How can we help?

Messages

My messages aren't getting through

Check these, in order:

• Bluetooth is on. Turn it on in Control Center or in your iPhone's Settings.
• CrowdWire can use Bluetooth. In your iPhone's Settings, find CrowdWire and turn on Bluetooth.
• Your friend has CrowdWire too, and is in your crew or is your friend in the app.
• You're in range. Between two phones, that's about as far as Bluetooth reaches. In a crowd, messages hop from phone to phone, so they travel farther the more people nearby use CrowdWire.

Do I need to keep CrowdWire open?

No. CrowdWire keeps passing messages along in the background. But if you swipe it away in the app switcher, your iPhone stops it until you open it again, so leave it running.

Can I use Airplane Mode?

Yes, and it saves battery. Turn on Airplane Mode, then turn Bluetooth back on. Your iPhone remembers that for next time.

How do I know a message arrived?

Your messages show when they've been delivered and when they've been seen. In a crew, you can see how many people each one has reached.

My friend is too far away

When you both have signal, CrowdWire also sends crew and private messages over the internet, still encrypted end to end. Make sure it's on: You tab, then Settings, then Use the internet too. With no signal, a message gets there once there's a chain of phones between you, or once you're closer.

Finding your crew

My friends don't show up on the map

• Allow location. In your iPhone's Settings, find CrowdWire, then Location, and turn on Precise Location.
• Everyone chooses to share. Each person picks whether to share their location with each crew. If a friend isn't showing, they may have sharing off.
• They may be out of range. If a friend hasn't updated for a few minutes, CrowdWire shows where they were last seen.

My crew can't see me when my phone is locked

In the crew, open Find your crew. With Share my location on, turn on Keep sharing in the background. It uses more battery, and your iPhone shows the location indicator while it's on.

Crews and invites

My invite has expired

Invites last 30 days. Ask your friend to show you a new crew QR or send a new link.

The link opened a web page, not the app

Get CrowdWire on that iPhone first. Then open the link again and tap Open in CrowdWire.

I scanned the QR, but I'm not in the crew yet

You're added as soon as the crew's creator is nearby or you both have signal. Keep CrowdWire running and it happens on its own.

It says the crew is full

A crew holds up to 16 people. You can ask again if someone leaves.

The camera won't scan the QR

Allow the camera for CrowdWire in your iPhone's Settings, or ask your friend to send you the invite link instead.

How do I leave a crew, or remove someone?

Press and hold the crew in Chats, then tap Leave crew. The crew's creator can also remove people from the crew's member list. They stop getting the crew's messages, and old invite links stop working.

Friends and blocking

How do I add a friend?

Ask someone from one of your crews, and once they say yes, you're friends. Or tap the compose button in Chats, then Add a friend, and let them scan your friend QR.

Can strangers message me?

No. Only your friends and people in your crews can message you.

How do I block or unblock someone?

You can block anyone from a crew's member list, a chat, or a friend request. Everything they send is hidden, SOS included, and they aren't told. To unblock someone, go to You tab, then Settings, then Blocked people.

Notifications and SOS

I'm not getting notifications

Allow notifications for CrowdWire in your iPhone's Settings. A chat you muted stays quiet, but an SOS still gets through.

Does SOS call emergency services?

No. SOS sends your location to your crews and keeps sending it until you end it. In an emergency, find event staff or call your local emergency number.

Festival maps

My festival isn't listed

It doesn't have a map in CrowdWire yet. Everything else in the app still works. If you run a festival and want it in CrowdWire, write to us.

The map won't download

Maps need signal to download, so get yours before you leave home. Once it's on your phone, it works with no signal at all.

Your phone and your data

I got a new iPhone. Where are my crews?

There are no accounts, so there's nothing on a server for us to restore. Your crews and chats stay on your old phone and aren't in your backups. Set up CrowdWire on the new phone and ask your crew for a new invite.

How do I delete everything?

Go to You tab, then Settings, then Erase everything. It deletes your identity, keys, chats, and crews from your phone. There's no undo. Read more in our privacy policy.

Can I use CrowdWire in another language?

Yes. CrowdWire comes in 29 languages and uses the one your iPhone is set to. To pick a different one just for CrowdWire, go to You tab, then Settings, then Language.

Is CrowdWire on Android?

Not right now. CrowdWire is iPhone only.