The disclosure includes a system and method for detecting proximity between users. The system includes a processor and a memory storing instructions that when executed cause the system to: determine a context associated with a first user device; query other user devices based on the context to create a set of other user devices that satisfy a query; generate a list of filtered devices by filtering the set of other user devices; notify the first user device of the list of filtered devices; and query for the list of filtered devices to determine which filtered devices are within proximity to the first user device.