Circl Presence

Circl - see what your people are up to, without texting them first. No forced photos. No likes. No pressure to reply. Just share what you're doing - by voice, in seconds - and your closest friends stay in the loop, right on their home screen. See something that catches your eye? Leave them a quick voice note. No texting back and forth required. Here's why I built it: I came to the US at 18 for college in Michigan. I studied computer science, ran track, and had people around me constantly - in class, at practice, at meets. But I still felt disconnected. Not because I was new. It was because everyone's attention, mine included, had quietly shifted away from the people around us and onto our phones. I'd rather scroll Instagram than text a friend. Not because I didn't care - because reaching out felt like a risk. You send "what's up," and maybe you wait two hours for a reply. Maybe you get "just chilling," and you're left wondering - chilling doing what? Watching a movie? About to sleep? So instead, I'd retreat into my phone and let it entertain me, instead of connecting me. That's why I built Circl - to bring our attention back to the people who actually matter. Instead of "just chilling," you'll see "on the couch watching Odyssey," "baking cookies with my sister," "studying for biochem." And maybe a friend sees that and says, "yo, pause the movie, I'm pulling up." And you think, "I didn't even know they were into this." That's how you make a best friend - not through a like, but through actually showing up. No metrics. No pressure. Just your people, and a little nudge to reach out when it matters. - Built by someone who was tired of watching everyone's attention go everywhere except to each other.