Closer Couples

A private space for two.
Daily questions, mutual reveals, shared games, and calm rituals for couples.

Screenshots · What makes it different · Status · Run locally · QA

_{Android reference app · iOS scaffold in progress · Firebase backend · RevenueCat billing · Private repo}

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Closer Couples is a native relationship app for couples who want a quieter way to check in with each other. Each partner answers privately, reveals intentionally, and keeps a record of the conversations that matter.

It is not a social network, therapy replacement, or productivity tracker. There are no public feeds, likes, followers, or infinite-scroll loops. The product loop is small on purpose:

answer honestly -> reveal together -> keep the conversation going

Screenshots

Fresh Android captures from the current emulator build.

Ready · dark	Ready · light	Your turn · dark	Reveal · dark	Reveal · light

Play	This or That	Today	Challenge

Visual system

Closer Couples uses paired light and dark illustration assets so the product can stay warm without fighting the selected theme. The home daily-question card is intentionally people-forward: the ready-to-answer and reveal-ready moments use the couple/cards artwork, while quieter waiting states can fall back to the answer-card ritual art.

What makes it different

Private first Partners answer independently before seeing each other's response.	Mutual reveal The app is built around intentional sharing, not performative posting.	Couple-owned trust Android encrypts answers, chat, history, and media on-device with couple-owned keys.
One subscription per couple Premium unlocks for both partners through server-verified entitlements.	Curated prompts Question packs are written and reviewed, not generated at answer time.	Calm by design No feeds, likes, followers, public profiles, or pressure mechanics.
Theme-aware art Light and dark illustrations are paired for the same product moments.	Human warmth The home ritual leads with people and recognizable Closer Couples card artwork.	Private rituals The visual language reinforces answering alone, revealing together, and continuing gently.

Product surface

Area	Free	Premium
Daily question	Included	Included
Private answers + mutual reveal	Included	Included
Curated question packs	Free + mixed access	Full access
Spin the Wheel	Included	Included
This or That / How Well Do You Know Me	Included	Included
Recent answer history	Included	Included
Memory Lane capsules	Limited	Full access
Desire Sync	Limited	Full access
Connection Challenges	Free + mixed access	Full access
Date ideas, matches, and bucket list	Included	Premium ideas gated
Push reminders + quiet hours	Included	Included
Account deletion	Included	Included

Data export is not currently offered. The in-app privacy copy intentionally says so until a real export flow exists.

Platform status

Platform	Status	Notes
Android	Reference implementation	Kotlin, Jetpack Compose, Material 3, Hilt, Room, DataStore, Firebase, Tink
iOS	Scaffold in progress	SwiftUI screen parity exists; pairing is blocked until E2EE interop is complete
Backend	Shared source of truth	Firebase Auth, Firestore, Cloud Functions, FCM, App Check
Billing	Server verified	RevenueCat webhook writes Firestore entitlements observed by the app

Android is the product source of truth today. iOS has the app shell, Firebase/RevenueCat integration, and SwiftUI screens, but end-to-end pairing waits on CryptoKit/Tink interoperability.

Architecture

Android (Kotlin/Compose)          iOS (SwiftUI)
Hilt · Room · DataStore           MVVM · AppState · SPM
Tink AEAD · Argon2id              CryptoKit interop in progress
          \                       /
           \                     /
            v                   v
             Firebase + RevenueCat
             Auth · Firestore · Functions · FCM
             App Check · server-verified billing

Core rules:

• Couple-scoped Firestore data. Users only read/write their own couple surface.
• Server-mediated pairing. Invite lifecycle runs through Cloud Functions.
• Local-first question content. Prompts ship with the app; assignment/sync uses Firebase.
• Server-verified premium. Clients observe entitlements; they do not self-grant access.
• No anonymous auth. Accounts use email/password or Google sign-in.

Security and privacy

• Android encrypts answer content, chat messages, media, capsules, and backed-up conversation history on-device before sync.
• The server stores ciphertext for private content and never receives plaintext answers.
• Recovery phrase wrapping uses Argon2id-derived keys.
• Partner-assisted restore lets a trusted partner help restore the couple key to a new device.
• Quiet hours are enforced server-side before push delivery.
• Account deletion exists; data export does not yet.

The canonical technical reference is docs/Engineering_Reference_Manual.md.

Local development

Prerequisites

• Android Studio, Android SDK, and JDK 17
• Node 20 for Firebase Functions tooling
• Firebase project with Auth, Firestore, Cloud Messaging, Crashlytics, Analytics, and App Check
• app/google-services.json
• RevenueCat project and Android API key

For iOS work:

• macOS, Xcode 16, XcodeGen, and iOS 17+
• iphone/Closer/GoogleService-Info.plist
• RevenueCat iOS API key

Android

cp local.properties.example local.properties

sdk.dir=/path/to/Android/Sdk
RC_API_KEY_ANDROID=your_revenuecat_android_key
RC_API_KEY_IOS=your_revenuecat_ios_key

./gradlew :app:assembleDebug
./gradlew :app:installDebug
./gradlew :app:testDebugUnitTest

iOS

cd iphone
xcodegen generate
xed Closer.xcodeproj

xcodebuild -project iphone/Closer.xcodeproj \
  -scheme Closer \
  -destination 'platform=iOS Simulator,name=iPhone 15' \
  build

Firebase Functions

cd functions
npm install
npm run build
npm test

npm run serve

QA and release

The repo keeps repeatable QA checks close to the code:

Check	Purpose
scripts/theme-scan.sh	Finds hardcoded theme/color regressions
scripts/wiring-scan.sh	Finds orphaned routes, dead actions, and silent wiring breaks
docs/qa/	Manual QA playbooks and private MVP checklist
docs/release/	Internal testing, store assets, and release prep

Live emulator fixtures and related credentials are intentionally local-only. Keep them in gitignored files under qa/, never in the tracked README or public docs.

Repository map

app/                    Android app
iphone/                 iOS app
functions/              Firebase Cloud Functions
server/                 Optional Express service
seed/                   Question content and seed tooling
scripts/                Static QA scanners
qa/                     Local-only emulator fixture notes and smoke helpers
docs/                   Architecture, release, screenshots, and QA docs
firestore.rules         Firestore rules source of truth

Roadmap

In progress:

• iOS E2EE interoperability with Android's Tink key material
• More on-device/instrumented smoke coverage
• Activity uiMode sync for in-app theme and dark artwork
• Internal-testing release configuration, legal/support URLs, and RevenueCat offering validation

Out of scope for now:

• AI-generated core questions
• Group relationship spaces beyond dyadic couples
• Wear OS / watchOS companions
• Live video or voice sessions

Project docs

Doc	Purpose
docs/Engineering_Reference_Manual.md	Architecture, security model, data model, and known landmines
docs/brand/	Visual identity, asset system, generated art
docs/release/	Release prep and store assets
docs/qa/	Manual QA checklist
Future.md	Backlog and roadmap
HISTORY.md	Changelog and release notes
PROJECT.md	Scope, feature matrix, architectural decisions

License

Private project. All rights reserved.