-turn GPS. Event delivery is controlled by iOS and may be delayed.

What location is stored?

Your private route uses precise points that only your account can read in the app and that are scheduled to expire after 30 days. A separate approximate-area signal is used for cross-user matching. Crossing participants see the approximate crossing area, not your private raw route.

4. Share a song from Apple Music

Add a song

1. Open a song in Apple Music.
2. Tap Share Song.
3. Choose Orbit in the iOS Share Sheet. If Orbit is hidden, use More and enable it.
4. Review the compact song card and tap Add to Orbit.
5. Open Orbit. If you were signed out, sign in so the queued share can finish saving.

When music creates a physical crossing

A music share can create or enrich a physical crossing when both people shared the same song, or songs by the same artist, within one hour and within a one-kilometre radius. Orbit uses the approximate location available at the moment of sharing. The most recent location signal must be fresh—normally within about ten minutes—to location-stamp the song safely.

If no fresh location is available, the song can still be stored in your personal music history, but it will not create a location-based crossing. Orbit never treats the place where the main app later processes the share as if it were the original share location.

Wrong or missing song information

Orbit reads the Apple Music link and resolves public catalog information. Storefront availability, removed catalog items, connection problems, or links without a song identifier can cause missing title, artist, or artwork. Try sharing the individual song again rather than an album or playlist page.

5. Gallery Map and photo access

When permission is requested

Orbit requests Photos access when you start the Gallery Map setup. It should not request access merely because you launched the app or have not signed in. If you approve access, iOS remembers the choice; Orbit does not show the system permission prompt again unless the authorization state is reset.

Full, limited, or no access

You can grant full access, select specific photos, or decline. With limited access, Gallery Map can use only the photos you selected. Change the selection at iPhone Settings → Privacy & Security → Photos → Orbit.

What stays on your phone

Orbit reads accessible photo dates, locations, and thumbnails locally. It does not upload your photo library. If iCloud Photos is enabled, iOS may download an image from iCloud for local display.

Sharing a Gallery Map photo

A photo is uploaded only after you choose to share it with a mutual connection. Orbit shares a resized copy plus its place, coordinate, capture time, and sharing time. The eligible crossing participants can then see it. You can remove a photo you uploaded; hiding another person's shared photo affects only your own view.

Share nearby photos

Orbit may offer photos taken within one kilometre and one hour of a real crossing. Review the confirmation before sharing. “Share all” applies only to the eligible nearby set, but you should still share only photos you have the right and consent to share.

Gallery Map is empty

• Confirm that Orbit has full or limited Photos access.
• Make sure the selected photos contain both a creation date and location.
• If you use limited access, add more eligible photos in iOS Settings.
• Open the original photo in Apple Photos and check whether its location is present.
• Allow time for iCloud Photos to download thumbnails when required.

6. Search, waves, friends, and privacy

Find someone

Use the Friends search field to search by display name or username. You can include or omit the @ symbol. Usernames are normalized, unique, and may differ from the person's display name.

Waves and mutual connections

A wave lets someone know you want to connect. When both people have waved, the relationship becomes mutual and eligible shared-gallery features become available. Invite links can also create a mutual connection when redeemed by the intended flow.

Private profile

Profile → Settings → Private profile removes you from ordinary search discovery. It does not delete your account, erase past crossings, or hide you from people already connected with you.

Remove, block, or report

Open the person's friend or crossing screen to access available controls. Removing a mutual connection also removes the pair's shared Gallery Map photos. Blocking removes the connection and prevents new visit or music crossings from being created between the two accounts. Use Report for safety or Terms violations.

7. Orbit Premium

Orbit Premium is offered as a weekly or annual auto-renewing subscription. There is currently no free trial. Your local App Store price and billing period are always shown before you confirm a purchase.

Manage or cancel

Open iPhone Settings → [your name] → Subscriptions → Orbit, or visit Apple's subscription page. Cancel at least 24 hours before renewal if you do not want the next billing period.

Restore a purchase

Use Restore Purchases on Orbit's subscription screen. Confirm that the iPhone uses the same Apple ID that purchased Orbit Premium and that the subscription is active. Restart Orbit after Apple finishes restoring if access does not update immediately.

Refunds and billing

Apple processes payments and refunds. Orbit cannot directly charge your card or issue an App Store refund. Request help from Apple at reportaproblem.apple.com.

Deleting the app or account

Deleting Orbit or your Orbit account does not cancel an Apple subscription. Cancel it separately through Apple.

8. Account, appearance, language, and deletion

Sign in or sign out

Orbit supports Sign in with Apple and Google Sign-In. To sign out, open Profile → Settings → Sign out. If sign-in fails, confirm your internet connection and that the selected Apple or Google account is available on the device.

Change language or appearance

Open Profile → Settings. Appearance offers System, Light, and Dark. Language offers Automatic plus Orbit's supported languages. After selecting a language, fully close and reopen Orbit so every screen and system-provided view uses the new choice.

Delete your account

Open Profile → Settings → Delete account and confirm. This permanently removes your Orbit sign-in and associated app data as described in the Privacy Policy. Recent sign-in may be required by Apple, Google, or Firebase for security. Account deletion cannot be undone and does not cancel your Apple subscription.

9. Troubleshooting and bug reports

Try these first

• Confirm that you are running the latest TestFlight or App Store build.
• Check the version at Profile → Settings → Version.
• Force-close Orbit and reopen it.
• Check internet access and the relevant iOS permission.
• For delayed subscription access, use Restore Purchases.
• For a missing Apple Music share, reopen Orbit while signed in.

Send a useful bug report

Email bbayir686@gmail.com with:

• your iPhone model and iOS version;
• the Orbit version and build number shown in Settings;
• which tab or feature was open;
• what you expected and what happened instead;
• the approximate date and time of the issue;
• screenshots or a screen recording, after hiding personal information; and
• whether the issue still happens after reopening the app.

Do not email passwords, Apple or Google verification codes, full payment-card details, or another person's precise location.

10. Safety, privacy, and urgent situations

Orbit is not an emergency service and cannot provide real-time protection. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services. For an Orbit user or content concern, use Block or Report in the app and email support with relevant non-sensitive details.

For privacy access, correction, deletion, or other data requests, email bbayir686@gmail.com from the address connected to your account where possible. We may need to verify account control.