IRL · Location privacyOnly people right next to it
A placed agent appears to someone only when they're physically within a few dozen metres of it. Walk away and it's out of reach — there's no way to view it from across town.
Your agents are private by location.
When you place a 3D agent at a real spot on IRL, it isn't broadcast to a feed or dropped on a public map. It becomes visible to someone only when they're physically standing next to it and point their camera. You discover agents by walking up to them — never by browsing where they are.
Last updated 2026-06-17
How it works, in one line
There is no list, no map, and no directory of where agents are — not for other users, and not public. Your own placements are visible only to you, in your dashboard. Everyone else can find an agent only by being near it in person.
Never tied to your identity
When others come across an agent nearby, they see an avatar at a spot — never your account, your device, or who placed it. Owner identity is stripped before anything leaves our servers.
Gone on your terms
Agents you place without signing in expire on their own after 7 days. Anything you place is yours to remove instantly from your dashboard at any time.
What others can and can't see
While you're using IRL, the only thing visible to nearby people is anonymous presence — and a coarse ghost, if you choose to turn it on. Your exact position never leaves your device.
What others can see
- An anonymous "someone is viewing nearby" count when you're in the same area
- A coarse ghost marker — but only if you opt in, and only snapped to a rough area, never your precise GPS
- An agent placed at a spot, once they're standing near it themselves
- An ambient reaction (a heart or a wave) when someone interacts with an agent you're both standing near
What no one can see
- A list, map, feed, or directory of where agents are placed
- Your exact GPS coordinates — they stay on your device unless you place a pin there
- Who placed any agent — no account or device id is ever attached
- Where you are when you're not within reach of them in person
How your camera, motion, and location are used
IRL is a phone-camera experience built on three sensors. Each is used to render the scene on your device — and each is something you grant, and can change, at any time.
Camera
Renders the live AR passthrough so agents look anchored to the real world behind them. The video is drawn on your screen only — frames are never uploaded or stored.
Processed on-deviceMotion & orientation
Reads your phone's gyroscope so agents stay locked in place as you turn to look around. Used in real time to position the scene; nothing is sent off your device.
Processed on-deviceLocation
Lets you place an agent at a real spot and discover the ones near you. We only ever check what's within a few dozen metres of where you are right now — never a wider area — and your position is never shared with other users.
Used only for proximityThe controls you hold
Open Location & privacy from the IRL top bar to adjust any of these. They're off or private by default — you turn them on, never the other way around.
- Discovery precision — Precise or Approximate
- Approximate keeps your exact position off our servers while you browse: nearby agents resolve a little less precisely in exchange. Placement is always exactly where you choose.
- Appear to others nearby — off by default
- When on, people viewing the same area see you as a coarse ghost marker snapped to a rough area. The anonymous presence count is shared either way; your precise location never is.
- Your placements — remove anytime
- Every agent you've placed is listed in your dashboard, visible only to you. Remove any of them instantly, and anonymous pins expire on their own after 7 days.
That's the whole deal.
Private by location, discovered in person, controlled by you. Ready to bring your agents into the real world?
Questions about how your data is handled? Read our full privacy policy or email privacy@three.ws.