Info › Help
How can we help?
Short answers to the questions players ask most.
- What is 8nOut?A map of One Pocket clubs and players worldwide — born in the European One Pocket community. Find someone near you, connect, and arrange a game.
- How do I get 8nOut?On iPhone and iPad, get 8nOut from the App Store. On Android and on a computer, use the web app at 8nout.com.
- Is 8nOut free?Yes. Nothing to pay, and nothing to buy inside it.
- Do I need to be good at One Pocket?No. It has a reputation as a connoisseur's game, but you only learn it by playing it — and most players here would rather teach than not play.
- What are What's new and the Welcome tour?After an update, a short What's new screen shows the highlights, in the web app and in the Android app. The Android app also has a Welcome tour, shown once the first time you open it. You move through both yourself, you can skip them at any time, and you can open them again: from your Profile page on the web, from Settings on Android.
- What does 8nOut ask when I start?Your name, your first and last name, your country and town, and a club. Most of these help other players find you — first and last name is different, for a possible future ratings lookup. You can leave at any point.
- Can I finish setting up later?Yes. Every screen has Finish later, a card on your Profile brings it back, and dismissing that card three times stops it for good.
- My club is not on the map. What now?Three different things can be going on — the club is waiting to be looked at, it was not added, or you have not picked one yet. Each has its own next step.
- What does Ready to play mean?A switch on your profile, called Open to play. Turn it on and your row on a club's list reads Ready to play.
- What if the name I choose isn't allowed, and can I change it later?8nOut checks the name you type against the same fixed list that keeps chat clean. One that doesn't pass is quietly not adopted — no error appears, so look for "New Player" still showing on your profile. Reopening Finish setting up takes you back to that question so you can try a different name. Once a real name has been accepted, you can change it any time from Profile — there, unlike setup, a name that fails the check shows an error and isn't saved.
- How do I get on the map?You do not get a pin of your own — except your own home table, if you add one. Add the club you play at, and your name is on that club's list — which is what other players open.
- How do I filter the map?Narrow it by open to play, country and city. The filters stack, and clearing them brings everything back.
- How do I add a club to the map?Search for it first. If it is not there, submit it — a person reads every new venue, and it goes on the map once it is approved.
- What do the numbers above the map mean, and what happens if I tap them?Online now is how many members are active across 8nOut right now — tap it to see who, grouped by your clubs and your city, each with a rough distance. Active games is how many live scoreboard games are in progress; it's a live count only, tapping it does nothing.
- How do I add a home table, and who can see it?Add your own table from your profile. By default only your accepted connections see it, as an approximate marker. If you're 18 or older, you can choose to show that marker to all signed-in members. Your exact address is never on the map: it's shared only when a challenge to play there is accepted, and only for 48 hours.
- Why did 8nOut show me a nearby-players banner?Open the app right by a club in our directory and you may see a small banner showing who's there — but only if you'd already turned location on for something else, like a Shout-Out or your home table. It's checked on your device only; nothing is ever sent to us or stored. Turn it off any time in Settings, under "Detect when I'm near a club."
- How do I centre the map on my own location?Tap the small crosshair button in the bottom-left corner of the Map tab and it centres on wherever you are right now. It only moves when you tap it. 8nOut never centres the map on your live location on its own. Nothing about your position is ever sent to us or stored; it only moves the map, then it's gone.
- Why do I have to connect before I can contact someone?Because being on the map is not the same as agreeing to be contacted. Connecting is how the other player says yes.
- What is my connect code?Your own QR code and link. Show it to a player in front of you, they scan it, and you are connected straight away — no request to accept.
- How do I remove a connection?Open the Connections tab, find the player and choose Remove. Matches you already played against each other stay in both records.
- What is the typing indicator, and how do I turn it on?The three dots that show someone is writing to you, live. It is off by default, and it only works between two people who both turn it on.
- What do Sent and Read mean under my messages?Sent shows under every message you send. It changes to Read once the other person has opened the chat — but only if Read receipts are on for both of you.
- How does group chat work?A group is a private, text-only chat with a small circle of connected friends, capped at a small size. You join through an accepted connection with whoever invited you — not with everyone else already in the group.
- How do I leave a group, and what happens to my messages?Leave from the group's own menu and confirm. New messages stop right away, both ways. You'll still be able to read everything sent while you were a member, for the group's normal 60 days — but you can't rejoin.
- How does chat work?Text only, and only with a connection — never a stranger. Long-press a message to react, use Report message if something's wrong, and messages age out on their own after 60 days.
- How do I reschedule a game we've already agreed on?Either of you can propose a new time for a game you've already agreed on. Nothing changes until the other player accepts it, and there's a limit to how many times you can try.
- Why does the player list show sections now, and what does "New" mean?Find players and your Connections tab now group people by where you stand with them — New, Not yet connected, Pending, Connected — instead of just who's online. New means someone joined in the last 14 days, and yes, that's visible to other members too, not just you.
- How does chat work on Android?Text only, and only with a connection — never a stranger. Report and Block work at the player level for now, and a message ages out on its own after 60 days. Reactions, read receipts and push alerts for chat are on the way, not here yet.
- What is the connection count on my profile, and who can see it?It's the number of accepted connections you have. Signed-in members who open your profile can see the number, never who your connections are, and it's never on your public profile link. You can hide it any time with "Show my connection count" in Settings.
- What is the live scoreboard?A real-time, rack-by-rack score tracker for a match between two connected players. Start one from an accepted challenge, a connection's profile, or their pin on the map — tap who breaks first and you're straight into it. You can both keep score from your own phone, and reaching the race-to target finishes the match by itself.
- How do I record a game I played in person?Once a game you arranged in 8nOut has been accepted, the Challenges tab lets you log the result by hand.
- When does an invitation to play expire?An invitation nobody answers expires automatically — 12 hours after the time it proposed to play, not 12 hours after it was sent.
- How do I add a match I played on CueScore?Paste the link of a finished match you played. 8nOut reads the final score and puts it in your record.
- Why is 8nOut suggesting I rotate my phone during a live match?It's a suggestion for a bigger scoreboard, not a requirement. Dismiss it with the small X, or just carry on playing in portrait.
- Why did my live match end without me tapping Finish match?Once a player reaches the race-to target, 8nOut ends the match automatically — nothing to tap or confirm. The same pop-up appears whether the match finished on its own or you ended it early.
- What is a Spot, and how do I set one?A Spot gives one player their own, personal ball target for winning a rack — different from the other player's — so two players of different strength can have a fair match. It defaults to Even and is set separately from race-to.
- Why did 8nOut show me a card or banner about my live match?You already have a live match — 8nOut is just pointing you back to it, with a banner on the Map tab and a card when you open the app. It only checks when you open or return to 8nOut, and never as a push notification.
- How does live-match watching work?A connection of yours can watch your live scoreboard match, but only if you switch it on yourself — it's off by default. Each of you controls your own visibility independently: a watcher only sees a name and live score for whichever of you has said yes, and only if they're connected to that specific player.
- Why does my live match say Reconnecting, and does it still work if my connection drops?If the live scoreboard briefly can't reach 8nOut, it says so honestly with a Reconnecting or Can't reach the server banner, rather than freezing. Your own taps are saved on your phone first and sent on automatically once you're back — even after closing and reopening 8nOut. If the match changed on the other phone in the meantime, those taps aren't added, and 8nOut tells you how many. If a match ever times out from a real break in the connection, either of you can resume it exactly where it left off.
- Can I delete a match from my record?Yes — open the full match list on your profile and delete any match you played. It's gone from both records for good, and your opponent is told. A match tied to a City Ladder rating or a live scoreboard session can't be deleted this way.
- How do the match-share link and scorer invite work?A match-share link lets anyone watch your live match with no 8nOut account needed — and once it's out, it can be forwarded or shared further, not just seen by whoever you sent it to. The other player chooses how they're shown, from their full first name down to staying anonymous, and can change that choice anytime while the match is live. A scorer invite is different: it lets someone without an account actually enter the score for both of you, with a two-minute window for you both to confirm or object before a result is final. Both are off by default, and either player can turn them off or revoke access at any time.
- Can I change the race length, Spot, or location during a live match?Either of you can propose a change to race length, Spot or location while a match is live — but only between racks, never partway through one. Nothing changes until the other player accepts, and there's a limit to how many times a change can go through.
- Why does the live scoreboard ask me to pick a pocket every rack?At the start of a rack, the live scoreboard can ask for the breaker's own pocket — left or right, from their own view of the table — on iPhone, iPad and the web app alike, once the breaker has switched this on for themselves. Answering is optional and never blocks scoring: the usual Point / Foul / Switch buttons are right there whether you answer or not. Tapped the wrong one? Undo it, same as any other scoring mistake.
- What's the difference between One Pocket and Bank Pool on the live scoreboard?Bank Pool is a second live-scoreboard format alongside One Pocket — 9 Ball Banks (race to 5) or Full Rack Banks (race to 8), always an even match with no Spot handicap and no pocket choice.
- What are the Bank Pool rules?The official Bank Pool rules, reproduced from OnePocket.org with permission from Steve Booth — covering 9 Ball Banks and Full Rack Banks, from the break through fouls, spotting, and call-shot terminology.
- What are the official One Pocket rules?The official One Pocket rules, reproduced from OnePocket.org with permission from Steve Booth — covering the break, continuing play, safety play, fouls, spotting balls, scoring, and conflict resolution.
- How do I change the language?In the iPhone app it is Settings, then Language. In the web app it is the Profile tab, then Language.
- Why does the text look garbled or half-translated?The app is already translated. If the text looks garbled, your browser is re-translating it — turn off auto-translate for 8nout.com in the address bar, and pick your language inside 8nOut instead.
- Why does some of the translated text sound a bit off?Most non-English text — in the app and in this Help Centre — is AI-assisted or volunteer-drafted, not checked word for word by a native speaker. Occasional rough phrasing is expected. Native speakers who'd like to help improve it are welcome to get in touch.
- Which account am I signed in with?In the iPhone app, Settings shows Signed in with. In the web app it is on the Profile tab. Worth checking if your details look empty.
- How do I send feedback?On iPhone, Settings has a Send feedback button, and so does the Help centre's Still stuck? section. On the web app, it's on your Profile page. Pick a category, write up to 2,000 characters, and it goes into a private queue only we can see. We read every one — but nobody replies to it here, so email us instead if you want an answer back.
- What is "Playing style" on my profile, and who can see it?Two optional fields — dominant hand and preferred pocket — shown as small chips under your bio. Set them, change them, or clear them back to unset, any time. Only you can see them: not your connections, not other signed-in members, not anyone holding your profile's share link.
- How do I delete my account?Settings has a Delete account button on iPhone, Android and the web app. Confirming it permanently erases your profile, locations, connections, challenges, chat and match history — there's no way back, so take a moment before you confirm.
- How does my profile link work, and who can see it?Every member has a permanent link, 8nout.com/p/ plus a short code, that anyone who has it can open without an account. If you're 18 or over, you can also claim a name for it, which lets search engines list your profile until you switch that off. You can change the name once every 30 days, or remove it at any time.
- Where are the Terms and the Privacy Policy?Both are on 8nout.com, and both are linked at the bottom of this answer. In the iPhone app they are in Settings.
- How do I report a concern about child safety?Report a profile, photo, or message from inside the app — a person reviews it, not a machine. You can also go straight to the authorities yourself, any time, without reporting to us first. The full standards are on our Child Safety Standards page.
- Why did a moderator message me about my venue submission?If you submit a venue, a moderator may open a short chat with you to verify details before approving it — even though you're not connected. It's logged, time-limited, and Report/Block work exactly as they do anywhere else.
- Does 8nOut use cookies or analytics?Only on our public website pages, and only if you accept. The 8nOut apps, including the web app, run no analytics. You can change your choice at any time with Cookie settings.
- I left a City Ladder — can I still change how my name appears on past boards?Yes, any time. From your Profile, choose to appear as Former member instead of your name on past-season City Ladder boards. Your position and rating for that season aren't touched — only the name next to them changes.
- What is the City Ladder, and how do I join one?A rating that moves with your results, shared with everyone playing in your own city. Join if you're in that city and have an approved club there.
- How does my ladder rating work?It's a rating that moves with your results, not a running score. Win and it climbs, lose and it drops — more for a bigger upset.
- Who can see the ladder standings, and what happens if I stop playing?Only members of your own city's ladder — rank, name, rating and when you last played — nothing more than that, and no way to challenge or message anyone from the board itself.
- What happens to old seasons, and can I leave the ladder?Season boards are saved permanently, with your name on them — even after you leave. There's a Former member option if you'd rather your name wasn't there.
- Can I print or share the ladder board?You can export a dated snapshot to print or put up at your club. It's not a live link — it's a picture of the board at that moment, and it won't update.
- How do Shout-Out and Broadcast work?Shout-Out is for right now — sent by your live location to everyone nearby, or by your home town to your connections only. Broadcast is for a trip or a few weeks ahead — home town only. Neither has a reply button: to answer, you connect.
- How does picking a player work, and what do the others see?You see everyone who's replied and pick one — that settles the call, and connects you if you weren't already. Everyone else is told you've found a player, but never who. If you're not the one picked, you won't find out either.
- What is Activity, and how is it different from City Ladder?Activity tracks how much you've played and connected — matches, challenges, connections and more — as points, a tier and badges on your profile. City Ladder measures how good you are. The two are kept deliberately separate.
- How do I earn Activity points?By playing. Matches, challenges, connections, groups, CueScore linking and a few first-time milestones all add points — nothing here is random or for sale.
- What do Activity tiers mean?Your tier is a numbered pool ball, 1 through 8, that rises as your points do. It's cosmetic — it shows how much you've shown up, not how good you are.
- What are Activity badges, and can I lose one?Eight badges for real milestones — your first challenge, your first win, playing further afield, and more. Once you've earned one, it's yours for good.
- Who can see my Activity — badges, tier and points?You choose: your connections, everyone, or just you, in Settings → Privacy. Whatever you pick, your Home Table badge stays visible to connections only.
- Where do I see my own pocket-play stats?Inside Activity, under Pocket play — your own win rate by which pocket you chose, and how closely you stick to your declared preferred pocket. Visible only to you.
- What is "Pocket stats — all members", and who can see it?A community-wide screen inside Activity — for each dominant hand, how often players who chose the left pocket won the rack, and how often those who chose the right pocket won, each as a rounded win rate with a rounded rack count. It's never about one member: a combination only shows once enough different players, across the whole community, have contributed enough tracked racks. Below that, it reads "Not enough data", never a real small number.
Email us gethelp@8nout.com