Nestlight vs Locket

Updated July 2026 · Written by the Nestlight team — we've kept this honest, including where Locket wins.

The one-line difference: Locket is a live photo widget for your closest circle — up to 20 friends. Nestlight is a private world for exactly two people, where photos are one layer of several: live distance, a next-visit countdown, a shared drawing canvas, and a small island that grows with your relationship. If you want a photo pipe for your friend group, choose Locket. If you want ambient presence with one specific person, choose Nestlight.

Feature by feature

NestlightLocket
Who it connectsExactly 2 people, paired by codeUp to 20 friends
Photo widgetYes — photos arrive wrapped like gifts, opened with a tapYes — photos appear live in the widget
Distance widgetYes — distance only, never a map positionNo
Travel-day trackingYes — On My Way live activity, miles ticking down on both lock screensNo
Shared drawing canvasYes — live, on both home screensNo
Days together / countdownYes — days-together and next-visit widgetsNo
A world that growsYes — island, Ember companion, milestonesNo
Feed / friends graphNone — deliberatelyFriends list, up to 20
Premium modelOne subscription covers both partnersLocket Gold, per user

When Locket is the better choice

Honestly: if your main use is sharing photos with a group — roommates, best friends, family — Locket is built for exactly that and does it with a huge, polished network behind it. Nestlight cannot do group sharing at all; it pairs two people, on purpose. Locket is also the pick if all you want is photos and nothing else on your screen.

When Nestlight is the better choice

  • You're long-distance. Distance, next-visit countdown, and On My Way reunion tracking are Nestlight's core — Locket has none of them.
  • You want it to be just you two. No friends list means no ambiguity about who sees what — every photo, doodle, and ping has exactly one audience.
  • You want more than photos. The shared canvas, thinking-of-you pulses, milestones, and the island give the relationship a place that accumulates, not just a stream that scrolls away.
  • You'd rather pay once for both. Nestlight's premium covers the couple with one subscription; Locket Gold is per user.

Privacy compared

Both apps are private in the sense of having no public content. The differences: Nestlight has no friend graph at all, shows location only as a computed distance (never a map position, and only when both partners opt in), and deletes your last position the moment you turn sharing off. Either partner can unpair unilaterally — nobody needs an ex's permission to leave.

FAQ

What's the main difference between Nestlight and Locket?

Locket is a live photo widget shared with up to 20 friends; Nestlight is a private space for exactly one couple, adding distance, countdowns, a shared canvas, and a growing world on top of photos.

Does Locket have a distance widget?

No — Locket is photos only. Nestlight includes a distance widget (distance only, never a map) and a live On My Way countdown for travel days.

Which is better for long-distance relationships?

Nestlight — distance, next-visit countdown, and reunion tracking are its core features. If you want photo-flooding with your wider friend group, Locket is better at exactly that.

Nestlight — coming soon to the App Store