FAQs
Herd! has some great features that can help you and your group stay together. Here are some frequently asked questions that we hope you find helpful. If the answer you are looking for is not here, simply email us at support@wobblesoft.com.
How do I go to lunch with my co-workers but I dont want to give them my phone number?
Have everyone stand next to each other while everyone presses their button together. Within a few seconds everyone will be in the Herd!. Now, just search for your destination and can be on you way.
How do I use Herd! if the people I want to herd with are not next to me?
Simply press the forward arrow button in the lower right to get to the alternate menu. Here you can create an empty Herd! where you can invite everyone via an SMS text message.
Is Herd! anonymous?
Yes! If you noticed when you installed the app and set up the profile, the only information you gave was a name to display, and a profile image. No need to create an account, give up your phone number, or have to “friend” anyone.
So you get my phone number and use that right?
NO! We create strong encrypted hash identifier based on your network address that can never be used to identify you personally. All we know about is that a device is using our system.
Is Herd! tracking me all the time?
No. Herd! only tracks members while they are in a herd. When you are actively using Herd!, location changes are sent approximately every 60 to 90 seconds, so locations will always be lagging by a minute or two. Providing up to the moment accurate locations is a huge drain on the battery.
What about battery life?
Location-based services is a great way to keep you connected with those around you. Part of the Herd! experience is to let your fellow herdlings know where you are. Still, battery life is important. We allow you to choose between a Low Power mode where location updates can be up to two minutes behind and sometimes off by 50 to 100 meters, and Best mode, which will be pushing updates regularly with higher accuracy, but using more battery.
You can also select how long the location based services will run while in the background. We recommend you leave the default settings. If you find yourself in a situation where you will be in a herd and not interacting with the app for more than 1.5 hours and you want to post your location, you may need to adjust the background mode to a longer setting. Remember, even if the app shuts itself down after the timeout expires, you can always rejoin your last herd if it is still around.
Finally, if the battery is at or below 15%, Herd! will turn off the location services while in the background in order to ensure that we do not put you in a bind by using the last of your battery.
We are working hard to make Herd even better when it comes to battery life.
What if I dont want to be tracked?
Simply leave the herd by pressing the Menu button and pressing Leave Herd. You can always rejoin the herd later if it is still around.
How do I rejoin my Herd!
You can always rejoin your last Herd!, assuming it is still around. Herds expire after a short time once everyone has left.
What if I want my friend to join us after the Herd has been formed?
Fear not! Herds are meant to be extended, either by inviting the person, or people via a text message, or if they are standing near you, by extending the herd while they are pressing their button. Press the Menu button from the Map view and press Invite Others or Extend Herd. You can also invite the person via a QR Code if they have a QR Reader on their mobile phone. Extending is faster if they are next to you.
How do I extend my Herd?
To extend your herd, press the Menu button from the Map view and then press Extend Herd. You will see a radar that is counting down. Have the person or people you want to join standing next to you, pressing their button while the herd is being extended and they will be joined to the herd. They will have about 1 minute to press their button.
What if someone is in our herd who shouldn’t be there?
The technology employed when pressing the button to figure out if people are standing next to each other is not perfect and it is possible that you might find someone in your herd who should not be there. Fear not, just Boot Them! To boot someone from your herd, simply press Menu and then My Herd. Find the person who should not be there and select them. The Boot Them button will be in the upper right corner.
What if someone booted me?
You can boot people for fun, by accident, or because they really shouldn’t be in your herd. If you get booted and want back, simple go to the alternate menu and select Rejoin. Anyone booted from a herd can always rejoin.
How do we pick destination and who chooses?
Herd! is group neutral which means that rather than imposing rules and regulations to govern a group, we let the group govern themselves through normal social means. The last destination picked is the one set. There is no voting – anyone can set the destination and anyone can either remove it, or pick another destination.
What if we really want to go to a destination that was previously set?
That’s easy. From the Map view press Say Something to get to the chat stream. You will see in the previous messages the destinations that were previously set. Simply select that past destination and and answer yes and that place will become the current destination, replacing any currently set.
Do we have to set a destination?
No. You can use herd to either “herd” everyone to a destination, or simply use it to keep track of everyone while using the near real-time chat for instant communication. If you want to route everyone to you, simply click on the Menu button at the bottom and select I’m Here!. You will become the destination and everyone will be routed to you!
Why would I want to tell people where I am?
Simple. Let’s say you are at an outdoor event like SXSW, the county fair, or any outdoor street fair or festival. Before entering everyone pressed their button together and formed a Herd!. Now, you find an amazing stage or ride or whatever and you want everyone to come to you.
What if the destination is an address?
There are two types of searching, either for a Place, or an Address. To search by address, click on Go Somewhere from the Map view. When you press the search box to enter in the address, you will see two buttons: By Place and By Address. Click on By Address. We use Google to provide address results.
I don’t like the results I get from searching for a Place!
No worries! We support a few different Search by Place providers. Currently it is SimpleGEO and Yelp. If you dont like the results, try switching providers by going back to the Map view, press Menu and then Setup. If you do not see the a selection, then one of the providers may be offline.
