# The Dunbar App — For slow, steady friendships

> For slow, steady friendships (iPhone/iPad app by Ryan Holmes.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-dunbar-app/id6785679511 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Ryan Holmes](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886778160)
- Category: Productivity
- Price: Free
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.4 · 59 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2026-08-05
- Data updated: 2026-08-28
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-dunbar-app/id6785679511/reviews.md

## What is The Dunbar App?

Dunbar helps you keep the people who matter close — without turning friendship into another feed to manage.

Built on Robin Dunbar's research that we can only hold about 150 stable relationships, the app sorts everyone you know into four circles, each with its own natural rhythm:

Inner (5 people) — weekly
Close (15 people) — monthly
Friends (50 people) — quarterly
Network (150 people) — yearly

Every call, text, and get-together you log becomes a touchpoint. Dunbar's rhythm engine quietly compares how long it's been since you last connected with someone against their circle's rhythm, then surfaces a short, honest list of who's actually due for a reach-out today — not a guilt-driven streak or a notification flood, just a few gentle nudges.

What it does:
• Sorts your contacts into four rhythm-based circles
• Tracks touchpoints from quick logs, plus optional Contacts and Calendar import
• Surfaces a small, prioritized "reach out today" list each day
• Shows drift at a glance, so no one quietly falls out of touch
• Visualizes your whole social world as concentric circles

Privacy, by design:
Dunbar is local-first. Your contacts, calendar events, and touchpoints are stored on your device and never uploaded anywhere. There's no account required to use the app, no ad tracking, and no social graph shared with anyone.

Dunbar isn't a CRM and isn't social media. It's a quiet, personal tool for making sure the people you care about most don't slip through the cracks of a busy life.


## Version history (last 3 releases)

### 1.5.0 — 2026-08-25

Syncing between your phone and your Mac is faster and more reliable. 
Names with accents and non-Latin characters keep their spelling everywhere they're matched and shown.

### 1.4.13 — 2026-08-11

A big update — everything we've shipped since 1.2, now in a fresh build.

Shared Circles (new!) Share a circle with the people who matter and keep in touch together. Invite by link, share even an empty circle, auto-join across your own paired devices, pool everyone's contributions, and stop sharing or revoke invites anytime.

Where See the friends and meet-ups tied to any place, search locations on the map, and view friends by their photo instead of initials. The event digest now remembers whether you left it open or minimized.

Calendar Connect Google Calendar right inside the app, get a friendly nudge when an account needs to reconnect, and check a new "Last sync details" panel if anything looks off.

Today & Insights A redesigned peek carousel with smoother swiping, plus a new "Fill in the gaps" card that shows where your circles need attention.

Conversations & Messaging Choose Apple Messages or WhatsApp per friend, see inline image attachments, and keep group threads tidy with collapse-by-default. Add your own custom conversation starters.

People Add multiple emails per friend and pick a primary, edit details inline, and keep contact photos up to date.

From Messages Add a contact to a circle — or create a new circle — without leaving the Messages app.

Faster & more reliable Quicker, more responsive device-to-device sync, clearer connection status, and lots of polish and stability fixes throughout.

### 1.2.0 — 2026-08-05

No release notes.

## Related topics

[ryan dun](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ryan-dun)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-28.*
