Sign up & sign in
Use email + password, phone OTP (SMS), or Google. New accounts verify both email and phone on one account; you can then log in with either.
1. Welcome to yb.zone
yb.zone is a location-first social app. Instead of an endless algorithmic feed, you see Vibes — short posts pinned to real map coordinates. Discover what is happening nearby, chat privately, build group Squads, run professional workspaces, and explore optional spaces like anonymous Rant Zone and AR Zone (Android).
Core idea: Start on the Map, branch into Discover for wider trends, and use Pulse for activity and private direct messages.
2. Getting started
Onboarding
Pick your @handle, profile name, gender, date of birth, and optional city/bio. Grant location and notifications for the best map experience.
Opens instantly
Your recent map and vibes are ready the moment you open the app — even on a patchy signal or briefly offline. Fresh updates quietly load in the background and your login is re-checked for safety.
Where features live
Android app — full Map, Squads, AR, private DMs. Web (yb.rant.zone/app) — Discover, Drop a Vibe, login, link phone/email.
4. Map (VibeMap)
What you see
Pulses on the map show Vibes; newer posts glow brighter. Swipe up the nearby sheet to browse pins in view. Tap clusters to zoom in.
Controls
- Search — places, hashtags, vibes, businesses
- Near me / World — recenter or zoom out
- Layers — map tint, Show businesses (🏪 at ~10–50 km zoom)
- Safety mode — Global, Women-only, or Men-only
Tap a vibe
Open detail: reactions, comments, report/block, Message for DMs, share, directions preview.
Businesses
Tap 🏪 → reviews, Pulse here (linked vibe), brand Claim when verified.
5. Discover
Browse beyond your map viewport: layered feed, Footprints (newest) vs Popular, hashtag trends, people search, and Following-only filter (heart icon). Tap posts to interact; use Follow on profiles you like.
6. Pulse — activity & messages
Activity shelf
Comments, mentions, joins, and safety notices — expand the top shelf on Pulse.
Direct messages
1:1 chats are private and secure — readable only by you and the person you are chatting with. Start from a profile or vibe → Message. Unread badges appear on Pulse.
7. Squads (group chat)
Pulse → SQUADS Mobile only. Create or join squads — from a small circle of friends to a large community. Accept invites, explore public squads, and join via invite link after accepting the terms.
Everyday squad tools
- Messages & replies — chat with the group, tag a message to reply, add reactions.
- Photos — share images right in the chat.
- Micro discussions — spin up a short-lived side chat for a small group inside the squad; set how long it lasts.
- Roles — owner, admins, members, and (for brands) followers who can react but not invite.
- Privacy — squad and micro chats stay readable only by their members.
Need approvals, ranks, announcements, or document sharing for a team or organisation? Turn on the Professional squad tools — see the next section.
8. Professional squads
Turn any squad into a structured workspace for teams and organisations. An owner or admin switches on Professional core in Squad settings. When it is off, the squad behaves exactly like a normal squad, so nothing changes for casual groups.
Set up your structure
- Named hierarchy — create up to eleven ranks (Level 0 lowest to Level 10 highest) and name them to match your organisation, e.g. Volunteer, Team Lead, Manager, Head.
- Assign people — give each member a level and mark the leaders of each level.
- Multiple admins — share the load with several admins, not just the creator.
General channel with approvals
Posts from a junior level are sent to their immediate leader for a quick approval before the whole group sees them, keeping the main feed clean and on-message. Leaders and admins post directly. Approvers get a Pending approvals list to approve or send back.
Mail channel
A dedicated announcements board. Only admins and leaders post; everyone can read. Perfect for official notices, schedules, and decisions that shouldn't get lost in day-to-day chat. Switch between General and Mail at the top of the squad.
Micro discussions & “Move to Mail”
Break out a small group into a micro discussion to sort out details privately. When something is decided, a leader can forward that message to Mail so the whole squad sees the outcome. Professional squads can also auto-add an admin to every new micro discussion (a setting you can turn off).
Share files
Share documents (PDFs, sheets, slides, images, and more) up to 10 MB directly in the chat. Need to send something larger? A quick request goes to an admin, and once they approve, your upload goes through.
Use cases
- Bengaluru field sales team: reps (Level 0) post daily visit updates that their area manager approves into the team's General feed; the regional head pins monthly targets in Mail and shares the price list as a PDF.
- Pune college fest committee: volunteers submit ideas to their sub-heads for approval; the core team publishes the final event schedule and sponsor decks in Mail; separate micro discussions handle stage, food, and hospitality.
- Hyderabad apartment RWA: residents raise requests that floor captains approve, while the secretary posts maintenance notices, water-tanker timings, and meeting minutes in Mail.
- Wedding planning group: the planner runs micro discussions for décor, catering, and guest lists, then forwards confirmed details to the family's Mail so everyone stays aligned.
- NGO across cities: state coordinators approve field reports from volunteers; head office publishes advisories in Mail and shares consent forms and training material as files.
- Coaching institute: teachers post class updates for their batch lead to approve; the director shares the exam calendar and fee circulars in Mail.
9. Business & Brands
Tools for shops, restaurants, cafés, studios, and brands to get discovered on the map and build a local following.
Claim your place on the map
Verified businesses claim their location so it appears as a listing (🏪) on the map. Once claimed, you can manage your brand content and keep your details accurate.
Reviews & “Pulse here”
Customers leave reviews and post a linked vibe right at your location with Pulse here — great for word-of-mouth in your neighbourhood. Show today's specials, offers, or events where people are actually looking: nearby on the map.
Brand squads
- Custom reactions — pick a set of reaction emojis that match your brand.
- Follower roles — followers can react and stay updated, while your team runs the conversation.
- Business events — run an event squad and send outreach invites to reach nearby audiences.
Use cases
- Café in Indiranagar, Bengaluru: claims its location, replies to reviews, and drops a daily “fresh bakes” vibe so nearby users see it on the map.
- Boutique in Jaipur: runs a Diwali sale as a business event and invites nearby followers, with festive custom reactions on every post.
- Gym in Delhi: creates a brand squad for class schedules and challenges; members follow for updates and react to check in.
- Restaurant in Mumbai: collects reviews and uses Pulse here to highlight the weekend thali on the map.
- Salon in Chennai: posts slot availability and offers; regulars follow the brand squad and get reminders.
Running a team and a storefront? Combine a Professional squad for your staff with a brand squad for your customers.
10. Profile
⋮ menu → Profile View and edit avatar, bio, privacy, trust score, followers/following, your vibe grid, and share link yb.rant.zone/u/yourhandle. Business accounts can manage brand content and location claims.
11. Rant Zone & AR Zone
Rant Zone
⋮ menu → Rant Zone Dark-themed, anonymous text feed — handle hidden. Compose, comment, search. Separate from map pins.
AR Zone (Android)
⋮ menu → AR Zone Requires ARCore. Time Capsule — anchored message/media at GPS + compass. Traces — lighter location traces in AR view.
12. Settings
⋮ menu → Settings
- Appearance — palette, accent, dock glass
- Map — overlay colour, businesses toggle, default safety mode
- Profile & privacy — visibility, bio, handle rules
- Account & security — password reset, link Google, delete account
- Legal — Privacy Policy, Terms of Service
- Feedback — bug reports and suggestions
Squad-specific controls (like Professional core, hierarchy levels, and micro settings) live inside each squad's own Settings, available to owners and admins.
13. Quick reference
| Feature | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Post a Vibe | Red + on Map |
| Browse nearby | Map → swipe up nearby sheet |
| Change safety mode | Map chip or Settings → Map |
| Direct messages | Bottom bar → Pulse |
| Squads | Pulse → SQUADS |
| Turn on professional tools | Squad → Settings → Professional core (owner/admin) |
| Name ranks & set leaders | Squad → Settings → hierarchy levels |
| Approve a post | Squad → General → Pending approvals (leaders) |
| Announcements | Squad → Mail channel |
| Share a file (up to 10 MB) | Squad composer → attach (📎) |
| Forward to Mail | Micro discussion → message → Forward to Mail |
| Claim a business | Map → tap 🏪 → Claim |
| Brand squad | Pulse → SQUADS → create |
| Anonymous post | ⋮ menu → Rant Zone |
| AR experiences | ⋮ menu → AR Zone (Android) |
| My profile | ⋮ menu → Profile |
| Account / delete | Settings → Account & security |
| Report / block | Vibe detail or user profile |
| Link phone or email | Prompt after signup (new accounts) |
14. Glossary
- Vibe — Geo-post (text, mood, optional photo) at a map location.
- Pulse — Inbox tab: activity + DMs (not the map animation).
- Safety mode — Global, Women-only, or Men-only visibility lane.
- POI — Business listing on the map (reviews, pulses).
- Trust score — Profile reputation indicator.
- Professional core — Optional squad tools: ranks, post approvals, a Mail channel, and file sharing.
- General / Mail — Two areas in a professional squad: General for day-to-day posts (with approvals), Mail for announcements.
- Hierarchy level — A named rank in a professional squad; a level's leader approves posts from the level below.
- Micro discussion — A short-lived side chat inside a squad for a small group.
- Business claim — Verifying ownership of a place on the map.
- Private & secure — Direct, squad, and micro messages stay readable only by the people in them.
15. Support
Questions, bugs, or safety reports:
Web: Report a problem · Delete account.