What is the difference between a permanent and a temporary orbit?

A permanent orbit, like your family, has no end date. A temporary orbit ends when you said it would, then becomes read-only.

Temporary orbits: a group for the weekend, not for ever

A temporary orbit is a private group in Orbily that ends on a date and time you choose, anywhere from an hour to a year away. It has everything a permanent orbit has — the map, the chat, the plan and photos — and when it ends, live sharing stops by itself and the orbit becomes read-only, kept to look back on.

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When would I use a temporary orbit?

For anything with an end: a city break, a festival, a stag or hen do, a wedding weekend or a big night out. People who would never share their location with an app for good are often happy to share it for a weekend.

What happens when a temporary orbit ends?

Live location sharing stops, safety boundaries end, and the orbit becomes read-only: nobody can post, chat or add anything new, but the photos, the plan and the chat stay there to look back on.

How do people join a temporary orbit?

Share the orbit's code or its link, show its QR code, or invite people you already know from your other orbits. Each person chooses how they take part as they join, and can change it at any time.

Can a temporary orbit have a day-by-day plan?

Yes. Turn on “Plan the days” when you create it, and the orbit's plan becomes an itinerary of numbered days, with stays, meals, trains and meeting points, shown on the map day by day.

How many temporary orbits can I be in?

One live temporary orbit at a time on the free plan, and as many as you like with Orbily Plus. Up to six people fit in an orbit on the free plan, and up to thirty on Plus.