About Dropfield™

Dropfield is a location-based app for sharing short-lived local posts called drops.

The core idea is simple: open the app, see what people nearby are talking about, and add your own drop to the local feed.

What makes it different

Local by default: content is tied to nearby locations, not a global timeline.
Short-lived posts: drops expire automatically over time.
Low-friction participation: signed-in users can post, star, and flag content.

How it works

You sign in.
The app uses your location to fetch nearby drops.
You can create a drop, star posts you like, and flag posts that violate community rules.

FAQ

Who is Dropfield for?

People who want quick, local context about what is happening nearby without committing to long-form posting.

Is Dropfield free?

Yes. Dropfield is free for everyone.

Does Dropfield have ads?

No. There are no ads on Dropfield, just user content

Does Dropfield sell my data?

No. Dropfield doesn’t sell your data, rent your data, lease your data, or trade it for a sandwich.

Is this a web app or a native app?

Right now, Dropfield is web-first. For the best experience, add Dropfield to your phone's home screen.

Do I need an account for Dropfield?

To get the most out of Dropfield, you will need to sign in. We know people already juggle plenty of accounts, so you can use one you already have — see below for more info.

How do I sign in?

You can sign in to Dropfield with your existing Apple, Google, or GitHub account*. Sign-in is handled securely through these OAuth providers and does not require creating a separate Dropfield password.

Why do I need to sign in?

Sign-in is required for actions that change data or involve moderation, including creating drops, starring/un-starring, flagging, and deleting your own drops.

What can I do without signing in?

You can browse drops near your current location. Interactive actions require signing in.

Can I delete my Dropfield account?

Yes. Open Menu → Preferences and tap Delete My Account in the Danger Zone.

When you delete your account, Dropfield permanently removes:

Your Dropfield user account
Drops you authored
Star relationships tied to your account (including stars on your drops)
Direct user identifiers tied to flag-report moderation history

Dropfield keeps flag-report records for moderation continuity, but updates them to indicate when an associated account has been deleted.

Account deletion is permanent and cannot be undone.

Deleting your Dropfield account does not delete your Apple, Google, or GitHub account itself. If you also want to remove Dropfield from your sign-in provider, you can revoke app access directly from your provider account settings:

Apple: https://appleid.apple.com/account/manage
Google: https://myaccount.google.com/permissions
GitHub: https://github.com/settings/applications

After deletion, you can sign in again and a new Dropfield account will be created automatically. Previously deleted content will not be restored.

How does “nearby” work?

The app uses your current location to fetch drops within a radius of 200m — about 1/8 of a mile, or 2.5 city blocks.

Are drops private?

No. Drops are public to people nearby, so only post content you’re comfortable sharing publicly.

Do drops I post last forever?

No. Drops are intentionally short-lived and are automatically removed after they expire. Your drops will disappear three (3) days after posting. The newest nearby drops will appear at the top of your feed.

Is there an algorithm that decides what drops I see?

No. The only things that determine what drops you see are your current location and whether or not there are any unexpired drops near you.

Can I edit a drop after posting?

No edit flow is currently provided, but you can delete a drop if you are its author.

Can I delete someone else’s drop?

No. Only the author of a drop can delete it.

Can I post anything I want?

Only post content you created yourself or content you have the legal right to share. Do not post copyrighted material, private/confidential information, or anything that violates someone else’s rights. If you are unsure what kind of content is allowed, review the Code of Conduct.

Can I post photos or videos?

Not at this time. Dropfield is intentonally text-only to keep things lightweight, and keep local conversations focused on what people are saying right now.

What does starring do?

Starring lets you mark a drop as useful or interesting. You can sort your feed by popularity — i.e. drops with more stars will appear at the top of your feed.

What do the filter menu options do?

Filtering your feed allows you to see the following drops near your current location:

All nearby drops
Unexpired drops you authored
Unxpired drops you've starred

How do I report problematic content?

Use the flag action on a drop and select a reason (spam, abuse, illegal, privacy, or other), with an optional note.

What sort of content should be flagged for moderation?

If you are unsure what kind of content should be flagged, review the Code of Conduct. Flagging is a community safety tool and should not be used as a "dislike" or "downvote". Abuse of the flagging system is a violation of the Terms of Service.

What happens after a flag is submitted?

The flagged drop will be hidden from your feed and a report will be sent to Dropfield for review.

How does Dropfield use my location?

Your current location is used to find nearby drops. Location is also collected when you post a drop to attach it to that location. However, your location is not recorded or stored continuously in real-time — it's only captured when needed (e.g. to fetch nearby drops or post a new drop).

What data is stored?

At a high level, Dropfield stores drops, star relationships, and flag reports needed to operate core features. Dropfield also retains basic account information such as your username and email address.

Who built Dropfield?

Hi! I'm John, the independent developer behind Dropfield. I design, build, and maintain the app myself, from product decisions to code and moderation tooling. Dropfield is a long-term indie project focused on making local conversations fast, useful, and simple.

How can I help?

Dropfield is currently closed-source, but I may open it to contributors as the app grows. In the meantime, the best ways to help are sharing feedback, spreading the word, and reporting issues when you find them. If you'd like to support development directly, you can buy me a coffee.

Where can I find Dropfield's privacy policy and terms of service?

You can access these documents from the menu or simply follow the links below:

*Apple, Google, and GitHub are third-party sign-in providers. Dropfield is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by them.