when can i find nearby people and chat with them?
The search isn't based on location but on GetGems usernames. We are currently working on this feature and aiming to have it ready for the next update.
Q: When will users be able to search for GetGems usernames and start an unsolicited chat? Why can I find some usernames but other not? is this a bug?
A: Currently, the in-app search mostly relies on users from your contact list and existing chat conversations. We also have username search, but this currently fallbacks to Telegram username search. Since you cannot set a Telegram username in the app, the search results you are seeing are actually for users who set the same username for this phone number in a previous Telegram account that they have. This means it’s not really a bug, but more that it isn’t currently searching for the correct usernames.
Regarding the implementation of unsolicited messages and searching for GetGems usernames - we are currently working on this feature. In the future, our model dictates that sending unsolicited messages to users who don’t necessarily want to receive them, will cost GEMZ (this is part of the attention economy model). The first implementation of the feature will not require a GEMZ payment to send unsolicited messages, and unsolicited messages will be open for everybody. But, since we want to be able to add the GEMZ payment in the future, we have to plan this feature carefully.