Frequently Asked Questions
friendlist For Personal Use
How is using friendlist different from my phone’s contacts app?
Your contacts app stores numbers. friendlist helps you act on them. It reminds you when someone’s birthday is coming up, nudges you when you haven’t been in touch for a while, and lets you group people by context — your book club, your old teammates, your work clients — so you always know who to reach out to and when. Think of it less as an address book and more as a personal relationship manager that actually prompts you to stay connected.
Is friendlist free?
In order to support running costs, friendlist follows a freemium model. Users will be able to enjoy all the features of the app for free but will be limited by the number of connections and communities they can add. friendlist enthusiasts will be able to upgrade to premium which removes these restrictions.
Why not just use WhatsApp groups or Instagram?
Social media and messaging apps are great for broadcasting and group chats — but terrible at helping you maintain individual relationships quietly and intentionally. They’re built for engagement and noise. friendlist is built for the opposite: a private, distraction-free space where you keep track of the people who matter and get gentle reminders to reach out one on one. No feeds, no likes, no algorithm deciding who you see.
How long does it take to set up?
Most people are up and running in under five minutes. Start by adding just the people you’ve been meaning to reconnect with — you don’t have to import your entire contact list. Add a birthday, a note about how you know them, and drop them into a community. That’s it. You can build it out over time as it becomes part of your routine.
Will I actually use this, or will it just collect dust like every other app?
Fair concern — most productivity apps do get abandoned. friendlist is designed differently: it comes to you rather than waiting for you to open it. The reminders are the product. You don’t need to build a new habit of checking the app; you just respond when it nudges you. Users who set up even five or ten connections and turn on notifications report it changing how often they reach out to people within the first week.
Tip: the more specific your notes on each person (e.g. “loves hiking, last met at Marco’s wedding”), the more meaningful the reminders feel — and the more likely you are to act on them.
Is 50 connections enough for the free tier?
For a lot of people, yes — 50 intentional connections is more than enough to start. But think about it: close friends, family, old colleagues, business contacts, school friends you want to stay in touch with… it adds up fast. If you hit the limit and want to keep going, Premium is $4.99/month and removes all restrictions. You can try the free tier first with no commitment and see if it fits your life.
Is my data private? Will you sell it or show ads?
Your friendlist is yours alone. All data — including contact details and notes — is encrypted and only accessible to you. We don’t sell your data, and the Premium tier is explicitly ad-free. The free tier is supported by optional upgrades, not by monetizing your personal information.
What if I cancel Premium? Do I lose my connections?
No. Your data is always yours. If you downgrade, you’ll simply be unable to add new connections or communities beyond the free limits — but everything you’ve already added stays intact, safe, and accessible.
friendlist For Business Users
How is this different from a CRM like HubSpot or Salesforce?
CRMs are built for teams, pipelines, and sales processes — they’re complex, expensive, and overkill if you just need to stay on top of your key relationships as an individual. friendlist is a personal tool: lightweight, private, and designed for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and professionals who want to maintain relationships without managing a software platform. Think of it as a CRM for one person, built for real human connection rather than deal stages.
Can I keep certain contacts completely private from others who use my phone?
Yes. Hidden Communities are protected by a PIN code and are completely invisible unless you unlock them. VIP clients, sensitive contacts, or anything you want to keep private won’t appear in regular lists — even if someone picks up your phone and opens the app.
