The Now beacon: how to get found in the next hour

September 15, 2026 · 3 min read

The Now beacon is a one-hour "I am available right now" signal. It puts you at the top of the grid, glowing, and turns itself off. Here is how to use it well.

Most hookup apps have no way to say "right now" except typing it to everyone. The Now beacon is that sentence as a button.

What it does

Tap "I'm available now" at the bottom of Browse.
For the next 60 minutes you sit at the top of every nearby grid with a pulsing orange ring and a Now tag.
People filtering by Now see only members with the beacon on.
After an hour it switches off by itself. Tap again to extend.

When to use it

When you are genuinely free in the next hour and could host or travel. Not when you are "maybe later." The beacon works because it means something; if you flip it on and then do not answer, the guys who reached out learn to ignore it.

Getting the most out of it

Have a face photo. The beacon puts you at the top, but a card with no face at the top is still a card with no face.
Fill in hosting. A Now beacon plus "can host" is the strongest card in the grid.
Set your looking-for tags to "right now" so the intent is clear from the card alone.
Answer fast. The beacon is a promise that you are around.

Privacy

The beacon changes your position in the grid, not your location. Your pin is still pushed off your true spot like everyone else's, and your city can still be hidden.

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