Real connections
don’t begin in chat.
They begin in the moment.

No. At Link2Wink, real-life encounters come first. Chat is your safety net in case you noticed each other, but the moment was too brief to start a conversation directly.

Most apps connect people through profiles and chats, often across long distances. Link2Wink deliberately focuses on real-life proximity. You meet people in real life first – and only afterwards, if needed, digitally.

No. Chat is optional. The idea behind Link2Wink is that you meet in real life. Chat only comes into play if you noticed each other, but the moment was too quiet.

No. Link2Wink does not store movement profiles and does not use GPS tracking. The app works with Bluetooth-based proximity and only detects when two users are in the same immediate area at the same time.

Very close on purpose – usually within a range of about 20 to 30 meters. Link2Wink is not designed for distant contacts, but for real-life encounters within sight – whether on the same square, in a café, in a park, or on public transport.

No. No routes, location histories, or movement data are stored. The search is moment-based and ends completely when you stop it or when the time period expires.

You start a search that initially runs for two hours. During this time, the app looks for other users in your immediate vicinity who are also actively searching. You can stop the search at any time or start a new one later.

If two users are nearby and their search criteria match, a match is created. You now become mutually aware of each other. A quick look at the match profile – including photo and current recognition feature – helps you recognize each other in the real-life setting.

In the match profile, you only see the information needed for recognition: profile photo, current recognition feature (for example “red jacket” or “beanie”), as well as basic details such as height, hair color, and relationship intention.

The first profile is designed for recognition in the moment of the encounter. If you chat later, you will see the full profile with all details, interests, and images – but without the current-day recognition feature.

Then the search ends after two hours without an encounter. This will happen more often, especially in the early phase of the app or in less frequented environments. NextStage gives you a second chance to meet people from your area over the weekend.

Hotspots are meeting points created by users within the app. They show when and where users would like to gather at a public place. Other users can join a Hotspot and see how many people are planning to take part. Hotspots are automatically removed from the app once the scheduled time has passed.

No. Hotspots are created exclusively by users. Link2Wink only provides the technical platform and does not organize any meetups. Meetings take place voluntarily and at the users’ own responsibility. To improve safety within the app, only photo-verified users can create Hotspots.

ILIWIO is your AI dating companion for real-life encounters. It helps you with short, practical suggestions when you want to approach someone in real life. ILIWIO does not store conversations. Chats are deleted immediately as soon as you leave ILIWIO.

To give you fitting suggestions, ILIWIO asks for three things before each request: • Where are you right now? • What is your goal? • How would you like to come across? Optionally, you can enable voice output and choose a voice.

Yes – to keep the feature stable and fair for everyone: Wink Standard • 3 ILIWIO requests per device in total • up to 2 of them with voice output Wink Connect • up to 200 requests per month • up to 120 of them with voice output.

The Wink Streak shows how many days in a row you have started the proximity search at least once. It is an optional motivation system – not a requirement for using Link2Wink. As your Wink Streak grows, additional functions or benefits within the app may be unlocked. Only technical usage information is used for this calculation. No location data are stored or used.

If you do not start a search for one day, your Wink Streak drops back to the last checkpoint you reached (for example 25, 50, 75, and so on). This means part of your long-term progress is preserved without making daily use mandatory.

NextStage becomes available when your search ends without a match after two hours. There, you can post a selfie, a photo, or a short text once per week (more often with a subscription), optionally inspired by changing weekly prompts. Over the weekend, you will see posts from other users in your area and can respond with Wink and Wink-back. Sometimes a second, unexpected connection begins there.

You can mark other users’ posts with a Wink. If they respond with a Wink-back, a match is created. With a subscription, you get more posts, more Winks, and access to the Wink-back feature.

No. Contact only happens when there is mutual interest. Without a match, no one can message or contact you.

The core function of Link2Wink – real-life encounters nearby – is fully usable without a subscription (Wink Standard). The Wink Connect subscription opens up additional possibilities: After a match, you can start the chat yourself and get extended features in NextStage. ILIWIO is also available to you. You can cancel your subscription at any time directly in the app settings.