Kairo help guide

What is Kairo? Start here

Understand the Kairo idea, create your profile, allow the right Android permissions, and connect your first trusted person.

What Kairo does

Kairo is a private presence and memory app for people you genuinely know. Once two people connect in person, Kairo can notice when their phones are nearby and turn those crossings into a personal timeline that becomes more meaningful over time.

Kairo is not a public map or social feed. Your connection list, moments, notes, favorites, photos, clips, and location tags stay on your phone by default. Internet is not required for nearby detection or memory creation. It is used only for services you choose, such as checking for updates or encrypted Google Drive backup.

Nearby presence

Bluetooth helps Kairo recognize trusted connections without continuously publishing a permanent identity.

Private timelines

Each connection has a timeline with sessions, notes, favorites, media, locations, and monthly Memory Books.

Private by default

There is no public feed, no data sale, and no server account required for Kairo’s core experience.

Optional backup

Encrypted Google Drive backup is opt-in and uses a recovery code that Kairo and Google cannot recover for you.

Set up Kairo

Setup creates your private identity on this phone and prepares Bluetooth background listening. Give Android the requested permissions so Kairo can recognize a trusted connection while your phone is locked.

  1. 1

    Create your profile

    Choose a display name and avatar. Your mood is optional and appears only to a trusted connection while nearby, or to people in Around when you opt into visibility.

  2. 2

    Allow nearby permissions

    Bluetooth scan and advertise permissions power presence. Notifications let Kairo tell you about nearby moments, Find requests, and Say hi.

  3. 3

    Keep Kairo active

    Kairo uses a visible foreground service so Android can keep nearby detection running. Some phone brands may also require allowing background activity or excluding Kairo from aggressive battery restrictions.

  4. 4

    Add someone you trust

    Open Add Connection, scan their Kairo Code, then ask them to scan yours. The exchange lets each phone recognize the other independently.

What happens next?

Leave Kairo running and go about your day. When the trusted phone is detected within your selected proximity, Kairo can create a moment and notify you. Continued detections extend one session instead of repeatedly buzzing. Open the connection Timeline later to add meaning with a favorite, note, photo, clip, or optional location.