App Review: Nearby, an alternate social network

Previously called WNM Live, Nearby is a rebranding of a different social networking app. The new update brings a fantastic face lift to the app. The main interface is elegant and beautiful. Notifications load instantly, and even update while inside the app. Overall, Nearby is a quality app, leagues ahead of the Facebook app Microsoft created.

However, Nearby lacks in one of the most important areas: the actual social network. Very few people use it. Despite the name, basically nobody is “nearby” me.

You can join different groups, but those are also significantly lacking. There’s a group for my city, but there’s only one member in it… and my city has a population of one million! Numerous other groups like hiking groups are sparsely populated. But it seems like flirting with internet strangers is quite popular.

There are a few complaints with the app itself too. When you first create an account, you can’t exit out of the app. And while some screens are beautiful, others are drastically bland and unappealing. And, for some reason, comments are displayed in reverse.

But despite those small issues, the app has plenty of features. You can IM with people, attach photos, and more. You can filter posts by distance. You can view profiles, favorite people, and upload your own photos. And there are definitely enough people to communicate on the network. However, you’ll most likely be communicating with people that are not “Nearby” you, and are probably from different cities or countries. If you enjoy meeting new internet people, check out Nearby for free!