Frequently asked questions
About the app
Is myJikita free?
Yes, and the parts that matter most always will be.
Sharing an outing, SOS, and being findable by a Jikita tag stay free. Your ability to raise the alarm or to be found will never depend on having paid us, or on a subscription having lapsed.
Some conveniences may become paid in future — a faster position update rate is the most likely candidate, along with things like extra offline map areas. See Price and subscriptions.
Which phones does it work on?
Android 8.0 and later, iOS 14 and later, with GPS. See Install myJikita.
What languages is it in?
English, French, Spanish, Italian, German and Portuguese. It follows your phone's language by default and can be changed in Settings.
Does it work without a signal?
Yes, and this is central to the design. Positions are recorded and queued when there is no coverage, and sent when there is. Maps work offline once downloaded. Routes and off-route warnings are entirely on the phone. What does not work offline is anyone seeing you in real time — that needs a network. See Coverage and white areas.
Do I need to keep the app open?
No — that is the point. Put the phone in your pocket with the screen off. But do not swipe the app away from the recent-apps list, which stops tracking on every phone. And make sure the permissions are right, or tracking stops when the screen does.
Sharing and privacy
Who can see where I am?
Only the contacts you selected for the outing that is currently running, plus rescue services in an emergency. Nobody else, ever. The complete answer is Who can see your position.
Can someone follow me without my knowing?
No. Sharing happens only when you start an outing and explicitly select who to share it with. Being somebody's contact does not let them see you.
Does following someone share my position with them?
No. It is one-directional. You see them because they shared; they see you only if you start your own outing and include them.
Does the app read my phone contacts?
No. It never asks for address book access. The contacts in myJikita are ones you add deliberately, inside the app.
What happens when I stop an outing?
Sharing stops immediately and the overdue alarm is cleared. Your track becomes history, and it is yours.
Is my position being recorded when I am not on an outing?
No. Nothing is recorded between outings.
Outings
What if I forget to stop an outing?
It keeps sharing your position and eventually goes overdue for no reason. Stop it as soon as you notice, and tell your contacts. Getting into the habit matters: false alarms teach people to ignore real ones.
What if I have no signal when I want to start?
Start it anyway. The outing is created on the phone, positions are queued, and everything is sent — and your contacts notified — as soon as there is coverage.
What if I am going to be late?
Send a message in the outing thread, or push back your expected return time. One line prevents a chain of worried phone calls.
Can two of us share one outing?
Only the phone that started an outing sends positions. Record the others as participants so anyone watching knows how many people are out. If you both want to be tracked, start one outing each.
SOS
Does SOS call the emergency services?
No. It alerts the contacts you shared the outing with. A human being then decides to call. Why it works this way — and it is a deliberate choice — is explained on the SOS page.
What if I press SOS by accident?
Cancel it in the app, then send a message saying you are fine. If anyone has already called the emergency services, call them back and stand the call down. Nobody will be annoyed with you.
What if I have no signal when I press SOS?
The alert is queued and sent at the first opportunity. Meanwhile, try calling 112 — an emergency call can use any operator's network and needs far less signal than data.
Jikita tags
Do I need a tag?
No. The app works fully without one. A tag helps in the cases where your phone cannot: no battery, no signal, broken, or out of reach. See What a Jikita is.
Why does pairing need me to hold the button?
Because it proves you are physically holding the tag. It is what stops somebody claiming your tag as they walk past you.
Why can I not unpair on my iPhone?
iOS does not let apps remove a Bluetooth bond. Use Settings → Bluetooth → the tag → Forget This Device. Note that doing this also breaks beep, the radio check and position updates until you pair again.
My phone reports other people's tags?
Yes — and theirs report yours. It is how somebody gets found in a valley with no mobile coverage. What is sent, and what is not, is in Who can see your position.
How long does a tag's battery last?
Months rather than hours. The app shows the level without connecting to the tag, and the tag raises its own critical-battery warning — trust that over the percentage.
Battery
How much battery does it use?
It depends mostly on your update interval and on the cold. See Battery and tracking interval. The single biggest saving on a winter day is keeping the phone in an inside pocket.
Tracking stopped while the phone was in my pocket
Almost always a permission or battery-optimisation setting. Work through Permissions — the per-manufacturer table covers the aggressive Android power managers.
Account
Can I use myJikita on two phones?
You can sign in on both, but only one can be actively tracking. The second offers to take over, which signs the first out.
I lost my phone
Sign in on another phone and revoke the lost one in Settings → Devices.
How do I delete my account?
See Delete your account and your data.