Relationship intention
What are you here for?
Your answer is separate from what you seek.
An invitation to intentional dating
Make room
for someone.
A good connection deserves your attention. Yearn brings you two ways to meet people, room for five connections, and the freedom to decide what really matters.
Product preview · September 2026
iOS beta in preparation. This is an interactive guide.
A person.
A possibility.
A possibility.
yearnDiscover
Iris, 29
Here for a long-term relationship
A simple pleasure
“A slow Sunday, a good book, and nowhere else to be.”
Illustrative interface
Three connections.
Space to be present.
Space to be present.
The idea
More intention.
Less keeping up.
Yearn is being built around a simple question: what if a dating app helped you give the people you meet a real chance?
Browse openly when you want to be surprised. Use private preferences when something matters enough to guide your search. And when you have five connections, spend time with the people already in front of you.
There is no claim that a questionnaire can predict chemistry. It can make your choices clearer. What happens next belongs to the two of you.
The experience
From the first hello
to what comes next.
Walk through the shape of a day on Yearn. Select a moment to see what you do, what happens next, and where you stay in control.
Illustrative walkthrough with fictional data. These are web demonstrations, not a live account or native app recording.
Moment 1 of 7
Arrive as yourself
Sign in with Apple, confirm you are 18 or older, and create a profile with a real photo and a little of your personality.
You choose what appears on your public profile.
Read this workflowPrivate preferences
Know your essentials.
Leave room for surprise.
Your answer describes you. A preference describes what you are looking for. They are separate choices, and every question is optional.
Four chapters. Seventeen invitations.
From future family to your kind of weekend, the questionnaire makes space for what matters in your everyday life. Height, hair, build and income use optional categories or ranges. They are never inferred from photos.
Private does not mean invisible to inference.
Answers are not displayed on a profile. Someone may still infer a trait when a person appears in filtered results. You choose whether to participate.
A life together3 optional questions
Relationship style
What relationship style fits you?
Your answer is separate from what you seek.
Future family
Do you want children in your future?
Your answer is separate from what you seek.
The everyday things6 optional questions
Showing care
How do you tend to show you care?
Your answer is separate from what you seek.
Sense of humor
What makes you laugh?
Your answer is separate from what you seek.
Curiosity
What feeds your curiosity?
Your answer is separate from what you seek.
Social energy
How do you usually recharge?
Your answer is separate from what you seek.
Weekend rhythm
Your kind of weekend?
Your answer is separate from what you seek.
Communication
How do you like to stay in touch?
Your answer is separate from what you seek.
Your lifestyle4 optional questions
Smoking
Do you smoke?
Your answer is separate from what you seek.
Drinking
Do you drink alcohol?
Your answer is separate from what you seek.
Movement
How does movement fit into your life?
Your answer is separate from what you seek.
Pets
What is your pet situation?
Your answer is separate from what you seek.
Optional details4 optional questions
HeightOptional detail
Your height range?
Counts are withheld when widening this detail.
HairOptional detail
How would you describe your hair?
Counts are withheld when widening this detail.
BuildOptional detail
How would you describe your build?
Counts are withheld when widening this detail.
Annual incomeOptional detail
Your annual income range in USD?
Counts are withheld when widening this detail.
A smaller pool is a conversation
with your preferences.
When you have seen everyone who fits, Yearn invites you to reconsider a flexible choice. An essential stays in place. You decide whether to change it.
Try the example. Each suggestion compares one change with your current selection. The estimates are independent, so they cannot be added together.
All people and pool sizes in this demonstration are synthetic. The app uses privacy bands, hides small counts and withholds counts for sensitive details.
Fictional pool experiment
Long-term relationship Essential
People who fit this exampleSmall pool
Five connections
Give the people you meet
a place in your life.
Five is a limit on simultaneous connections, not on how many people you can meet over time. At five, new discovery pauses. Continue a conversation, or end a connection before meeting someone new.
No timer decides for you. No sixth slot is for sale.
Try the five-connection limit
Fictional connections. Changes stay in this demonstration.
In the app, a new connection requires a mutual like and space for both people.
The complete workflow handbook
Every step.
Including the unexpected ones.
Explore where each journey begins, the decisions along the way, what changes, and how to recover when something does not go to plan.
01Getting startedSign in with AppleYearn's public build has one way in: Sign in with Apple. There is no password to create, and Yearn only keeps the sign-in once its server has confirmed it can later disconnect it for you.
Start hereOpen Yearn on an iPhone, confirm you are an adult, then tap Continue with Apple on the welcome screen.
Operational setup pending
Tap Continue with Apple
Apple's own sheet asks you to confirm with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. You can share your real email or let Apple hide it. Cancelling the sheet simply returns you to the welcome screen with no error.
Yearn confirms the sign-in
Yearn checks the Apple sign-in before opening your account. It also prepares the authorization needed to disconnect this sign-in if you later delete your Yearn account.
If confirmation fails, try again
If Apple or Yearn cannot complete the confirmation, the app returns you to sign-in with a recovery message. Cancelling the Apple sheet is different from a failed sign-in and does not show an error.
Your name and email are saved to your account
Apple shares your name only on the first sign-in. Yearn stores it on your account so your profile can start with it. Nothing about your Apple sign-in appears on your public profile.
What happens next
You are signed in on this device and Yearn either finds your existing profile or starts profile setup.
Your information
Yearn stores an Apple token encrypted on the server so deletion can revoke your sign-in later. The token is never sent to your device. Google, email and phone sign-in exist only in development builds and are not offered publicly.
If something goes wrong
Follow the message to retry sign-in when your connection returns. A failed confirmation does not grant access to the app, although account records may already have been created. Apple configuration and native acceptance are still pending.
02Getting startedCome back to a saved sessionReopening Yearn restores your session from this device's secure storage, then checks with the server that the Apple sign-in behind it is still usable before showing anything signed in.
Start hereOpen Yearn after signing in previously on the same iPhone.
Integration in progress
Restoring your session
Yearn shows a short 'Restoring your session' state while it reads the saved session from the device keychain. Nothing signed in is displayed until this finishes.
The server confirms the Apple sign-in is ready
For Apple accounts, Yearn asks the server whether it still holds a usable Apple session for you. If it does, your session continues. If it does not, Yearn signs you out on this device and asks you to sign in with Apple again.
An account mid-deletion can still finish deleting
If your account is frozen because a deletion did not complete, the session is kept even without a usable Apple token, so you can return to the You tab and retry the deletion.
Checking your profile
Once the session is confirmed, Yearn loads your profile. If that read fails you see 'Your profile could not be checked' with Try again and Sign out, never a blank screen.
What happens next
You land on Discover with your profile, access state and connections loaded, or you are asked to sign in again.
Your information
The session is stored with device-only keychain protection and is not synced to other devices. Signing out clears only this device.
If something goes wrong
If the readiness check cannot reach the server, Yearn keeps you where you are and shows 'Check your connection and try again' rather than signing you out.
03Getting startedConfirm you are an adultBefore anything else, Yearn asks for your birthdate. It must show you are 18 or older. Other people only ever see your age, and the birthdate cannot be edited once your profile is published.
Start hereThe first screen on a fresh install, before sign-in.
Implemented; release validation pending
Enter your birthdate
Type it as year, month, day. Yearn checks that it is a real date, that you are at least 18 and that the age is realistic. Each problem has its own message, such as 'Yearn is only available to adults 18 and older.'
Your birthdate is remembered on this device
An accepted birthdate is kept in the device keychain so you are not asked again on the next launch. A stored value that no longer passes the check is ignored, so it can never skip the gate.
It carries into your profile
When you build your profile, the birthdate you confirmed is already filled in. The server enforces the same 18-and-over rule when the profile is saved, and refuses any later change to the birthdate from the app.
What happens next
You reach the sign-in screen. Your age, not your birthdate, is what other people see later.
Your information
The birthdate is stored on the device and in your private profile row. Public profile reads compute your age from it and never return the date itself.
If something goes wrong
If you mistype and publish, the app cannot change the stored birthdate. The server message says to contact support to correct it.
04Getting startedBuild your profileA ten-step wizard: welcome, name, age and pronouns, identity, photos, prompts, interests, verification notice, review and publish. Every step validates before you continue, and your progress is kept on this device per account.
Start hereAutomatically after your first sign-in, when no profile exists yet.
Implemented; release validation pending
Name, age and pronouns
A display name of 1 to 60 characters, the birthdate you already confirmed, and pronouns from a short list or your own custom pronouns. A switch decides whether pronouns are shown on your profile.
Identity and intent
Choose one or more gender identities from a long list, optionally your orientation, a relationship structure and what you are looking for. Orientation is stored only if you switch on consent to save it. Each group has its own show-or-hide switch.
Photos, prompts and interests
At least one uploaded photo that is set to show, at least one prompt answered with ten or more characters (up to three prompts), and at least three interests. Photos are covered in their own workflow.
Verification notice and review
You acknowledge that your profile starts unverified. The review step lists what will be shown and what is hidden, and you can preview the profile the way other people will see it before you publish.
Publish
Publishing saves the profile to Yearn's server in one write. If it fails, your answers stay on screen with the message 'Your answers are still here. Check your connection and try Publish again.'
What happens next
Your profile exists. Next, Yearn asks who you would like to meet before anyone appears in a feed.
Your information
The in-progress draft is saved in a per-account store on this device and removed after publishing. A second account on the same phone never sees another person's draft. If the device store refuses a write, the wizard says so instead of pretending progress is kept.
If something goes wrong
Closing the app mid-setup and reopening restores the draft for the same account. A failed publish keeps the draft. Validation problems are listed step by step with plain messages.
05Getting startedAdd your photosUp to three photos from your library, each cropped to a portrait frame and uploaded to a private folder that only you and the people allowed to see your profile can read.
Start hereThe Photos step of profile setup, or the same step when editing your profile.
Implemented; release validation pending
Pick a photo
Tap Add your first photo. The photo library opens with a 4 by 5 crop. A slot appears only while the upload is running and disappears again if you dismiss the picker or the upload fails, so the draft never holds an empty entry.
Each upload gets its own private file
Every selection is stored under a fresh random name in your own folder. Replacing or removing a photo in the draft never overwrites the photo currently on your live profile, so cancelling an edit leaves your profile exactly as it was.
Caption and show-or-hide
Each photo can carry an optional caption and its own Show this photo switch. A master Show photos switch covers all of them. An active profile needs at least one uploaded photo that is set to show; the wizard tells you when none is.
Who can see them
Photos are served through short-lived signed links: about two minutes for your own previews, at most fifteen minutes for anyone else. The server only grants a link to people who can currently see your profile, and it hides photos you switched off.
What happens next
Your profile card shows your chosen photos to eligible people. Tapping a card advances through them.
Your information
Photos live in a private bucket, never a public URL. Removed or replaced photos stay stored privately until you delete your account; there is no separate cleanup job yet. Changing your photos clears any verification badge until a reviewer looks again.
If something goes wrong
A failed upload shows the error and leaves your other photos untouched. If a stored photo's preview cannot be loaded during an edit, the photo is kept and the wizard says 'Uploaded. The preview is unavailable right now.'
06Getting startedChoose who you would like to meetTwo private choices decide both feeds: the groups you want to be shown to, and the groups you would like to meet. Both sides have to fit before either person sees the other.
Start hereShown on Discover right after you publish a profile, and again whenever the wording you agreed to changes. Editable any time from the summary line above the feed.
Implemented; release validation pending
Show me to people looking for
Pick every group that should be able to find you: men, women, nonbinary people, or any combination of the three.
I would like to meet
Pick the groups you want to see, or Everyone. Everyone stands alone and already includes every group. A summary line reads back your choices in plain words before you save.
Confirm how the choices are used
A checkbox confirms that these choices only decide who appears in your feeds and who can see you. Saving is refused without it, and it is asked again if the wording changes.
The server checks both directions
Someone appears for you only if you seek a group they are shown under, they seek a group you are shown under, each of you is inside the other's age range, and any distance limit on either side is met by two known locations. The same rule applies to incoming likes and to every new like, so it cannot be bypassed.
What happens next
Discover and Preferences begin showing people. Until you choose, nobody appears and nobody sees you.
Your information
These choices are stored apart from your public identity fields. Yearn does not derive them from your public gender description or orientation. You can return to the setup to change them.
If something goes wrong
If the choices cannot be loaded, Discover shows the error with Try again. A failed save keeps the form open with the message 'Your choices were not saved.'
07Getting startedUnlock Yearn AccessOne App Store purchase, configured at US $4.99, opens both feeds, likes and messaging for as long as your account exists. There is no subscription, no renewal and no feature tier. People who bought the older Yearn Membership keep access while it is active.
Start hereAfter you choose who you would like to meet, Discover and Likes show the access screen. The same panel lives on the You tab.
Operational setup pending
See the store price, not a guess
The button reads Buy for the price the App Store reports for your region. If the store cannot be reached, the panel says purchasing is paused and offers Retry rather than showing a made-up price.
Buy through Apple
Apple's payment sheet handles the purchase, bound to your Yearn account. Cancelling shows nothing. A purchase waiting for approval, such as Ask to Buy, is reported as pending with the advice to use Restore once it is approved.
Yearn's server confirms it
The signed transaction goes to Yearn's server, which verifies Apple's signature chain, checks the product and binds the purchase to your account. Access is granted only from the server's answer. On TestFlight the notice says it was a sandbox transaction and nothing was charged.
Restore whenever needed
Restore purchase finds the purchase on your Apple account and re-confirms it with the server. This is also the recovery path if the first confirmation failed for any reason. A purchase made by a different Yearn account is refused with an explanation.
Older memberships still count
If you subscribed to Yearn Membership before one-time access existed, the You tab offers Restore membership. An active membership is reported as included access with its real expiry date. You are never asked to pay twice, and the subscription is never relabelled as a one-time purchase.
What happens next
Both feeds and messaging open the moment the server confirms. Reading existing conversations, ending connections, reporting, blocking, pausing and deleting never need access.
Your information
Yearn keeps a minimal purchase ledger keyed by Apple's transaction id: owner, status and dates. A refund revokes access and the record survives account deletion so a refunded purchase cannot be restored later. Boost, the legacy visibility product, keeps its identifier but is not part of the access screen.
If something goes wrong
If Yearn cannot be reached after paying, the transaction stays open on your Apple account and the message says nothing was lost: use Restore when back online. If the access check itself fails, feeds stay closed with 'Nothing about your purchase has changed' and Try again.
08Discovering peopleBrowse the Discover feedOne card at a time. Each card shows a person's photos, name and age, pronouns, distance band, intention, a prompt and interests, with Pass and Like underneath. Nobody appears unless both of you fit each other's choices.
Start hereThe Discover tab, once you have a profile, discovery choices and Yearn Access, and fewer than five connections.
Implemented; release validation pending
Read the card
Tap the photo to move to the next one; thin bars at the top show which photo you are on. Below the photo: city and distance band when known, intention, the first prompt and interest pills. A verified badge appears only after a human reviewer approved a live selfie.
Pass or Like
Use the buttons or swipe: right to like, left to pass. Like opens a small intro composer first. A pass is saved immediately and that person does not return to your feed.
What the feed leaves out
Paused profiles, people you already liked or passed on, anyone you blocked or who blocked you, people already in a connection with you, anyone whose five connections are full, and anyone under moderation restriction. Both of you must have Yearn Access.
Order and paging
Cards load thirty at a time and the next page loads automatically. Within a page, boosted profiles come first, then nearer people, then the most recently updated profiles.
When the feed is empty
Yearn shows 'A little pause in discovery' with Check again. It does not fill the gap with fictional people.
What happens next
Every like and pass is saved on the server as you go. A mutual like becomes a connection immediately.
Your information
Cards are built by the server from each person's visibility settings: hidden photos, prompts, interests, pronouns and identity fields are removed before the data leaves the server, not just in the app.
If something goes wrong
If a like or pass cannot be saved, the card comes back with 'Like was not saved' or 'Pass was not saved' and the reason. A feed that fails to load shows Retry. Saved actions cannot be undone.
09Discovering peopleSet age, distance and intention filtersOptional filters narrow the Discover feed by age range, distance in miles and relationship intention. Distance ranking needs a one-time, approximate location that you choose to share.
Start hereThe 'Age, distance and intention' panel above the Discover cards.
Implemented; release validation pending
Age and distance limits
Minimum age from 18 to 100, an optional maximum age, and an optional maximum distance from 1 to 500 miles. Leaving a maximum blank means no cap. Bad values are rejected with a specific message before anything is saved.
Relationship intention
Choose Any or one intention. Apply saves the filters to your account and reloads the feed.
Use my location
Tap Use my location. Yearn asks for permission while using the app, takes a low-accuracy reading and rounds it to a coarse grid before saving. Grid cells are about 2.2 km north to south; their east-to-west width varies with latitude. There is no background location tracking.
If location is denied or unavailable
You see 'Location permission was denied. Enable it in Settings to rank by distance.' or 'Your position could not be determined right now.' Nothing is saved. If you also set a distance limit, a notice explains that no profiles will appear until you add a location or clear the limit.
Clear location
Removes your stored point. Distance bands disappear from cards, and any distance limit stops matching anyone until a location is added again.
What happens next
The feed reloads with your filters. People see you only if you are inside their limits too.
Your information
Only the rounded grid point is stored. Other people see a distance band such as 'nearby' or 'under 25 mi', never coordinates.
If something goes wrong
A failed save shows the server message and keeps your typed values. Location errors never clear an existing stored location.
10Discovering peopleLike someone, with or without an introA like can carry a short note of up to 300 characters. The note is encrypted on your phone to the other person's device key before it leaves, so only their device can read it.
Start hereTap Like or swipe right on a Discover or Preferences card.
Implemented; release validation pending
Write an intro or skip it
The composer suggests mentioning something specific from their profile and counts characters against the 300 limit. Send includes the note; Skip sends the like alone; Cancel closes the composer.
The note is encrypted for their device
Yearn fetches the other person's published device key and encrypts the note to it. If they have not published a key yet, you see 'This profile has not published an encrypted intro key yet' and can still like without a note.
Key changes are surfaced, not hidden
The first key you see for a person is pinned on your device. If a later key differs, the send is refused with a warning to verify with them outside Yearn; pressing Send again after that accepts the new key deliberately.
The server decides
A like is refused if either of you has five connections, if you no longer fit each other's choices, if either person is blocked or restricted, or if a connection between you was ended before. When the other person already liked you, the connection is created in the same step and the card says 'Matched with' their name.
What happens next
The like waits in their Likes tab with the label 'Encrypted intro' or 'No intro'. Once you both like each other, the intro becomes the first message in the conversation.
Your information
The app and server require a ciphertext envelope for a private intro. The intended recipient needs the matching private device key to decrypt it. A public key or trust pin cannot decrypt the message on its own. Native end-to-end acceptance is still pending.
If something goes wrong
A like that fails to save returns the card to the top of your feed with the reason. Encryption problems show a message and leave the composer open.
11Discovering peopleAnswer the likes you receivedThe Likes tab lists people who liked you, newest first, with whether they included an encrypted intro. Each one gets Pass or Like back.
Start hereThe Likes tab.
Implemented; release validation pending
See who liked you
Each row shows the person's name, age, when the like arrived and whether it carries an encrypted intro. The intro itself is read inside the conversation once you connect. The list refreshes live when a new like arrives, with a Refresh button as a fallback.
Like back
Creates the connection at once and shows 'Connected with' their name. The other person's intro, if any, becomes the first message. Like back is unavailable while you already have five connections.
Pass
Removes the like from your list. That person is not told.
When your circle is full
With five connections, the Likes tab is replaced by the focus screen. New likes are held on the server and appear again once you have fewer than five connections, as long as both of you still fit.
What happens next
A like back moves both of you to the Connections tab. A pass quietly removes the like.
Your information
Likes are only listed if the sender still fits your choices, is not paused, is not blocked and is not under moderation restriction. Your own likes are never shown to anyone as a list.
If something goes wrong
A failed action shows the server's message and keeps the row. The whole list can be refreshed at any time.
12Discovering peopleAnswer the optional questionnaireSeventeen optional questions in four chapters. Each question has two sides: About me, where you pick one answer, and In a partner, where you pick any answers you would welcome and mark that preference Flexible or Essential.
Start hereThe Preferences tab on Discover, then Find what matters to you.
Implemented; release validation pending
Four chapters, every question optional
A life together covers intention, relationship style and future family. The everyday things covers showing care, humor, curiosity, social energy, weekends and communication. Your lifestyle covers smoking, drinking, movement and pets. Optional details covers height, hair, build and annual income as ranges, never exact figures.
About me
Tap one option per question, or tap it again to clear it. Skipping is normal; the review step shows how many of the seventeen you answered.
In a partner
Select every answer you would welcome. Leaving a question open means no preference. Once a preference exists, choose Flexible or Essential. Essentials are never suggested for removal later.
Review and consent
The review lists each preference with its importance. A consent panel explains that answers are stored with Yearn to match people who opt in, are not added to your public profile, and that strict filtering can let someone infer an answer or range. Save is disabled until you check the consent box.
What happens next
The Preferences feed starts showing people whose answers fit your preferences and whose preferences fit your answers.
Your information
Answers and preferences are stored in a private table that public profile reads never touch. Personal-detail answers carry the note 'Off your profile; matching can still reveal a range.' Answers are self-reported and not verified. You can edit or remove everything with Leave preference matching.
If something goes wrong
A failed save keeps the questionnaire open. If the device kept a copy of your unsaved answers, the message says so and you can try Save again; if it could not, the message tells you to stay and retry.
13Discovering peopleResume or discard a questionnaire draftUnsaved questionnaire changes are kept on this device for your account. The next time you open the questionnaire you decide whether to pick them up or start from your saved answers.
Start hereOpening the questionnaire after leaving it with unsaved changes, or tapping Cancel while editing.
Implemented; release validation pending
Changes are kept as you go
Every edit is written to a per-account store on the device. A draft identical to your saved answers is removed as noise. A refused write is shown as a warning with Try again, never hidden.
Pick up where you left off?
On return, a panel shows when the draft was kept and states that nothing has been sent to Yearn. If your saved preferences changed after the draft was made, it says the draft replaces them only when you choose Save.
Resume or discard
Resume draft loads it into the questionnaire. Discard removes it and starts from your saved answers. If the removal fails, the panel says the draft may be offered again next time.
Leaving without saving
Cancel with unsaved changes asks 'Leave without saving?'. You can keep the draft on the device and leave, discard the changes, or keep editing. Your previously saved preferences stay in place either way.
What happens next
A successfully stored draft helps you continue after an interruption. Nothing reaches the matching service until you choose Save; a device storage failure can still prevent recovery.
Your information
Drafts are keyed to your account and dropped if they belong to another account or an older format. Saving to Yearn removes the device copy; a leftover copy that could not be removed is ignored on the next open and you are told so.
If something goes wrong
If the device cannot read or save a draft, the app reports the problem. Continue with the answers still on screen where possible, or start again from your last saved preferences.
14Discovering peopleMeet people who fit your preferencesThe Preferences feed is a second, stricter feed. Someone appears only when their answers satisfy every one of your preferences and your answers satisfy every one of theirs. There is no compatibility score.
Start hereThe Preferences tab on Discover, after saving the questionnaire.
Implemented; release validation pending
Your preferences, respected
A summary shows how many preferences are essential and how many are flexible, with a chip per preference. Edit reopens the questionnaire.
Mutual fit, both ways
For each of your preferences, the other person must have chosen one of the answers you welcomed; a question they skipped never satisfies a preference. The same test runs in reverse with their preferences against your answers. All the usual Discover rules apply on top: reciprocal choices, age, distance, access, the five-connection limit and blocks.
The same card, the same actions
Cards look and behave exactly like Discover: photos, prompts, Pass, Like and an encrypted intro. Age and distance filters from Discover carry over.
All caught up
When you have seen everyone currently available who fits, the feed says so and offers Keep what matters. Reconsider what does not. That opens the widening step described in its own workflow.
What happens next
A feed of people who fit your stated preferences and whose preferences you fit, ordered by distance.
Your information
Nobody's answers are shown or returned. The only thing another person learns from appearing is that a mutual fit exists, which is why the consent text warns that strict preferences allow inference.
If something goes wrong
If your preferences cannot be loaded, the tab shows the error with Try again. Leave preference matching deletes your answers and preferences after a confirmation; your public profile and connections are unaffected.
15Discovering peopleExplore one change to your preferencesWhen the Preferences feed runs out, Yearn can estimate how many more people one flexible preference is holding back. Estimates are rounded bands, independent of each other, and essentials are never on the list.
Start hereThe 'Explore one change' button that appears when the Preferences feed is exhausted.
Implemented; release validation pending
Ask for the estimate
Tap Explore one change. The server counts, for each flexible preference on its own, how many additional people would fit if only that preference were removed and everything else stayed. You can ask up to 20 times an hour.
Read the bands
Each flexible preference shows its current answers and a band such as plus 10 to 19. Counts are rounded down to tens. A note states that estimates are independent, not additive: opening two preferences does not add the two bands together.
Small pools and personal details show no number
If fewer than ten people would be added, or if any preference touches height, hair, build or income, the estimate shows Explore instead of a number. Suppression limits what a narrow search reveals, but does not eliminate inference.
Apply one change, deliberately
Choosing a preference asks 'Remove your preference?' and explains that people with any answer, including no answer, may then appear, while all your other choices stay the same. Apply saves the questionnaire without that one preference. Keep my preference backs out.
What happens next
The feed reloads with one preference removed, or stays exactly as it was if you keep your choices.
Your information
Widening never touches an essential preference. The estimate uses only pools already filtered by mutual fit, and the query limit and rounding reduce how much anyone can learn by probing. These measures are deliberate limits on disclosure, not a formal privacy guarantee.
If something goes wrong
If estimates are unavailable, the message says 'Pool estimates are unavailable. You can still edit your preferences.' Hitting the hourly limit says so and asks you to try later.
16Making connectionsFive connections, no moreYou can hold at most five mutual connections at once. A row of five slots shows how many are filled. When the fifth fills, both feeds and the Likes tab pause so your attention goes to the people already there.
Start hereThe slot row above Discover and the Connections tab, and the focus screen that replaces the feeds at five.
Implemented; release validation pending
Watch the slots fill
Each connection fills one slot. The row reads '3 of 5 connections' and links to the Connections tab. The count refreshes live when a connection is made or ended, and whenever the app returns to the foreground.
At five, the feeds rest
Discover and Preferences are replaced by 'Be here for who is here', a single button to your connections, and a reminder that you can end a connection at any time. New likes are held rather than shown.
The server enforces it for both people
Every like is checked inside a lock that covers both people, so two likes arriving at the same instant cannot push either person past five. If the other person is full, your like is refused with 'This person is not available for a new connection right now.'
Older connections beyond five
If an account from before the limit has more than five, they all stay readable. The Connections tab explains that discovery reopens once you have fewer than five.
What happens next
The server prevents new connections above five. If an older account already exceeds that limit, existing connections stay readable and discovery remains paused until there is room.
Your information
Only your own count is shown to you. Other people learn nothing beyond being told someone is not available right now.
If something goes wrong
If the count cannot be checked, Discover shows 'We could not check your connections. Try again to continue.' and stays closed until the check succeeds.
17Making connectionsStart a private conversationMessages are text only and are encrypted on your phone to the other person's device key. Yearn's server stores and delivers ciphertext it cannot read. There are no voice or video calls and no attachments.
Start hereTap a name on the Connections tab.
Implemented; release validation pending
Your device key is ready before you need it
On sign-in, Yearn creates a key pair for this device, keeps the private half in the device keychain and publishes the public half. Other people's devices use that public key to encrypt to you. Keys are per device: a new phone means a new key.
Write a hello
The composer says 'Write a thoughtful hello'. Send fetches the other person's current public key, checks it against the key you pinned the first time, encrypts the text and sends it. If their key changed, the send is held with a warning to verify with them outside Yearn; pressing Send again trusts the new key.
Reading what you sent
Because your message was encrypted for their device, your phone keeps its own encrypted copy so you can reread it. If that copy is missing, the row reads 'Encrypted message, readable on their device' rather than showing nothing.
Reading what they sent
Incoming messages are decrypted on your device and marked read. The sender's key is pinned on first sight; a message under a different key is hidden with a warning until you verify it. New messages arrive live, with Refresh as a fallback.
Without Yearn Access
The composer is replaced by an explanation. You can still read the conversation, report, block or end the connection.
What happens next
A private thread between two devices. The intro from the original like appears as the first message.
Your information
Private message bodies use ciphertext envelopes, and your device keeps its own encrypted sent-message copy. Lost device keys can make older messages unreadable; no recovery promise is made. Push notifications omit conversation text. Native end-to-end acceptance and an independent security audit have not been completed.
If something goes wrong
A failed send keeps your text in the composer with the reason. If the message sent but the local copy could not be saved, you are told that your copy was not kept on this device.
18Making connectionsEnd a connectionEither person can end a connection. It ends for both of you at once, the conversation closes on both sides, and a slot frees up. A goodbye is optional.
Start hereThe archive button at the top of an open conversation.
Implemented; release validation pending
Confirm
A panel asks 'End your connection with this person?' and explains that it ends the conversation for both of you and frees a connection. Keep talking cancels.
It ends for both people
The connection closes for both people and access to the thread is revoked through the service. This cannot retract a screenshot or another copy that someone already made.
It stays ended
If either of you later likes the other again, the server refuses with 'This connection has ended.' The two of you do not reappear in each other's feeds.
Photos stop being shared
The service withdraws photo access tied to the connection. A previously issued photo link can remain usable until it expires; ending cannot erase a copy already saved by someone.
What happens next
One slot opens. Discovery and Likes resume if you were at five.
Your information
The other person is not sent a notification about the ending. The thread simply closes on their side too.
If something goes wrong
If the ending cannot be saved, the panel stays open with 'Your connection could not be ended. Please try again.'
19Making connectionsBlock or report someoneReport and Block are on every profile card and inside every conversation. Reports go to a private queue that a person reviews with the moderation tools; nothing is screened automatically.
Start hereThe Report and Block buttons under a Discover card, or Report or block inside a conversation.
Operational setup pending
Choose a reason to report
Fake profile, harassment, sexual content, underage, scam or other. Sending a report from a card removes that person from your feed; from a conversation you see 'Your report was sent for review' and can still block.
Block
Inside a conversation, Block asks for a confirmation and explains that it removes the connection and prevents further contact. From a card it takes effect at once. A blocked person disappears from your feeds and likes, and you from theirs.
What happens next
Reports and blocks are written to the server immediately. An operator reads the report queue with a service tool and can warn, hide, suspend or ban an account; the database keeps an audit trail of every action. Reporting or blocking someone whose account is being deleted still works.
What is not promised
There is no automated screening, no operator dashboard and no stated response time. Public release requires a named safety operator and a monitored contact address, and neither is confirmed yet.
What happens next
The person is gone from your view. A report waits for human review.
Your information
Your block survives even if the other person deletes and recreates their profile. Reports about a person are kept as moderation evidence after that person deletes their account.
If something goes wrong
If a report or block cannot be saved, the panel says 'This action could not be saved. Please try again.'
20Your accountEdit your profile and choose what it showsEditing reuses the setup wizard without the welcome, verification and publish steps. Every group of fields has a show-or-hide switch, and the server applies those switches before anyone else's app receives your profile.
Start hereYou tab, then Edit profile.
Implemented; release validation pending
Opening your profile
Yearn loads your stored profile and short-lived previews of your current photos, then opens the wizard at the Name step. The birthdate is shown but locked.
Change anything else
Name, pronouns, gender identities, orientation and its consent, relationship structure, what you are looking for, photos, prompts and interests. Withdrawing orientation consent removes orientation from your profile and records the withdrawal.
Show or hide, group by group
Switches for pronouns, identity fields, gender identities, orientation, photos, prompts and interests, plus per-photo and per-prompt switches. Hidden items are stripped from cards, likes, matches and conversations on the server, not just in your own app.
Review the changes
The review step lists exactly which groups changed, such as 'Changed: Photos, Interests', and offers a preview as others see it. Nothing is saved until Save changes. Cancel with unsaved edits asks 'Discard your changes?'
What happens next
Your profile updates in one write. Changed photos clear any verification badge until a reviewer looks again.
Your information
Edits are never kept as a device draft; cancelling leaves your live profile untouched. Profile cards, likes, matches and conversations all use the same server-side visibility projection.
If something goes wrong
A failed save keeps the wizard open with 'Your edits are still here and nothing has changed on your profile yet.' If photo previews cannot be loaded, the photos are kept and only the thumbnails are missing.
21Your accountSubmit a photo-review selfieUse the camera to submit a private selfie for human photo review, with clear limits on what a badge means.
Start hereYou tab, Verification section, Take verification selfie.
Operational setup pending
Take a selfie in the app
The front camera opens directly, without a photo-library option. Camera permission is required for this action. Cancelling returns you without a submission. Camera capture is not a claim of automated liveness detection.
Upload and submit
The selfie is uploaded to a private folder that only service-side reviewers can read, never to your profile, and a submission is recorded. The section then reads 'Your selfie is in review.'
A person decides
A reviewer approves, rejects or revokes through the moderation tools. Only an approved submission can set the badge; the database refuses any other way of turning it on. A rejection shows the reviewer's reason and lets you try again.
The badge follows your photos
Changing your profile photos marks the review as superseded and removes the badge until a new selfie is reviewed.
What happens next
A small verified mark next to your name on cards once approved.
Your information
The selfie is kept apart from public profile photos and ordinary users cannot request it. Human review compares it with your profile photos; it does not establish a legal identity, background check or guarantee of safety.
If something goes wrong
Capture and upload errors are shown inline. A pending submission blocks a second one until it is decided. Review staffing and turnaround are not confirmed for public release.
22Your accountPause and resume your profilePausing hides you from everyone and stops new people from appearing, without losing anything. Your connections stay and can still message you.
Start hereYou tab, Visibility section, Pause my profile. Resume from the same place or from the notice on Discover and Likes.
Implemented; release validation pending
Pause with a confirmation
Pause my profile shows Pause now and Keep visible. Pausing is saved on the server as a flag on your profile.
What pausing changes
You are excluded from both feeds, from pool estimates and from other people's Likes tabs, and nobody can like you. Discover and Likes show 'Your profile is resting' with a Resume button. Your You tab status reads 'Paused. Hidden from everyone.'
What pausing keeps
Existing connections and conversations continue in both directions. Your access, photos, questionnaire and choices are untouched.
Resume
Resume my profile clears the flag and both feeds reopen immediately, subject to the usual rules.
What happens next
A quiet profile that is still yours, with your connections intact.
Your information
Nobody is told you paused. You simply stop appearing.
If something goes wrong
If the change cannot be saved, the message says 'Your profile could not be paused' or 'could not be resumed', and the previous state remains.
23Your accountTurn notifications on or offOne switch on the You tab. Pushes tell you that someone liked you, that you have a new match or that a new message arrived, and never include names or message content.
Start hereYou tab, Notifications, the Push notifications switch.
Operational setup pending
Turn it on
Yearn asks iOS for notification permission if it has not already, requests a push token for this device and registers it with your account. The switch stays off, with a message, if permission is denied, if the device cannot issue a token, or if the build has no push project configured.
What arrives
Three kinds of push, generated by the server when a like, match or message is written: 'Someone liked you', 'You have a new match' and 'New message'. Tapping opens the app. While the app is open, a banner appears without sound or badge.
Turn it off
Turning the switch off deletes this device's token from your account. Other devices keep their own setting. Tokens that stop working are pruned by the server on its own.
Other permissions Yearn asks for
Photo library for profile photos, camera for the verification selfie, and location while using the app for distance ranking. Each is requested only when you tap the related action, and each denial produces a specific message in place.
What happens next
Content-free pushes for the three events, or none at all.
Your information
Notification payloads omit private conversation text. App-owned tracking and advertising domains are not declared. Permission, registration and delivery behavior still need physical-device validation.
If something goes wrong
Registration failures show the reason next to the switch and leave it off. Permission denied says to enable notifications in Settings.
24Your accountSettings and sign outEverything about your account lives on the You tab: profile, visibility, access, verification, notifications, legal documents and deletion. Sign out clears this device only.
Start hereThe You tab.
Implemented; release validation pending
What the You tab holds
Your name and status line, pronouns, intention and relationship structure chips, Edit profile, Sign out, the pause control, the Yearn Access panel with Buy and Restore, the legacy membership restore when relevant, Verification, the Push notifications switch, links to the Terms, Privacy Policy and Community Guidelines, and Delete account.
Sign out
Signs out this device only. Sessions on your other devices, and your sign-in to any other product that shares the same backend, are not revoked. Your profile, connections, purchase and questionnaire stay on the server.
Nothing is behind a paywall here
Editing or pausing your profile, notifications, signing out and deleting your account all work without Yearn Access.
Legal documents
The three links open Yearn's hosted legal pages. Those pages are written but the site is not yet published, so the links are a known release blocker until it goes live.
What happens next
Full control of your account from one screen, with sign out limited to the device in your hand.
Your information
Signing out does not remove the device's encryption key or drafts; only account deletion does that. Signing in again on the same device continues with the same key.
If something goes wrong
Use Retry if the profile cannot be loaded. If a deletion is already in progress, keep the current session and retry deletion from there. Re-entry after signing out during a frozen deletion still needs integration validation.
25Your accountDelete your accountDeletion removes your Yearn profile, photos, likes, connections, messages, questionnaire, keys and tokens in a fixed order, and disconnects your Apple sign-in when it can. Your shared sign-in identity is kept so other products on the same backend are unaffected.
Start hereYou tab, Delete account, then Tap again to permanently delete.
Integration in progress
Confirm twice
The first tap shows what will be deleted and a Cancel button. The second tap starts the deletion.
Your account is frozen first
The server records a private deletion marker. From that moment, new likes, uploads, messages, questionnaire saves and Apple sign-in captures for your account are refused, so nothing can slip in while the deletion runs. You also disappear from both feeds immediately.
Apple sign-in is disconnected when possible
If Yearn holds a usable Apple token, it asks Apple to revoke it and only counts a confirmed answer. If Apple cannot be reached, the account stays frozen and the deletion is retryable. If no usable token exists, as with accounts created before token capture, the deletion still completes and you are shown Apple's instructions to stop using Sign in with Apple for Yearn yourself. Yearn never claims an automatic revocation it did not get.
Photos, then everything else
Every file in your private photo folder is removed through the storage service and the folder is checked empty. Then, in one transaction, your profile, likes, passes, connections, messages, questionnaire, choices, keys, push tokens and verification submissions are deleted. Reports filed against you, blocks against you, the moderation ledger and the minimal purchase record are kept.
This device is cleaned up and you are signed out
Yearn clears the onboarding and questionnaire drafts, your encrypted sent-message copies, your private device key and your pinned keys, then signs out locally. If any local removal fails, the message asks you to retry so the device copy is finished too.
What happens next
Your Yearn account is gone. You can sign in again later and start a fresh profile; a preserved ban or refund record would follow you.
Your information
Deleted data includes ciphertext the server could never read. Retained records are the minimum needed for other people's safety choices, moderation evidence and refund integrity. The sign-in identity itself is shared with other products and is never deleted by Yearn.
If something goes wrong
A partial deletion should keep the account frozen and allow another attempt. Final success confirmation, the manual Apple-disconnection instructions and the last server safeguard are still being integrated and tested. This journey is not ready for a public account yet.
26Your accountWhen you are offline or something failsYearn does not pretend. Every load has a retry, every failed write says what did not happen, purchases stay recoverable until the server accepts them, and drafts stay on your device. Nothing is silently queued and replayed later.
Start hereAny screen, whenever the network or the server does not answer.
Implemented; release validation pending
Loads fail into a retry, never a blank
Session restore, profile check, access check, discovery choices, connection count, the feeds, likes, connections and messages each have their own loading, empty and error states with a Try again or Retry button.
Writes fail closed and say so
A like or pass that does not save returns the card. A message that does not send keeps your text. Profile and questionnaire saves keep your edits on screen. Pause, block, report and end-connection each report their own failure and leave the previous state in place.
Recover a purchase after a dropped connection
Yearn waits for server acceptance before finishing the purchase transaction. If confirmation is interrupted, use Restore when the connection returns. The access screen does not guess that a payment succeeded.
Drafts live on the device
Profile setup and questionnaire drafts are stored per account on the phone and offered back when you return. A device store that refuses to write is reported at the time, so you know to finish in one sitting.
Sign-in and deletion are retryable by design
A sign-in that cannot be confirmed returns to the sign-in flow. A partial deletion keeps the account frozen for a retry. Final Apple sign-in and deletion integration remain in progress.
What happens next
Each journey has a recovery path designed to distinguish a confirmed action from a failed or uncertain one. Those paths still require final release validation.
Your information
This is a server-backed app, not an offline dating service. Per-account drafts are the main offline convenience; there is no public queue that silently replays likes or messages later.
If something goes wrong
This workflow is the recovery model. Where a message names a next step, such as Restore, Try again or tap Delete account again, that step is the intended path.
No workflows found.
Try a broader word, or return to the complete handbook.
One-time access
A simple price.
Room for the whole experience.
The planned model is one payment for all core features. Discover, Preferences, incoming likes, conversations and privacy controls belong together.
Planned US price
$4.99once
No new recurring feature tiers.
No paid way around five connections.
- Price confirmed in your local App Store before purchase
- Restore an eligible purchase on the account it belongs to
- Existing membership entitlements remain recognized
- TestFlight purchases use Apple's sandbox
Privacy & care
Your choices should
stay yours.
Dating involves personal information. This guide explains the intended boundaries and the current implementation without promising that any app can eliminate risk.
What you shareHow it is handledYour control
Profile photos & prompts
Shown according to your profile and item visibility choices.
Edit or hide supported fields. At least one visible photo is needed for an active profile.
Questionnaire answers
Used for consented matching, not added to a public profile. Filtered results may allow inference.
Skip a question, change a preference, or withdraw participation.
Location
Coarsened before upload and used for distance eligibility. Exact coordinates are not displayed.
Choose whether to allow location. Unknown location cannot satisfy an active distance limit.
Private conversations
Ciphertext-only message handling is implemented. Device keys and recipient trust checks are part of the design.
Key changes require attention. Native end-to-end acceptance is still pending; no independent security audit is claimed.
Reports & account removal
Yearn-only deletion preserves limited safety and purchase records and other apps' shared sign-in identity.
Block, report, pause, or request deletion. Operational readiness and final deletion validation are still in progress.
A clear way to leave.
Ending a connection removes it for both people. Blocking and reporting are separate safety actions. Pausing hides your profile from discovery while preserving existing connections.
No badge is a guarantee.
Photo review is a workflow, not a promise of identity, background screening or personal safety. Staff coverage must be established before launch. There is no claimed round-the-clock response service.
Where things stand
A considered beginning.
Updated September 6, 2026. The website is a product guide. The iOS application is still being prepared for its first external testers.
The product, in detail
Interactive examples, the full questionnaire catalog and a source-reviewed workflow handbook. Examples run in your browser without an account.
Return to the tourFirst external iOS beta
Apple sign-in configuration, final app and database validation, support operations and signed build submission are still pending. There is no approved, installable TestFlight build yet.
An invitation link has been reserved. It will be presented as an install option only when an approved build is available.
A few useful answers.
Is this the actual app?
This is a web guide with simplified interactive demonstrations of Yearn's workflows. It does not connect to the dating service, create accounts, save answers or process payments. The illustrated profiles and people are fictional. The portrait is AI-generated.
Will every answer be required?
No. The preference questionnaire is optional, and its questions can be skipped. A public account still needs the basic eligibility and profile information required to use a dating service, including being at least 18.
What if nobody fits my preferences?
You can keep your essentials, review a flexible preference, switch to ordinary Discover, or come back later. Yearn does not manufacture people or quietly change your choices. Small or sensitive pool estimates are deliberately limited.
Can I pay for more than five connections?
The intended experience has the same five-connection limit for everyone. There is no new paid sixth slot. Existing legacy purchase identities are retained for compatibility, without presenting them as a way around this rule.
Are my choices on this website saved?
No. This showcase has no account, analytics SDK, cookie banner or browser storage for your answers. Its examples stay in page memory and reset when you reload. The hosting provider handles ordinary web requests; this site is not the application's legal privacy policy.
What still needs to happen before launch?
Complete native and database acceptance, finish Apple sign-in and purchase configuration, establish monitored support and safety operations, publish the legal pages, upload a signed build, and submit it for Apple's external beta review. Apple controls approval.
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