Understanding Closeness

Every person in Kinu has a Relational Compass with three parts: closeness, intention, and mode. Together they help Kinu understand where a relationship is right now, and where you'd like it to go.

There are no right answers here. These are honest, private reflections, just for you, that help Kinu feel personal. No one else ever sees them.

Closeness: how connected you feel

Closeness is a spectrum from distant to close. It captures how connected you feel to someone right now. Not how often you talk, and not how long you've known them, but how things actually feel today.

Your childhood best friend you haven't spoken to in months might still feel very close. A coworker you see daily might feel more distant. Both are completely valid.

Closeness shapes how people appear in your grid. The people who feel closest stay front and center, so the ones who matter most are always easy to reach.

Intention: where you want to go

Intention is about direction. For each person, you choose one of three:

• Closer: you want to invest more. Reach out more often, go a little deeper, make more time.
• Maintain: things are good as they are. Stay connected at the current level.
• Distance: you need some space. This isn't a judgment. Sometimes stepping back is the kindest thing, and that's okay.

Setting someone to "distance" isn't abandoning them. Boundaries are a form of caring, for yourself and often for the other person too. You can always change it later.

Mode: your current capacity

Mode reflects how much energy you have for a relationship right now. It quietly changes how often Kinu reaches out about that person.

• Active: you're engaged and available. Kinu will send gentle reminders and suggestions when they're relevant.
• Low energy: you care, but you're running low. Kinu eases off, with softer and fewer nudges.
• Paused: you need a complete break. No reminders, no suggestions, just quiet.

Mode is about you, not them. We all go through stretches where we can't show up the way we'd like. Setting someone to low energy or paused is an act of honesty, not neglect. And it's reversible the moment you have more to give.

How they work together

These three settings are independent, and that's what makes them useful. You might have:

• Close + Closer + Active: a best friend you're investing in fully
• Distant + Closer + Low energy: someone you want to reconnect with, but not right now
• Close + Maintain + Low energy: a strong relationship that can coast while you recharge

Any combination is valid. Mode describes your capacity today. Intention describes the direction you'd like over time. Closeness describes how things feel right now.

How Kinu uses the compass

Your compass settings quietly shape your whole experience:

• Grid order follows closeness, so the people who feel closest are always visible.
• Suggestions lean on intention, so the people you want to grow closer to come up a little more often.
• Gentle reminders respect your mode. Paused and low-energy relationships stay calm and won't ping you.
• Your daily view weighs all three together when deciding who to show you.

Kinu never nags, never keeps a score, and never makes you feel behind. The compass simply helps the quiet moments land at the right time.

The compass is yours to update anytime. Relationships change, your capacity changes, and your intentions shift. That's all normal. There's no penalty for adjusting, and no one sees it but you. Your compass settings sync across your devices with Kinu Plus, and stay private to your account either way.

Where to go next

Still need help? Contact support