Frequently Asked Questions

Have a question about Bump? Chances are the answer is located somewhere on this page. We have reorganized our FAQs 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.

As always, if you can't find what you're looking for here, you're welcome to email us at support@bu.mp

General help
iOS help
Android help

General

Do I need network connection for Bump to work?

Yes, you need a solid connection to the internet so Bump will be able to communicate with our servers. If you have a clear network connection 3G/4G/Edge will work, otherwise you can connect to Wifi.

When I open Bump the homescreen continues to say 'connecting to network' or 'warming up...' What does this mean?

This probably means you are in an area with a weak or spotty connection to the Internet. Try turning on your WiFi (if you don't already have it on) or try relocating to an area with a stronger signal. If you are on your home WiFi there might be a firewall in place that is preventing Bump from reaching our servers. You should either disable the firewall setting, turning off your WiFi (so you're only on 3G/Edge) or try using Bump in another location.

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 get at your information unless you physically bump your phone with theirs. Finally, we will never share any of your personal information with any third parties. Please see our privacy policy for more details. Our new architecture deployed in Summer 2010 is 100% encrypted end-to-end and this is being used in the current iOS and Android apps. Older versions of the app use an https-based communication system which is being phased out, but which in practice is also very secure.

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.

No way. What if somebody else bumps at the same time?

Way. We use various techniques to limit the pool of potential matches, including location information and characteristics of the bump event. If you are bumping in a particularly dense area (ex, at a conference), and we cannot resolve a unique match after a single bump, we'll just ask you to bump again.

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.

Cool, but doesn't this only work between two iPhones?

No! Bump currently supports iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and Android. We will certainly expand to other major phone platforms going forward.

Wait, you are saying an Android phone can bump an iPhone?

You bet. Any two devices running Bump can bump each other.

Why does Bump want to use my location?

We've got millions of users worldwide now. We use location information as one of the ways we limit the number of other phones we have to check to determine the correct match. Basically, if you are in Chicago, we use that info so 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 well, sorry.

My contact info 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've ever bumped. However, you can remotely send your new contact information to anyone you are connected with in Bump by sending them a new message with your new contact.

My friend and I bumped and nothing happened.

When you are ready to bump, make sure you are on a page that has the Bump hands indicating that the phone is ready to bump. If you aren't, simply close whichever page you are on and then you should be ready to go.

Is Bump just for sharing my own contact information?

No way! Today with Bump you can share photos, music, apps, other people's contact information, compare calendars and send invites, even connect on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn right on the spot (depending on which version of the app you have)! Once you have bumped with someone, you can then send contacts, send photos and interact with social networks in our new chat feature without having to Bump again. We are always working to update Bump with cool new features, so if you have suggestions please don't hesitate to contact us! We love hearing from the users.

Will you build Bump for [insert mobile platform here]?

We're working as fast as we can to add features to the existing versions of Bump and expand to other platforms. We fully intend to move Bump to many of the other major phone platforms in the future.

iOS

Does Bump require that my Bluetooth is activated also?

Nope! Bump doesn't use Bluetooth to work at all; all you need is an Internet connection through wifi, 3G or Edge.

Why do I get the message "No Match" when I try to bump with my friend?

The "No Match" message simply means that our servers couldn't connect your two devices. In order for Bump to successfully identify your device and match it with the device you are trying to connect with, it needs 2 things up and running on your phone.

  1. A valid Internet connection over either 3G, Edge, or Wifi. Please check your connectivity by opening a browser on your device and navigating to an outside page. If your connection is slow or spotty, Bump could have difficulties connecting to our servers.
  2. Valid location information. Bump uses the device's location as part of the matching process. Sometimes the GPS or Maps app will report old or invalid location information, in which case Bump won't work. Please check that you have Location Services enabled and that the location information is correct by going to the Maps application and viewing your current location. If it is not correct, turn on your GPS and select 'My Location' which should update your phone to reflect your current location.

When I open Bump the homescreen continues to say 'connecting' or 'warming up' what does this mean?

This probably means you are in an area with a weak or spotty connection to the Internet. Try turning on your WiFi (if you don't already have it on) or try relocating to an area with a stronger signal. If you are on your home WiFi there might be a firewall in place that is preventing Bump from reaching our servers. You should either disable the firewall setting, turning off your WiFi (so you're only on 3G/Edge) or try using Bump in another location.

How do I set up my contact card?

Setting up your contact card is super easy. Open the app and hit the settings button (the gears in the upper right-hand corner). Then select the Edit button and select Create My Contact. From here you can select a photo and go through and fill out any of the information you wish! Don't forget to scroll down and check out the Add Field option, which lets you add more information such as your birthday or IM username to your card.

Q. I don't want to send all my information when I bump. Can I do that?

Yup, it's easy to do. Just open the Contact Cards app and un-check any of the fields you don't want to transfer, and bump away!

Can I create separate cards for bumping my business information and my personal information?

The great thing about Bump is you are able to create multiple profiles for any kind of social setting. Once you have established your contact card, you can edit and save different versions by opening the Contact Card app from the home screen. Your profile will show up, then scroll through and select or de-select any of the information you wish. When you are finished, you can click Save As, and then create any sort of title for this profile. You are able to create as many profiles as you want. Don't worry, this title will not get transferred when you bump with someone, it's for your eyes only!

So I bumped with my friend, now what?

The first initial bump is just the beginning! Now that you have made a connection with the other person you are able to share with them from anywhere, anytime by opening your Bump history and clicking the 'Share' button in the chat view (the triangle button on the right-hand side next to the Send button). You can send unlimited messages and photos, you can become connected and see if you have any common friends on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and send them other people's contact info.

Is there a setting so every contact or photo I receive through Bump isn't saved automatically to my phone?

Absolutely! When you open the Bump, go to the app settings (gears button in the upper right-hand corner) and in the middle of the page there are two line items for automatically save contacts/photos. You can slide these buttons to 'Off'. Now when you receive contacts/photos they will only be saved in the history section of the app, and you can manually decide to save them to your phone later on, if you'd like.

My friend is constantly sending me photos and messages through the share feature. How do I make it stop?

One way is asking politely and explaining your feelings. But if that doesn't work, there is an option at the top of the chat window (if you scroll all the way up) that lets you block them (they won't know you've blocked them).

Is it possible to bump information only one way?

Sure thing, Bump isn't only for exchanging information! You can only receive by bumping from the main screen in Bump (the one with the big hands at the top).

When I tried to bump with my friend, my phone got an error message that said, "You were the only one to bump." What did I do wrong?

You didn't do anything wrong! That message simply means that our servers couldn't find the other phone you were trying to bump. Next time that happens, just make sure both phones are on a screen with a graphic of two hands bumping and bump again. You need to hold your phones and physically bump hands so the other phone registers a bump as well and our servers can find it.

I'm on iOS. A friend bumped me some of her music, why can't I save the songs?

The songs you receive in Bump will stay in your Bump app, but you don't get the full song file, you only get streaming versions of the song via Youtube. This is because apps can't access the song files themselves. You also will receive a link to iTunes where you can download the song directly. Unfortunately if you want to be able to play the songs in the iPod App, you'll need to buy them from iTunes, or get them some other way.

I have an iPhone, and I am trying to bump with an Android. Why can't I compare calendars, send invites, or connect on social networks?

Well unfortunately, Bump for Android is a bit behind Bump for iPhone and doesn't have access to all the cool new features. But don't worry, our Android developers are working as fast as they can to catch up! We hope it won't be too long before a new Android version is available.

Can I bump with a friend who lives far away?

Sure! We've introduced a "Virtual Bump" feature in the iOS version of Bump. This allows you to connect with your friends in your address book that also have the Bump app even if you can't physically bump their device. Here's how you set it up:

  1. Make sure that the person you want to connect with is in your address book, and that you both have the latest version of Bump installed on your devices.
  2. Fill out your email address and/or phone number, and have your friends do the same. This information will help Bump identify who you want to connect with.
  3. Select 'Yes' when Bump asks permission to have access to your address book.
  4. If you are friends on Facebook, you and your friends can sign into your accounts within Bump which will also help in the matching process.

Once this is done Bump will generate a list of people that you will be able to instantly connect with simply by clicking the green check mark next to their names, and voilà! You're connected and able to send all kinds of stuff back and forth for free. We'll be adding this to the Android app soon!

I've uninstalled and reinstalled Bump a couple of times on my phone and now there are a couple of accounts with my name in the Friend Finder. How do I delete the ones I don't use?

Unfortunately there isn't any way for you to delete old accounts you've created. For that reason we encourage everyone to download Bump only one time and sync from iTunes.

Will my friends with Android phones pop up in the 'Friend Finder' feature?

Unfortunately at this time Android doesn't include the Friend Finder feature. If you physically bump and Android phone you'll be able to chat and send photos etc from a distance, however you can't virtually bump them.

I'm on iOS. When I tried to bump my friend a photo, an error message 'User declined access to Media Library' popped up. What does this mean?

That error message is actually caused by the iPhone camera roll looking for location information attached to photos (which is just something that the iPhone does when you select a photo). If you have Location Services turned off, or if you denied Bump access to your location, you will get this error. Luckily, if you simply enable Location Services for Bump, it should go away. Bump needs to know your location in able to figure out which other device you bumped. The location helps our servers narrow down which phones you could have possibly bumped, so we don't have to check your bump against bumps happening, for example, halfway across the world.

How do I delete stuff from my history or block a friend?

To delete content, simply swipe your finger across the item you wish to get rid of. A red 'delete' button should pop up on the righthand side. The block feature is located at the top of the history channel. If you want to delete a Bump friend and not allow him to recontact you in the future, make sure you hit 'block' first and then 'delete'.

When I open Bump the homescreen continues to say 'connecting to network' or 'warming up...' What does this mean?

This probably means you are in an area with a weak or spotty connection to the Internet. Try turning on your WiFi (if you don't already have it on) or try relocating to an area with a stronger signal. If you are on your home WiFi there might be a firewall in place that is preventing Bump from reaching our servers. You should either disable the firewall setting, turning off your WiFi (so you're only on 3G/Edge) or try using Bump in another location.

I tried to share an app with my friend however I didn't see it in the apps section of Bump. How can I make bump find it on my phone?

Due to legal restrictions we aren't able to look into your devices to see which apps you actually own. We can just make educated and mostly accurate guesses, but sometimes we do overlook a few. Try opening up the apps you want to bump before you open the Bump app. That should help Bump be able to pick them up.

Android

Does Bump require that my Bluetooth is activated also?

Nope! Bump doesn't use Bluetooth to work at all; all you need is an Internet connection through wifi, 3G or Edge.

Why do I get the message "No Match" when I try to bump with my friend?

The "No Match" message simply means that our servers couldn't connect your two devices. In order for Bump to successfully identify your device and match it with the device you are trying to connect with, it needs 2 things up and running on your phone.

  1. A valid Internet connection over either 3G, Edge, or Wifi. Please check your connectivity by opening a browser on your device and navigating to an outside page. If your connection is slow or spotty, Bump could have difficulties connecting to our servers.
  2. Valid location information. Bump uses the device's location as part of the matching process. Sometimes the GPS or Maps app will report old or invalid location information, in which case Bump won't work. Please check that the location information is correct by going to the Maps application and viewing your current location. If it is not correct, turn on your GPS and select 'My Location' which should update your phone to reflect your current location.

When I open Bump the homescreen continues to say 'connecting' or 'warming up' what does this mean?

This probably means you are in an area with a weak or slow connection to the Internet. Try turning on your WiFi if you don't already have it on, or try relocating to an area with a stronger signal. If you are on your home WiFi you might have a firewall in place that is preventing Bump from reaching our servers. You should either disable the firewall setting, turning off your WiFi (so you're only on 3G/Edge) or try using Bump in another location.

Can I modify my contact card so that only the information that I want to send is transferred with each bump?

Yup! You can select which parts of your contact card send by clicking the 'My Info' button, which will bring you to a screen that has your contact information displayed in a box. You can move items around by clicking 'Edit' then tapping on the information you wish to move up or down. The parts of your contact card that are outside the box will not be transferred when you bump someone. When you are finished simply hit 'Done.'

Cool. What if I need to add an email address or change my phone number?

You can do that easily as well by following the directions above, however after clicking the Edit button hit the 'change info' button which will let you delete or change any part of your contact card. You can also add a photo to your profile as well from this screen!

I have Android. Why don't I have all the same features that the iPhone version has?

Even though our developers are hard at work, the Android version of Bump is a little bit behind the iPhone version. We hope to have both versions on the same page soon though! If you have specific questions about certain features you can shoot us an email at support@bu.mp.

How do I delete stuff from my history or block a friend?

To delete or block someone in Bump simply long press on the item you wish to get rid of. If you're trying to delete a Bump friend and not allow him to contact you in the future make sure you hit the 'block' button first before you delete.

I tried to share an app with my friend however I didn't see it in the apps section of Bump. How can I make bump find it on my phone?

Due to legal restrictions we aren't able to look into your devices to see which apps you actually own. We can just make educated and mostly accurate guesses, but sometimes we do overlook a few. Try opening up the apps you want to bump before you open the Bump app. That should help Bump be able to pick them up.

How do I virtually bump a friend on Android?

Virtually bumping someone should be super easy. Make sure these 3 things are set up correctly on your devices:

  1. First of all, the person you want to virtually bump with needs to be in your phone's address book and they also need to have Bump downloaded to their phones.
  2. Make sure both of you have checked off 'Let people find me on Bump' and 'Use my address book to find friends'. These are located in the app settings.
  3. Make sure you have your contact card filled out with your email address and phone number.
Once these things are set you should be able to click on the 'Messenger' button at the bottom of the homescreen, and you should be brought to your recent/all contacts you've ever bumped with. At the top should be a list of suggested friends (this might take a few minutes to complete as our servers are searching for your friends!). Then simply find your friend's name, click, and start sending stuff!