How It Works

Just FYI is designed to be simple, private, and effective. Here is how it works in four easy steps.

Step 1: Download the App

Get Just FYI from your device’s app store. The app is free, source-available, and designed with your privacy as the top priority.

What happens during setup:

  • No account creation required
  • No email or phone number needed
  • No personal information collected
  • Simply download and open the app

Privacy at this step: You remain completely anonymous. We do not know who you are.

Step 2: Create Your Anonymous ID

When you first open Just FYI, a unique Anonymous ID is automatically generated for you.

What is an Anonymous ID?

  • A random string of characters
  • Generated securely when you first use the app
  • Never linked to your real identity
  • Can be regenerated at any time

How it protects you:

  • No connection to your name, email, or phone
  • Cannot be reverse-engineered to identify you
  • Used only for anonymous interaction matching

Privacy at this step: Your Anonymous ID has no connection to your real identity.

Step 3: Record Interactions

With Bluetooth enabled, Just FYI automatically and anonymously records interactions with other Just FYI users.

How interactions are recorded:

  • Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) detects nearby devices
  • Only devices with Just FYI are detected
  • IDs and usernames are exchanged
  • The interaction is recorded with a timestamp

What is stored:

  • The ID of the other user
  • Their username (as it was at the time of interaction)
  • Approximate time of interaction

Privacy at this step: No location data is collected. Interaction data is encrypted and stored securely.

Step 4: Receive Anonymous Notifications

If someone you interacted with reports a potential health exposure, you receive an anonymous notification.

How notifications work:

  1. A user reports a potential exposure through the app
  2. Their Anonymous ID is securely transmitted to our notification system
  3. Users who interacted with that ID receive a notification
  4. No identifying information is shared in any direction

What you receive:

  • A notification that you may have been exposed
  • Approximate date range of potential exposure
  • Guidance on next steps

What you do NOT receive:

  • Location or venue information
  • Any details beyond what was exchanged during the interaction

Privacy at this step: Only people you directly interacted with can receive your notification, and they will see your username as it was recorded at the time of interaction.

The Privacy Promise

At every step, Just FYI is designed to protect your privacy:

No Personal Data Collection

We never ask for your name, email, phone number, or any identifying information.

Secure Data Storage

Interaction data is encrypted and stored securely. We use minimal data to enable the notification system while protecting your privacy.

Automatic Data Deletion

Interaction history is automatically deleted after 180 days. You can delete your data at any time from your profile settings.

Source-Available

Our code is publicly available for anyone to review. We have nothing to hide because we collect nothing to hide.

No Tracking

No GPS, no location services, no behavioral tracking. Bluetooth is used only for proximity detection.

Ready to Get Started?

Download Just FYI today and join a community that values both health and privacy. Together, we can create safer spaces while respecting everyone’s right to anonymity.