Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How does Bump work?
There are two parts to Bump: the app running on your device and a smart matching algorithm running on our servers in the cloud. The app on your phone uses the phone's sensors to literally "feel" the bump, and it sends that info up to the cloud. The matching algorithm listens to the bumps from phones around the world and pairs up phones that felt the same bump. Then we just route information between the two phones in each pair.
Q. Is Bump secure?
When we built Bump, our number one priority was creating the best possible user experience we could. Security of your personal information is a huge part of that experience. With Bump *you* are in control of deciding with whom you share your information. You don't have to worry about anyone being able to access your information unless you physically bump your phone with someone else’s. Finally, we will never share any of your personal information with any third parties. Please see our privacy policy for more details. Our systems are 100% encrypted end-to-end.
Q. Do I need network connection for Bump to work?
Yes, you need a strong connection to the Internet so that the Bump app can communicate with our servers. Bump uses whatever Internet connection is available on your device, whether that is WiFi or cellular.
Q. Does Bump use my phone’s data plan? Will I be charged?
Yes, if you are connected to the Internet via a cellular service, Bump will use your data plan. Your standard data plan rates will apply.
Q. Why does Bump want to use my location?
We now have tens of millions of users worldwide. We use location information as one of the ways to limit the number of other phones we have to check in order to determine the correct match. Basically, if you are in San Francisco, we use that information so that we don't have to compare your bump with bumps coming in from Japan, Europe, New York, etc. For this reason, we require that location services be turned on and that users authorize the use of their location information. If you do not authorize use of location information, Bump won't work properly.
Q. How does Bump use the information in my phone's Contacts (Address Book)?
A big part of Bump is sending and receiving contact information, so Bump obviously accesses contacts you choose to bump to someone and also adds contacts you receive to the Contacts app on your phone.
Also, each time you bump with someone new, the app uses the contacts in your phone's Contacts / Address Book to show you what friends you both have in common. You may opt out of this feature in the app's Settings.
Q. Does Bump require that Bluetooth be activated also?
Nope! Bump doesn't use Bluetooth to work at all; all you need is an internet connection.
Q. Cool, but doesn't this only work between two iPhones?
No! Bump currently supports iPhone, iPod, iPad, and Android, and works cross-platform between them all.
Q. Wait, you are saying an Android phone can bump an iPhone?
You bet. Any two devices running Bump can bump each other.
Q. Will Bump be free forever?
Bump is most useful when everyone else has it. We want to get Bump on to as many phones as possible so that no one ever has to manually type in a phone number or email address again. To that end, we plan to offer the basic version of Bump free of charge for the entire foreseeable future.
Q. My contact information has changed. Does this mean I need to re-bump?
Yes and no. If you update your contact information in Bump, we don't automatically send that along to everyone you have ever bumped. However, you can remotely send your new contact information to anyone you have previously bumped from within the app without having to bump them again.
Q. Is Bump just for sharing my own contact information?
No way! While Bump is an efficient way to do this, it’s not limited to only sharing contact information. Bump enables to you share photos and chat with people you have bumped. It’s a social tool that helps you share and keep in touch with friends.
Q. Will you build Bump for [insert mobile platform here]?
Tough to say. While we want to get everyone in the world bumping, we’re currently focused on iOS and Android. While we hope to expand to other platforms in the future, we have no plans to do so at the moment.
Q. How do I bump?
It’s simple! Just open Bump, hold your phone, and gently bump hands with the other person. You should feel your phone vibrating when you bump, and then you’ll see the other person’s name and photo appear on your phone. If you don’t feel the vibration when you bump, you likely aren’t bumping hard enough. If you are knocking your friend’s phone out of her hand, you are bumping too hard…
Q. It’s not working for me! It keeps telling me to bump again. What am I doing wrong?
- Are you sure that both people have Bump open on their phones?
- Are you gently, but physically, bumping your hands together? It’s not called Shaking, people!
- Are you sure that both phones are vibrating when they bump? If not, someone isn’t bumping hard enough.
- Are you sure that both phones have an Internet connection that actually works?
- Do both phones have location services enabled?
If the answer to all of these is “yes”, then something crazy is going on. Please email us at support@bu.mp
Q. What happened to the music bumping feature?
Listening to you and reviewing our usage data, it became clear that sharing music links wasn’t a great experience for you, our users. We have removed it for now to make the app simpler and easier to use.
Q. Why can’t I bump apps anymore?
Similar to music bumping, you made it clear that this was not a great feature and therefore, we have removed it to make the app simpler and easier to use.
Q. A friend of mine lives far away. Can I connect with her through Bump without physically bumping their phone?
No, sorry. Bump is all about bumping with people standing right next to you. You can, however, keep sharing with people you have already bumped, even if you are no longer near each other.
Q. Ok, so what can I share in the current app?
Your own contact information, including your social network pages; photos; and other people’s contacts.
Q. How do I edit my contact card?
Editing your contact card is easy! To change any of the information, simply click the pencil icon in the upper right hand corner of the contact card on the home screen, then type in the correct information. You can also move line items on or off your card, depending on what information you wish to send.
The entries you move off your card will be saved in the ‘Unsent Items’ section at the bottom of the edit screen, ready to be re-added the next time you want to send them. Once you have filled out the card, make sure to press ‘Done!’ and you’re ready to bump your card from the home screen.
Q. I’m on the home screen, how do I navigate to the photo sharing screen?
When you first open the app, you’ll arrive on the home screen, which displays your contact card. To navigate to the photo-sharing screen, simply swipe your finger from right to left.
Q. How do I delete a friend or a message in my Bump history?
To delete a friend in your Bump history, just swipe your finger across the name. You will see a red ‘delete’ button pop up on the right hand side. If you want to delete something from your Bump chat history (like a message, or a photo), use your finger to long press on the item and a delete option will appear.
Q. How do I bump?
It’s simple! Just open Bump, hold your phone, and gently bump hands with the other person. You should feel your phone vibrating when you bump, and then you’ll see the other person’s name and photo appear on your phone. If you don’t feel the vibration when you bump, you likely aren’t bumping hard enough. If you are knocking your friend’s phone out of her hand, you are bumping too hard…
Q. It’s not working for me! It keeps telling me to bump again. What am I doing wrong?
- Are you sure that both people have Bump open on their phones?
- Are you gently, but physically, bumping your hands together? It’s not called Shaking, people!
- Are you sure that both phones are vibrating when they bump? If not, someone isn’t bumping hard enough.
- Are you sure that both phones have an Internet connection that actually works?
- Do both phones have location services enabled?
If the answer to all of these is “yes”, then something crazy is going on. Please email us at support@bu.mp
Q. From the home screen how do I navigate to the photo sharing and app sharing screens?
When you first open the app, you’ll arrive on the home screen which displays your contact card. To navigate to the photo sharing screen, simply swipe your finger from right to left. To get to the App sharing screen, swipe from right to left again.
Q. How do I edit my contact card?
Editing your contact card is easy! To change any of the information, simply click the pencil icon in the upper right hand corner of the contact card on the home screen, then type in the correct information. You can also move line items on or off your card, depending on what information you wish to send.
The entries you move off your card will be saved in the ‘Unsent Items’ section at the bottom of the edit screen, ready to be re-added the next time you want to send them. Once you have filled out the card, make sure to press ‘Done!’ and you’re ready to bump your card from the home screen.
Q. I just downloaded a great new app and want to share it with my friend who has an iPhone. Why doesn’t it go through?
Unfortunately, we removed the app sharing feature from the iOS platform. There were some limitations that prevented us from making it a great feature and therefore, we decided to remove it in order to not frustrate our users.
Q. How do I delete a friend or a message in my Bump history?
To delete a friend in your Bump history, use your finger to long press on the item and a delete option will appear. If you want to delete something from your Bump chat history (like a message, or a photo) use your finger to long press on the item and a delete option will appear.
Have a question about Bump? Chances are the answer is located somewhere on this page. Our FAQs are organized so they are broken out by platform to help you find the right answer more quickly. If your question isn't feature-specific, check out the General section
General help
iOS help
Android help
As always, if you can't find what you're looking for here, you're welcome to email us at support@bu.mp.