TRIBE \u00b7 BETA ACCESS
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Step 1 of 5

Welcome to the crew — you're one of the first humans on the inside. This quick setup walks you through everything, one step at a time. Takes about 4 minutes. 🖤

1Let's get you set up

First, a 5-second intro so we know whose feedback we're reading. Optional, but super helpful.

Your mindset Don't test like an engineer — test like a picky friend. Use TRIBE like any app you'd actually keep. Where did you hesitate? What made you smile? What made you go "huh?"

2What you're testing

The 10-second version, so you know what "working" should feel like.

TRIBE is an uncensored 21+ social universe — profiles, messaging, nearby discovery, tribes, groups, Creams, Explore and more. It should feel premium, smooth, and a little cosmic. If any screen feels slow, confusing, ugly, or just wrong, that's worth flagging — even if nothing technically "broke."

Two things we care about more than anything else. First: if the app ever tells you something worked when it didn't — a post that vanished, a setting that reverted, a "saved" that wasn't — that's the most valuable bug you can send us. Second: this is Phase 1 — the software. The Bearback Band, the Vault and Bruce AI are Phase 2 — a separate, invite-only round we'll run later with a smaller crew. You'll see some of it in the app; you don't need to test any of it now, and if an AI feature looks limited or locked, that's on purpose, not a bug to report.

How the two phases work Phase 1 — the app (that's now). Seven days of living in TRIBE, then you send your report. Finishing earns you TRIBE+ free for life.

Phase 2 — the hardware (later, if you're picked). A smaller crew, chosen by how they did in Phase 1, gets a real Bearback Band shipped to them to tap in person — plus the Vault and Bruce AI. If that's you, we'll reach out.
What counts as a bug Anything that stops you cold, confuses you, looks off, loads slow, or has a typo. Confusion is a bug too.
A few things to know going in You're TRIBE+ for the whole beta. Everything is unlocked for you — Creams, Nearby, Who Viewed You, all of it. If a feature ever acts locked or asks you to upgrade, that's worth a note.

You'll meet other real people. Some profiles are other beta testers like you, some are the Bearback team, and a handful are clearly-labelled demo profiles we seeded so the app isn't empty on day one. That's expected — you're not the only human here.

Keep it SFW while you test. Please don't send NSFW content to anyone during the beta — post and message SFW only, just for the sake of the test. There's plenty to put through its paces without it.

Talk to the crew in the Tribe Beta Group. There's a locked group inside TRIBE just for beta testers — use the same tribebeta code you used to get in here to unlock it, then trade notes, questions and bugs with the other testers.

3Get it installed

TRIBE ships through TestFlight, Apple's official beta app. If you're reading this, you've been picked — we've already added you and emailed your invite.

Two taps to play: install TestFlight, then open our invite and hit Install. That's it — you're in.

  1. Install TestFlight

    Grab the free TestFlight app from the App Store first — download it here.

  2. Open your invite

    You're already in. Because you were picked, we've added you to the beta and sent your invite by email. Tap the TRIBE invite link in that email (or your text) — it opens TestFlight and shows the TRIBE tile. Can't find it? Check spam, or reply to us at support@bearbackgear.com.

  3. Tap Install, then Open

    Accept, install, launch. If a new build drops, TestFlight nudges you — always grab the latest.

  4. Sign in with your email

    Passwordless login: enter your email, we send a code, you type it in. First time creates your account — no separate signup.

Heads up If a login code takes a moment right after we push an update, wait ~30 seconds and try once more — that's the server warming up. If it still won't let you in, that is a bug to report.
Black screen on first open The very first launch after installing a new build can sit on a black screen for up to about 15 seconds. That's normal — the phone is unpacking the app for the first time. Let it sit; it will come through.

Every launch after that should be quick. If the black screen happens every single time you open the app, that IS a bug — tell us, and say roughly how long it lasts.

4How to report bugs

Two easy ways — use whichever fits the moment.

Caught a bug live? Squeeze Side + Volume Up for a screenshot, tap the thumbnail, and choose Share Beta Feedback.

Live screenshots · TestFlight

  1. Screenshot the moment it happens

    Side + Volume Up on Face ID iPhones, or Home + Side on older ones.

  2. Tap the thumbnail → "Share Beta Feedback"

    Circle the problem spot, add a sentence, send. It auto-attaches your device + build. Best for anything visual.

This checklist · text bugs

On the next step, each item has a 🐞 Bug button. Tap it and type what went wrong — no screenshots needed here (send those through TestFlight). Everything you type gets sent to us when you finish.

A great bug note What you did → what you expected → what happened. e.g. "Tapped a profile in Nearby → expected it to open → screen went blank." That one line saves us an hour.

5Your quests

You're TRIBE+ for the whole beta, so everything's unlocked. These quests exist for one honest reason: the app is new and empty, and twenty of us doing them turns it into a real place. Tick ✓ Works on each one as you finish it — that's how you earn XP and rank up.

Life happens Miss a day? It's fine. Try not to — the days are ordered so the app fills up in a sensible way — but nothing breaks and you lose nothing. Just pick that day back up as soon as you can and carry on. Finishing all seven is what counts, not finishing them on consecutive days.

What you're playing for

This is Phase 1 — seven days in the app. A finisher is anyone who completes Days 1–7 and sends their report — that's the whole bar. The bonus "Brand new" block doesn't change it either way. Two rewards are earned by every finisher; one is a draw; and standout finishers get invited to Phase 2.

🖤
Complete Days 1–7 and send your report → TRIBE+ membership, free for life. This one is earned, not raffled: every finisher — anyone who completes the seven days and sends their report — keeps TRIBE+ forever. No draw, no maybe: you finish the seven days, you send the report, you get it. And TRIBE+ is now one complete membership — every premium feature is included; the only metered part is your monthly Bruce AI allowance. The bonus "Brand new — help us break it" block is not required.
🎟️
Do it well and you could be picked for Phase 2 — the hardware round. A smaller crew, chosen on how they showed up in Phase 1 (showing up daily, real posts and chats, and sharp bug notes), gets a real Bearback Band shipped to them to tap in person — plus the Vault and Bruce AI. Selection is our call; finishing Phase 1 puts you in the running.
🎁
Finishers are entered to win a Bearback Kit. Everyone who finishes also goes into a prize draw for a Kit — we'll pick 1–2 winners at random. Finishing gets you in the running; the Kit itself isn't guaranteed.
Kit winners are drawn at random from testers who finish. Phase 2 invitations are selected by the Bearback team, not raffled. No purchase necessary. Full rules to follow.
✓ All seven days complete — now send your report to lock in lifetime TRIBE+.
INITIATE 0 / 223 XP
Tick quests to earn XP and climb the ranks.
INITIATE
COMPANION
LOYAL
INNER CIRCLE
LEGEND
The one thing we're really asking: show up every day. Post something, react to what you see, and reply to anyone who messaged you. TRIBE is brand new — an empty app can't be tested and it can't feel alive, and whatever you leave behind today is exactly what the next tester walks into. A few minutes of you being here is what makes the whole place real for everyone after you.

Your seven-day streak. One ritual every day — post something, react to what you see, reply to anyone who messaged you. Tap a flame (or tick that day's ritual below) to light it up. Seven lit = you're a LEGEND.

D1🔥
D2🔥
D3🔥
D4🔥
D5🔥
D6🔥
D7🔥

Day 1 — Move in

Set up who you are and leave the first footprints. Day 1 exists so the app isn't a ghost town for whoever joins tomorrow — what you post today is exactly what the next tester walks into.

  • Daily ritual Post one thing, react to a post that isn't yours, and reply to anyone who messaged you. Do this every day — it's what keeps the place alive.
  • Build your profile Add a photo, write a line of bio, pick your tribe tags, set your position and your weight units. A real face makes everyone else's feed feel human.
  • Make your first post Text or a photo — anything at all. The single most useful thing you can do today.
  • Start one conversation Send a message to another tester, or say hi to a Bearback account. Get one real thread going.

Day 2 — Find your people

TRIBE is people. Go find some, and leave a mark where you land so the rooms don't feel empty.

  • Daily ritual Post one thing, react to a post that isn't yours, and reply to anyone who messaged you.
  • Get into a group Join a group someone already started, create one of your own, and post something inside it so it isn't a ghost town.
  • Work the Explore tab Open the filters, tap a trending post, then tap a name to land on that person's profile. While you're at it, swing by the contest gallery and cast a vote.
  • Leave signs of life Find three posts that aren't yours and react or drop a comment. Little sparks add up.

Day 3 — Show off

Give people something to look at. Photos, video, albums, a story — put your best foot forward.

  • Daily ritual Post one thing, react to a post that isn't yours, and reply to anyone who messaged you.
  • Post a video You've done text and photos — now put a video on your profile. Does it upload, play back, and stay put?
  • Build an album Create an album, add a photo AND a video to it, and set it public or private. Do both pieces of media actually stay in it?
  • Post & watch a story Put up a story of your own, then save it to your profile as a Highlight and confirm it's still there tomorrow (Highlights don't vanish after 24 hours the way a normal story does). Then open and watch someone else's story.

Day 4 — Get close

Real conversations are the whole point. Go deeper into chat, and see who's around you.

  • Daily ritual Post one thing, react to a post that isn't yours, and reply to anyone who messaged you.
  • Go deeper in chat Reply directly to a message, send a voice message, and send one of your albums straight into a chat. Do the albums offered match the ones on your profile?
  • Work Nearby Browse Nearby, apply a filter and confirm the results actually change, open three profiles, and flip Available Now on and off.
  • Who Viewed You & reputation Check who's viewed you, then open a profile and read its reviews and reputation. Does any of it dead-end?

Day 5 — Keep score

TRIBE keeps count. Make it count something — Creams are unlocked for you the whole beta.

  • Daily ritual Post one thing, react to a post that isn't yours, and reply to anyone who messaged you.
  • Spin up a Cream Create a counter, give it a colour and a goal, then log an entry with a note, a tag AND a photo. Everything you attached should come back.
  • Hit a goal & watch the tally Log your way to the goal. Each log adds one mark; every fifth draws a slash across the previous four. Hit the goal and you should get one celebration and a buzz — once, not on every tap.
  • Achievements & Tribal Points Open the achievements sheet and check the progress bars move, then confirm your Tribal Points read the same number on every screen that shows them.

Day 6 — Own your space

The corners nobody thinks to test — settings, safety, notifications, the Hub. This is where the interesting bugs hide.

  • Daily ritual Post one thing, react to a post that isn't yours, and reply to anyone who messaged you.
  • Sweep your Hub Open the Hub and tap every tile and shortcut on it — each one should actually go somewhere, not dead-end or spin. This is the dashboard everyone lands on, so a broken tile here is a big deal.
  • Make it yours & get notified Pick a Vibe and a Sky and watch the app change, allow notifications and confirm one actually arrives, then share your profile via its QR code.
  • Safety controls & settings Fade and Pass on someone, then go find them again. Block and report a Bearback account — it's ours, so it's safe to test. Then sweep the Settings screens and make sure nothing looks broken.

Day 7 — The final lap

Boss day. One last loop, then the big test: force-quit, reopen, and prove nothing you built has vanished. Finish clean and send your report.

  • One last loop Post one final thing, react to a post, and reply to any open messages. Light that seventh flame.
  • Force-quit & prove it survived Close the app fully and reopen it. Your profile, your posts, your albums, your Creams, your groups — everything you made should still be there. If anything quietly reverted, that's the most important bug you can report.
  • The gut check Honestly: would you keep TRIBE on your phone? Jot down why or why not — that answer is worth more than any single bug.
  • Send your report Head to the checklist, flag anything still broken, and send it in. Finishing the seven days and sending your report is what locks in lifetime TRIBE+.

Brand new — help us break it BONUS

This section is not required for lifetime TRIBE+ — the seven days plus your sent report already earn that. It's here for people who want to go hunting for bugs in the very newest code, and its XP counts as bonus stacked on top of LEGEND.

Seven whole areas of TRIBE went live this week: Places, Circles, Challenges, your Tribal Points, Cream social, Close Friends, and the vibes-and-prompts stuff. Here's the honest part — nobody has ever used them. Not one real person, not once. This is the newest, least-proven code in the app, and some of it may simply not work. That's not a warning, it's an invitation: a bug you find down here is the single most useful thing you can hand us all week. Everywhere else you're checking our work; down here you're on the frontier. Go rattle the doors — and if something breaks, you didn't do it wrong, you found the thing we needed found. Be pleased when it happens.

  • Make a place Try to create a new place — give it a name and drop it on the map. See whether it saves and shows up again when you go looking for it. If the create button spins forever or the place vanishes, that's exactly the bug we want.
  • Check in & the heat map Check in at a place, then open the heat map that shows where people are. See whether your check-in actually lands and whether the map draws anything at all. Blank map, frozen map, nothing where you stood — tell us. Nobody has watched this render before.
  • Drop a photo, then react to someone's Post a drop — a photo with a caption pinned to a spot on the map. Then find a drop that isn't yours and react to it. This one needs a second tester, so pair up: you post, they react, then swap. If reactions don't register, or a drop never shows for the other person, that's the find.
  • Start a circle & put it through its paces Create a circle, then invite someone by code — grab a partner, this one takes two. Both of you bump the shared counter and see whether it climbs for everyone. Then send a message in the circle chat and react to one with an emoji. Anything that doesn't sync between the two of you is the bug.
  • The weekly challenge & Pass the Cream Open the weekly challenge, read its goal, and look at the leaderboard. Then log a cream and see whether you become the one holding “Pass the Cream” — the relay goes to whoever logged most recently. See if the leaderboard and the holder actually update. Don't assume they do.
  • ⭐ Do your Tribal Points agree everywhere? This is the single most valuable check on the whole page. Your Tribal Points now come from one ledger, so the number should be identical everywhere it appears. Read it on the Hub, on your profile, and on Your Progress, and write down all three. If any two disagree by even one point, that's a real bug — and we want it more than almost anything else here.
  • Make a cream log public, then get reacted to Important: a cream log is private by default — nobody can touch it until you make it public. So first mark one of your logs public. Then get someone else to react and leave a comment on it. If you skip making it public and reactions “don't work,” that's the app behaving correctly, not a bug — so do it in that order, then tell us what happens once it's public.
  • Set a mood vibe Set a mood vibe others can see, then get another tester to react to it. See whether your vibe shows up for them and whether their reaction comes back to you. If it goes nowhere, that's worth writing down.
  • Post a story just for Close Friends Start a story, open the audience picker and choose Close Friends, then tap Choose your inner circle and add a person or two. (Building the list is a TRIBE+ perk — if it nudges you to upgrade, that's expected, not a bug.) Post it, then check the other side: someone who isn't on your list should never be able to see that story. If a non-friend can see it, or a friend can't, that's the most important thing you could find down here — pair up with another tester to prove it both ways.
  • Answer the weekly prompt Find this week's prompt and answer it, then react to someone else's answer. See whether your answer posts and sticks, and whether the reaction lands. This box has never had a real answer in it before now.
  • Try to claim a reward milestone Open the rewards page and try to claim a referral milestone you've actually earned. See whether it lets you, and whether the reward shows up afterward. If the claim button does nothing — or hands you something you didn't earn — that's exactly the kind of thing we need to hear.

6Kick the tires

This is the deep pass. The quests got you moving through TRIBE — now go back over the whole app and mark what worked, flag what didn't. You're not redoing the quests here; you're the inspector now. For each row, tap a button:

What we most want from you
Anything that stops you cold — crashes, blank screens, “I can’t get past this.” Report these first.
Anything confusing — a moment you didn’t know what to tap. Confusion is a bug too.
Anything you loved — tell us what clicked so we don’t accidentally change it.
✓ Works – Didn't try 🐞 Bug (type what happened)
0 of 0 reviewed · 0 bugs logged

First impressions & onboarding

  • Launch & splash The first open after installing a build can be a black screen for ~15 seconds — that's expected. Close the app and open it a second time. That launch should be quick, with no white flash and no long freeze. Mark this a bug only if every launch is slow.
  • Sign up Email code arrives, code works, you land inside.
  • Sign out & back in Log out fully, then back in. Everything still there?

Your profile

  • Add a photo Upload works, looks crisp — not stretched or rotated.
  • Fill out your details Every field saves and survives a refresh.
  • Edit & re-save Change something, save, reopen — did it stick?

Nearby & discovery

  • Browse Nearby Profiles load, scrolling is smooth, images aren't blank.
  • Open a profile Tap in, back out, tap another. No blank screens.
  • Filters / sorting Try any filters. Do results actually change?
  • "Available now" Toggle on/off; confirm button reachable, keyboard doesn't trap it.

Messaging

  • Send a message Text sends, appears instantly, no duplicates.
  • Send a photo / voice note Media uploads and plays back.
  • Keyboard behavior Does the keyboard ever cover the send button or your text?
  • Back & forth Leave a chat and return; history is intact.

Tribes & community

  • Explore tribes Browse, open one, see it load fully.
  • Join / interact Try joining or posting; the action confirms clearly.

Explore

  • Explore loads Members, trending posts and featured tribes all show something — not blank gaps.
  • Real names Post cards show actual profile names, never a placeholder like "User" or "Member".
  • Tap a name or photo Opens that person's profile. It shouldn't dead-end on "profile isn't available".
  • Filters actually filter Pick a few. Do the results genuinely change? Do they match your own profile options?
  • Images fit their cards Nothing hangs off the screen or reshuffles once photos finish loading.

Creams (TRIBE+)

  • Create a counter Name it, pick a colour, set a goal. Does it save?
  • Rename a counter Change the name, close the app fully, reopen. Did the new name survive?
  • Log a cream Add a note, a tag, a photo. Everything you attached should come back.
  • Tally marks count up Each log adds ONE mark. Every fifth draws a slash across the previous four.
  • Hitting a goal Reach your goal — you should get a celebration and a buzz, once, not on every tap.
  • Errors are honest If something fails to save, does it TELL you and offer a retry — or silently pretend it worked?

Bruce & AI — Phase 2

Bruce and the AI tools are being held for Phase 2, so they're not part of this round. You may see the Bruce orb in the app — you don't need to test it, and if it looks limited or asks you to upgrade, that's expected, not a bug. If you're picked for Phase 2, Bruce comes with it.

Albums, gallery & posting

  • Make an album Create one, add photos AND a video. Do they actually stay in it?
  • Album privacy is obvious You can tell at a glance whether an album is public, private or locked.
  • Send an album in chat The albums offered are the same ones on your profile.
  • Write a post Attach a photo or video. It appears on your profile afterwards.
  • Blurred thumbnails Ordinary photos show normally; only NSFW ones are blurred, and they say why.

Rewards & achievements

  • Tribal Points make sense The number is the same everywhere you see it. If two screens disagree, tell us.
  • Achievements sheet Opens, closes with the X or by pulling down, and the progress bars aren't stuck at 0%.
  • You understand what you earned Every number is labelled. Nothing is a mystery integer.

Privacy & safety

  • Nobody sees more than you chose Nothing private leaks onto your public profile. Check after every change.
  • Location stays vague Distances are approximate. Your exact spot never appears anywhere.
  • Block & report Both reachable, both clearly confirm what happened.
  • Fade & Pass People you fade or pass on stay gone, and you can find them again if you want.
  • Incognito & Discreet Mode Toggle each on, force-quit, reopen. Did the setting stick?

When things go wrong

  • Error messages are visible When something fails, the message appears ON TOP of whatever you had open — never hidden behind it.
  • Nothing pretends to work ⭐ This one matters most. If the app says "saved" or "sent", it really did. Tell us about ANY moment where it claimed success and the thing wasn't there later.
  • Turn airplane mode on Try to post, log a cream, send a message. You should get a clear failure and a retry — not a fake success.
  • Force-quit & reopen Everything you changed is still there. Nothing quietly reverted.
  • Appeal a moderation action If a post ever gets removed or you get a warning, the notice should give you an Appeal option — open it, type a note, and send. It should confirm it went through and not dead-end. (Only reachable if you've actually been moderated, so no need to force it.)

Menus, notifications & the rest

  • Explore the menus Open every tab and settings screen at least once.
  • Notifications If asked, allow them, then check they actually arrive — with sound. Then open notification settings and toggle individual types on and off; a type you switched off shouldn't keep pinging you.
  • Back buttons The back arrow never sits on top of a title or a button.
  • Anything locked Features behind TRIBE+ explain themselves — not just fail silently.
  • Sky & vibe picker Pick a sky and a vibe. The app changes, and the choice survives a restart.

Phase 2 — the hardware round (coming, if you're picked)

The Bearback Band, the Vault and Bruce AI are Phase 2 — a separate, invite-only round we run later with a smaller crew, chosen by how they did in Phase 1. You'll see some of it in the app; you don't need to test any of it now, and nothing there counts against your report. If you're selected, we'll ship you a real band to tap in person and bring you in then.

The "does it feel premium?" pass

  • Rotate & resize Turn the phone, use one-handed. Anything cut off or overlapping?
  • Dark corners Text hard to read? Buttons too small? Colors clashing?
  • Speed Any screen that takes more than a beat to load.
  • Typos & copy Spot a spelling slip or weird wording? Tell us.
  • The gut check Would you keep this app on your phone? Why or why not?

Brand new features — the deep pass

DAILY · REQUIRED These areas shipped this week and have never run against real data — so checking them is part of your daily beta pass, not an extra. Go over each one carefully and flag anything that stalls, blanks out, or disagrees with itself. A bug here is the most useful thing on the page.

  • Places & heat map Create a place, browse places, check in, and open the heat map. Does everything save and render, or does something dead-end?
  • Map drops Post a drop with a photo, then react to someone else's. Do drops show up for other people, and do reactions stick? (Needs a second tester.)
  • Circles Create a circle, invite by code, bump the shared counter, and use the circle chat with emoji reactions. Does it stay in sync across two people?
  • Challenges & Pass the Cream Look at the weekly goal and the leaderboard, then log a cream. Does the leaderboard update, and does the “Pass the Cream” holder change to you?
  • Tribal Points parity The same points number should appear on the Hub, your profile, and Your Progress. If any two disagree, note each figure and where you saw it — this is the check we care about most.
  • Cream social & engagement Reactions and comments on a cream log you made public (they're private by default), plus setting a mood vibe, answering the weekly prompt, reacting to and bookmarking motivation cards, and claiming a reward milestone. Anything that fails silently?
  • Close Friends & story Highlights Post a story to Close Friends only (Story Studio → audience → “Choose your inner circle”) and confirm nobody outside your list can see it — the leak we most want caught. Then save a story as a Highlight and check it sticks on your profile past 24 hours. Building the Close Friends list is a TRIBE+ perk, so an upgrade nudge there is expected, not a bug.

Finish & send your report

Add any last thoughts, then send it in. Your marks + every bug note + comment above get bundled and sent straight to us.

How it sends Send my report submits straight to the TRIBE team. If you're offline it automatically falls back to your email app so nothing is ever lost — and your progress is auto-saved on this device the whole time. Screenshots still go through TestFlight.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Thank you for being here early.

You're not just testing an app — you're helping shape what TRIBE becomes. Every note makes the launch version sharper. We read all of it.

After day 7. We may extend the beta beyond the first week — if we do, we'll email you. Either way we hope you keep using TRIBE, keep posting, and invite your buddies; the place only gets better the more of us are in it. And if you stood out over the seven days, keep an eye on your inbox — that's how the invite to Phase 2, the hardware round, goes out.

Questions or stuck? Reply to your invite email · support@bearbackgear.com
TRIBE by Bearback · Private Beta · Thanks for keeping it in the crew 🖤