FiveClose: questions and answers
Updated 19 October 2026
What is FiveClose?
FiveClose is a private circle app for up to 5 of your closest people. It notices when someone goes quiet, reminds you to reconnect before a relationship fades, and asks your circle to check on you if you go silent. There is no feed, no followers and no likes.
How does FiveClose work?
- Pick your five from your contacts, or add them by mobile number or email.
- Invite them with one link. They don't need the app to be in your circle.
- Stay close. Log when you talk, message or meet, or tap I'm OK. Each person with an email has a 7-day timer that restarts whenever you check in. FiveClose shows who is drifting and nudges you before it's too late.
What happens if I go quiet?
FiveClose works like a reverse dead man's switch. Two days before your 7-day timer runs out, FiveClose emails you. If you still haven't checked in when it runs out, everyone in your circle is emailed and asked to check in on you, and again after 1, 2 and 3 more weeks (days 7, 14, 28 and 49). Friends can stop these emails with one click, and you can turn reminders off at any time.
What is the "I'm OK" button?
One tap restarts your timer and tells your circle you're fine. Friends who use FiveClose see when you last pressed it.
Who can see my location?
Location sharing is off until you turn it on. When it's on, only people who have each other in their circles can see where you were last seen, rounded to about 100 metres. Turning it off deletes your saved location. FiveClose never sells anyone's location.
Does FiveClose read or sell my contacts?
With your permission, FiveClose reads your contacts read-only so you can pick people quickly. The list stays in your browser and is never uploaded or stored. We don't sell data or show ads. Read the Privacy Policy.
Is FiveClose free?
Yes. A circle of up to 5 people, check-ins, reminders, invitations and the circle map are free. FiveClose Plus costs S$49 a year and adds AI import from a contact file, PDF or screenshot, and an unlimited circle.
Is FiveClose an emergency service?
No. FiveClose's alerts ask a friend to call you. In an emergency, contact your local emergency number.
Which devices does FiveClose work on?
FiveClose runs in any modern web browser at fiveclose.com and can be installed as an app on iPhone (in Safari, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen), Android and desktop. Sign in with Google, Microsoft, Facebook or an email link.
Why does staying close matter?
- 1 in 6 people worldwide are affected by loneliness (WHO Commission on Social Connection, 2025).
- Loneliness is linked to about 871,000 deaths a year, roughly 100 every hour (WHO, 2025).
- In Japan, 76,941 people died alone at home in 2025, and 22,222 of them were found more than a week later (Japanese police data).
- The Harvard Study of Adult Development, running for over 85 years, found close relationships are the strongest predictor of a long, healthy, happy life.
Loneliness starts as relationships quietly fading, long before anyone feels alone. FiveClose notices when someone goes quiet, while there is still time to act.