Chats

Chats on CruiseCtrl are private by default: messages are deleted 24 hours after they're sent unless you both choose to keep them, and anything you share is labelled with who gets it and for how long before you send it.

1. Starting a conversation

• From a profile — open someone's profile from Discover and tap Say hello. This opens a chat with them.
• From Right now — tap Message next to someone who's around (see Plans & Right now).
• From Activity — notifications for new hellos, plan updates and profile visits link straight to the chat, plan or profile.

If someone has blocked you, or you've blocked them, you can't start a chat — the app says they aren't available to message.

2. Message retention: 24 hours unless you both keep

Every chat shows its retention at the top. Tap it to see the details and change your own choice.

• By default, messages are deleted 24 hours after they're sent.
• To keep messages, both of you must choose Keep. When you ask, the chat shows that you're waiting for the other person; you can withdraw your request.
• Once you've both chosen Keep, messages stay until one of you deletes them. Either of you can switch back to 24-hour retention at any time.
• Live Photos and shared private media have their own 24-hour timers (see below).

Settings → Account → Auto-delete messages sets the default for new chats: with it on (the default), new chats start on 24-hour retention; with it off, you automatically ask to keep each new chat — the other person still has to agree.

Once messages have expired they can't be recovered by you or by us. Reported messages are an exception: they're kept for the safety team's review (see Reporting & blocking).

3. Sharing more than words

Tap the attachment button in a chat. Each option says what it shares before you send it:

• Share a plan — invite them to one of your plans.
• Private album — share one of your private albums. They get access for 24 hours and can ask to keep it; only you can approve that.
• Private photos — pick one or a few from your private collection, or add one from your device (it stays private until you share it). Shared for 24 hours.
• Share a meeting place — type a public venue. It's sent as a plain message and never shares live GPS.
• Share my location now — one pin of where you are right now, after a preview you confirm. You're never tracked.
• Live Photo — a photo taken with the camera there and then (not from your library), stamped with the time. It disappears after 24 hours unless kept.
• Voice note — up to two minutes.

The app asks for camera, microphone or location access only when you use the option that needs it.

Only share media you have the right to share, and never share images of other people without their consent. Sharing intimate images without consent is a serious violation of our Community Guidelines and may be a criminal offence. Report it in the app or email safety@cruisectrl.eu.

4. Private media and access

Your private media (You → Private media) is separate from your public profile. Items are only ever shared by you, one conversation at a time. On each private item you can see everyone you approved and remove their access.

Settings → Account → Screenshot protection helps deter screenshots of your media where the device supports it. No app can fully prevent screenshots or photos taken with another device, and revoking access can't retrieve copies someone already saved — share with care.

5. Profile photos 2–6

Your main photo is public. Photos 2–6 on a profile show once you have both messaged each other — no separate request is needed.

6. In the conversation

• Reactions and replies — react to a message or reply to it directly.
• Typing and seen — you can see when the other person is typing and when a message has been seen.
• Conversation options — from the chat header you can view their profile, see the photos shared in the conversation, set up Safe Meet, or report or block them.

7. The Chats tab

• Said hello to you — a row at the top showing people who've said hello to you. Tap one to open their profile.
• Search — find a conversation by name or word.
• All, Unread, Favourites, Archived — switch between these views. Favourites are people you've favourited from their profile.
• Long-press a chat to pin it to the top, add it to favourites, archive it, or delete it.

Deleting a conversation removes it from your list. The other person keeps their copy until it expires or they delete it.

8. Blocking from a chat

1. Open the conversation and tap Conversation options.
2. Choose Block profile and confirm — or Report a concern, which also blocks them.

A block takes effect straight away and works both ways: the chat disappears from both lists, neither of you can message the other, and you disappear from each other's Discover, map, plans and Right now. Any private media you had shared with them is revoked.

Manage blocks under Settings → Blocked profiles. If you unblock someone, they can see your profile and message you again; media access you had shared stays revoked.

For threats, coercion or attempts to extort or "out" you, also email safety@cruisectrl.eu. See the Safety guide for specific situations.

9. When someone is offline

You can message someone who isn't online; they'll see it when they next open the app, if it hasn't expired. Whether you see "Active now" or "Last seen" depends on their Share active status setting. If a conversation matters, ask to keep it — they can agree when they're back, but messages already older than 24 hours won't come back.