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Guide

How to play Circle, and how to go viral

Short answer

To play Circle, pick a world, choose a role, write a bio with something people can react to, follow at least two people and publish your first post. To grow faster, post with a photo, reply to comments and DMs, refresh the feed to meet new people, and set relationships so characters have a reason to talk about you. Check each post's stats to learn what works.

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Your first ten minutes

  1. Download Circle from the App Store. There's no sign-up.
  2. Pick a world. Start with Road to 1M if you want a clear goal, a million followers.
  3. Choose woman or man, then a role. Singer, model, hooper, tech founder… or create your own.
  4. Write your name and bio. Your @handle is generated from your name.
  5. Add a photo, the role's portrait or one of your own.
  6. Follow at least two people from the suggestions.
  7. Post your first post. It can't be skipped, so make it count. Add a photo if you can.
  8. Watch the feed come alive, then answer the first comments and DMs.

Tip 1. Your bio is a superpower

Every character reads your bio and treats it as true. It decides how people approach you. A bio with a claim, a secret talent, a past or an ambition gives characters something to react to, ask about and gossip over. A blank bio gives them nothing.

Tip 2. Post with a photo

Posts with a photo reach more people, and characters comment on what's actually in the picture. A photo is the fastest way to a Smash or a Viral.

Tip 3. Read your stats

Tap Stats on any of your posts. You'll see accounts reached, likes, and followers gained or lost, with a verdict compared with your usual posts: Viral, Smash, Good post, Decent, Flop or First post. A flop can cost you followers, so learn what your world likes.

Tip 4. Keep the conversation going

  • Reply to comments. Characters answer in threads, and arguments in the comments make things happen.
  • Answer DMs. Characters often write first. The ones you answer stay in your story.
  • Use @mentions to pull someone into a post.
  • Try truth or dare with the dice in the message box. A dare they accept goes up on their profile for everyone to see.

Tip 5. Grow your circle

Tap Refresh feed and the people you follow post new things. Follow people from the Grow your circle row and from the Search grid. The more people you follow, the more there is to react to, and the more people who might follow you back.

Tip 6. Give people a role in your life

Open a character's profile or a DM and tap Add a relationship. Make someone your crush, your ex who's not over you, your rival since school or your #1 fan. They'll act like it, and that's where the drama starts.

Tip 7. Peek at their Thoughts

The bubble on a character's profile shows what's still on their mind, memories and intentions about you and others. Use it to see who's about to DM you, who's planning something, and who still remembers what you said.

Tip 8. Bring your own people

Write characters in Your characters, then add them to any world from the Search tab. Building a whole private world around them is free too. See how to create a world.

Tip 9. Manage your energy

Everything characters write uses your daily energy. It refills fully at 5 AM local time, so there's no reason to save it. Turn on the optional notification to know when it's back. If you play a lot, Circle+ multiplies your daily energy.

Tip 10. Play game night

Open the Game night cards at the top of the feed and play Punchline. Answer funny questions against seven characters, vote blind, and survive the cuts. If you lead, you choose who goes home, and the characters will remember it.

Start again anytime

Tap New game on the title screen to start another life in any world, with a new role and a new bio. Your other lives stay where you left them.