ZBubble — User Guide

Overview

ZBubble lets you leave playful hidden bubble messages in real-world locations and discover surprises around you. Bubbles are fixed to the spot where they’re created — they don’t move. Explore, pop bubbles nearby, and connect with people in a fun, location-first way.

Getting Started

• Install from Google Play. App Store coming soon.
• Grant location permissions for discovering bubbles around you.
• Enable notifications to get alerts about nearby bubbles and interactions.
• Open the app and follow the on-screen prompts to sign in.

Account & Authentication

• Sign in with your email; enter the 6-digit verification code.
• You can paste OTP digits; single-digit cells auto-advance.
• After verifying, choose a unique nickname and finish your profile basics.
• If OTP doesn’t arrive: check coverage, wait a minute, then request again.

Bubbles: Create, Discover, Pop

• Create: Drop a bubble at your current location and add a mood or media to set the vibe.
• Discover: Explore the map and your Memory Map to find bubbles around you. Walk closer to reveal and interact.
• Open/Pop: When in range, tap to pop and view its content.
• Location integrity: Bubble locations can't be edited later; this keeps the experience authentic.
• Bubble Types: Choose from Public, Private, SOS, Silver, Golden, Diamond, or Surprise bubbles. Each type has different features, ranges, and costs.

Surprise Bubbles

• What are Surprise Bubbles? Special bubbles that contain collectible items! When someone opens your surprise bubble, they receive the item you put inside.
• Creating Surprise Bubbles: Purchase items from the Item Shop with points, then select an item when creating a surprise bubble. Items are one-time use - they're consumed when used to create a bubble.
• Opening Surprise Bubbles: Surprise bubbles are free to open! When you open a surprise bubble created by another user, you receive the item inside and it's added to your collection.
• AR Support: You can create surprise bubbles directly from AR mode with full item selection support.
• Important: You cannot collect items from your own surprise bubbles - only from bubbles created by other users. This encourages sharing and discovery!

Item Shop

• Buying Items: Visit the Item Shop to purchase collectible items with points. Items come in three rarities: Common (10 points), Rare (25 points), and Unique (50 points).
• Using Items: Purchased items can be used to create surprise bubbles. When you create a surprise bubble with a purchased item, it is consumed (one-time use).
• Item Inventory: View your purchased items when creating a surprise bubble. The shop shows how many of each item you own.
• Access: Find the Item Shop from the home screen or collection screen. You can also access it directly when creating a surprise bubble if you don't have any items.

Collection System

• What is a Collection? Your collection displays items you've received from opening surprise bubbles created by other users.
• Collecting Items: Open surprise bubbles created by others to collect items. Each item you receive is added to your collection for display.
• Display Only: Collection items are for display only - they cannot be reused or used to create new bubbles. They represent your achievements and discoveries.
• Viewing Your Collection: Access your collection from the home screen or profile. See all the unique items you've collected from surprise bubbles.
• Note: You cannot collect items from your own surprise bubbles. This encourages you to explore and open bubbles created by others!

Notifications

• Single delete: Swipe or use the delete action on an item.
• Clear all: Use the toolbar action to remove all notifications.
• Duplicate prevention: We avoid sending duplicate push notifications for the same bubble and user.

Profile

• Set your name and avatar from the profile screen.
• For other users, we display the most accurate name from available fields.
• Your own profile updates reflect everywhere, including your profile page.

Friends, Followers & Following

• View followers and following lists with names and avatars.
• Avatars are shown when available; otherwise, we fall back to initials.

Group Chats & Challenges

• Create and manage groups: Start group chats, add or remove members, and assign or remove admins to keep your groups organized.
• Group icons: Group admins can pick and upload a custom image as the group icon so each chat has its own identity.
• Group challenges: Create challenges inside a group such as creating, discovering, or opening bubbles — including special goals like opening golden bubbles.
• Progress tracking: See how many tasks each member has completed in the challenge, plus the best progress in the group.
• Cancel challenges: Group admins and challenge creators can cancel a challenge when it’s no longer needed.

Achievements & Rewards

• Unlocking achievements: Progress through the app by creating, discovering, and opening bubbles, and by being active in the community.
• Claim prize points: When you complete an achievement, a button appears allowing you to receive the reward points.
• One-time claim: Each achievement’s prize can be claimed only once, even if you continue to progress beyond the requirement.
• Track your progress: The achievements screen shows which achievements are locked, in progress, or completed and claimed.

Analytics & Stats

• Likes received: The “likes received” counter only increases over time and does not go down even if bubbles are deleted.
• Messages sent: See the real number of messages you’ve sent across chats so you can understand how active you are.
• Bubble activity: View how many bubbles you’ve created, discovered, and opened as part of your overall statistics.

Store & Purchases

• Buy: Choose a package and confirm the purchase.
• Cancel: If you cancel from the store modal, tap Cancel in-app to stop loading immediately.
• Buy again: You can purchase the same package multiple times.
• If a purchase seems stuck, use the Cancel button and try again.

Credits & Points

• Credits: Premium currency used to create premium bubbles (Silver, Golden, Diamond). Tap the credits area on the home screen to refresh your balance instantly.
• Points: Earn points by creating and opening bubbles. Use points to purchase items from the Item Shop. Points are displayed on the home screen.
• Earning Points:
  • Creating bubbles: 5-50 points depending on bubble type
  • Opening bubbles: 1-10 points depending on bubble type
  • Discovering bubbles: Additional points for first discovery
• Credits to Points Conversion: Convert your credits to points from the collection screen. This allows you to use premium currency to buy items for surprise bubbles.
• Your balances sync from the cloud to ensure accuracy across all devices.

Privacy & Safety

• Read our Privacy Policy to learn how we handle data.
• See Safety Guidelines for safe and respectful usage.
• Report harmful content via in-app reporting or contact channels below.

Troubleshooting

• Didn’t navigate after OTP? Wait a moment; the app will auto-continue when your session is ready. If it persists, restart the app and try again.
• No bubbles nearby? Ensure location is enabled and you have a good GPS signal.
• Notifications not showing? Confirm notification permissions are enabled in system settings.
• Purchase stuck? Use the in-app Cancel button and reattempt.

FAQ

• Can I move a bubble after creating it? No. Locations are fixed to preserve authenticity.
• Can I delete notifications in bulk? Yes. Use Clear All in the notifications screen.
• Can I buy the same package more than once? Yes, multiple purchases are supported.
• Does the app work without location? Limited. Discovery depends on your location.
• Can I reuse items from my collection? No. Collection items are display-only. You can only use purchased items from the shop to create surprise bubbles.
• Can I collect items from my own surprise bubbles? No. You can only collect items from surprise bubbles created by other users. This encourages exploration and sharing!
• How do I get more points? Earn points by creating and opening bubbles. You can also convert credits to points from the collection screen.
• Are surprise bubbles free to open? Yes! Surprise bubbles are completely free to open. You just need to be within range (25m) to open them.

Need Help?

Reach us on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube.