Comparison

Instant Status vs HelloMe US

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Instant Status

Read full description

Instant Status is the simplest way to share what you're up to with the people who matter. No feeds. No chats. No noise. One tap tells your friends if you're free, focused, or asleep, and the same for them. REAL-TIME STATUSES Set your status in one tap: busy, available, sleeping, in a meeting, or anything in between. Friends see the update instantly. Statuses can auto-expire so you never forget to clear them. HOME SCREEN WIDGETS See your friends without opening the app. Beautiful widgets show the people you care about right on your home screen, refreshing in the background. INVITE-ONLY FRIENDS Friends-only by design. No public discovery, no strangers, no random adds. You connect by sharing an invite link, and you can disconnect anytime. PRIVACY-FIRST No direct messaging. No photo or video uploads. No public profiles. Instant Status shares only your current status, with the friends you choose. FREE TO USE Instant Status is free to download and use. Set your status, connect with friends, see what they're up to, and use the home screen widget. No subscription required. INSTANT STATUS PRO Pro unlocks unlimited custom statuses with your own labels and colors, premium aesthetic widget themes, and a higher friend capacity. Try Pro free for 7 days on the yearly plan. PROFILE & CONTROL Manage your friends, mute notifications, customize your widget, and disconnect from anyone in seconds. You stay in control of your visibility. Instant Status is the friend app that respects your time and your privacy. Pricing options: - Monthly subscription: $2.99/month - Yearly subscription: $19.99/year (includes a 7-day free trial) - Lifetime access: $49.99 (one-time purchase, no recurring charges) These prices are for the United States; pricing in other countries may vary. The monthly and yearly subscriptions automatically renew unless turned off in your Apple ID account settings at least 24 hours before the current period ends. You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renew in your Apple ID account settings. Your Apple ID is charged when the purchase is confirmed. If you start your free trial on the yearly plan and subscribe to a different plan before the trial ends, the remaining trial period is forfeited as soon as the new purchase is confirmed. The lifetime purchase is a one-time charge and does not auto-renew. Terms of Service: https://instantstatus.app/terms Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://instantstatus.app/privacy

About

HelloMe US

This app provides a privacy-first way to see when close friends are available without direct communication. Users set a color status indicating their reachability, allowing for ambient awareness of loved ones. Group friends into circles for tailored availability updates.

Highlights
  • Color-coded availability status
  • Circles for friend grouping
  • Privacy-first design
  • Optional contact syncing
  • Gentle availability notifications
  • Direct calling/texting integration
Features
Read full description

Know when your closest friends are actually free — without sending a single message. HelloMe is a privacy-first presence app for the handful of people who matter most. Instead of "you up?" texts and unanswered calls, everyone just sets a simple color that says how reachable they are right now: GREEN — Free: open for a call, reach out anytime PURPLE — Text me: can't talk, happy to text RED — Busy: heads-down, please hold off One glance tells you who's around. No feeds, no likes, no endless chat threads — just ambient awareness of the people you love. CIRCLES Group your friends into circles — Close Friends, Family, the gym crew — and set a different status for each. You can be "Free" for family and "Busy" for everyone else, all at once. Each circle gets its own look, so you always know which one you're in. HOW IT WORKS • Sign in with your phone number (a quick one-time code — no passwords) • Add friends by number, or optionally find the ones already on HelloMe from your contacts • Set your status per circle; your friends see it update instantly • Get a gentle notification when a friend becomes free — you choose exactly what pings you, with quiet hours • Tap a friend to call or text through your own apps — HelloMe never messages for you BUILT TO RESPECT YOU • No ads. No tracking. No analytics SDKs. Nothing sold. • Finding friends from contacts is optional — phone numbers are matched on our server and immediately discarded, never stored, sold, or shared • Block and report anyone, anytime • Delete your account and all your data from inside the app, instantly HelloMe is for real friendship, not another social network. Set your color. Be reachable to the people who matter — and invisible to everyone else.

Screenshots

Instant Status4 screens
HelloMe US4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HelloMe US at none against Instant Status's 3. HelloMe US also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Instant Status sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. HelloMe US asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Instant Status versus HelloMe US: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterInstant StatusHelloMe US
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequency—Every 3 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB38 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperArda KabadayiHELLOME.US, INC.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Instant Status

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium Lifetime$49.99
None

HelloMe US

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Instant Status free?
Instant Status is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HelloMe US free?
HelloMe US is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Instant Status or HelloMe US have ads?
Neither Instant Status nor HelloMe US shows ads.

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