This Is the One App You’ll Wish You Had at Every Carnival or Day Out
You know that moment at a festival when the group splinters—two at the bar, three “just by the speakers,” one mysteriously “OMW” but still in zone 4? That’s exactly the chaos Bump is built for. It’s a real-time, battery-friendly location app from the team behind Zenly, designed so you can see where your friends are, where they’ve been, and how to meet up—without the endless “Where are you?” texts.
Below is your no-nonsense guide: what Bump actually does, how to set it up fast, privacy and battery tips, and troubleshooting for those “my dot won’t move” moments—plus smart ways to use it at Notting Hill Carnival, stadium shows, marathons, park days, and nights out.
What Bump Is (and Isn’t)
Bump = a live map of your people and places.
Precise, real-time location sharing that’s built to be battery-friendly.
Mutual opt-in: you only see someone once you’re friends in the app (no one-way lurking).
Create a personal map of friends + places you visit; the app auto-detects new places so adding them is one tap.
From the Zenly crew: the team that popularised ultra-smooth friend maps before Zenly was sunset.
What Bump isn’t: a stalker tool or public map. You control who sees you, when, and how precisely (more on that below). Bump’s terms, data-safety sheet, and privacy policy emphasise user control, the ability to turn location off any time, and no data sharing with third parties as declared on Google Play’s Data Safety section.
Core Features You’ll Actually Use
Live friend map: See where your friends are right now once you’re mutually connected.
Battery-friendly tracking with background updates (when permitted) so you don’t have to keep the app open.
Places & “scratch map”: Bump auto-detects new spots you visit so you can save them and gradually “scratch” your personal map—great for recapping a festival route or a city day.
OMW! supersend (meet-up mode): Fire off your ETA/progress so friends can watch you converge in real time—handy when you’re threading through crowds.
Availability: iOS and Android, with frequent updates (e.g., iOS updated Aug 20, 2025; Android updated Aug 21, 2025). Release on iOS dates back to Dec 2023.
Why It’s Perfect for Big London Moments
Notting Hill Carnival (or any street festival)
Pre-set meet points (e.g., Westbourne Grove & Ledbury Rd; Ladbroke Grove by the bridge). Save them as Places so everyone can navigate there on the shared map.
Use OMW! supersend when splitting for food vs. sound systems—watch dots converge without 47 messages.
Signal dips happen in big crowds; Bump keeps your last known location and catches up once data returns (see troubleshooting).
Stadium gigs & club nights
Drop a pin for “Home Base” by a distinct landmark (mural, merch tent).
Share ETAs for latecomers; nobody wanders the concourse blind.
Park days, markets, day trips
Build a shared day trail: coffee → market → riverside → pub. Your scratch map becomes a memory reel.
Quick Start (2 Minutes, Promise)
Download Bump on iOS or Android.
Allow location (you can toggle precise/background later).
Add friends (mutual acceptance unlocks map visibility).
Name & save key places (meeting points, home, friend’s flat, venue gates).
For events, try OMW! supersend so your crew can see your route and ETA.
Privacy, Safety & Control (Read This Bit)
Mutual consent: Bump is friend-based. No one sees you unless you both accept.
Turn sharing off anytime in phone settings or Bump—especially after events.
Data handling: The developer states no data shared with third parties on Google Play’s Data Safety page. Full details are in amo’s Privacy Policy.
Background location: Bump can update in the background if you permit it (useful during a long day so you’re not opening the app constantly).
Pro tip: Create a small “Event Circle” (just your carnival/gig friends). After the weekend, either pause sharing or remove the circle—nice balance between convenience and privacy.
Battery & Accuracy: Make It Last All Day
Bump is designed to be battery-friendly, but London days are long. Do this:
Turn on Low Power Mode only when needed; extreme battery savers can pause background updates in any app.
Keep Location Services on (and allow Bump background access for the day). If you disable precise location, friends may see only an approximate dot.
Stay above 10–15%—below that, iOS/Android start throttling background tasks.
Move outside for a moment if your dot “sticks”; GPS + network signals hate concrete canyons.
Troubleshooting: Real Problems, Real Fixes
“My map stopped updating.”
Check mobile data and battery savers.
Confirm Bump has Location: Always/Allow when in use + Precise; for all-day events, background permission helps.
“I added a friend but can’t see them.”
Bump is mutual opt-in—they must accept you (and you them). Also check if either of you paused sharing.
“GPS is jumpy in crowds.”
Normal in dense areas—give it 30–60 seconds. Step into open space for a quick lock.
“No signal at the sound system.”
Bump will show the last known location and resync when data returns. Agree a fallback meeting point in advance.
“I don’t want to share all the time.”
Toggle sharing off after the event; you can re-enable next time.
How It Compares (and Why It’s Fun)
Sure, you could share your location in Google Maps for a while or rely on Find My/WhatsApp. But Bump’s difference is social by design: a shared map that feels playful rather than utilitarian, with auto-saved places, a scratch-map memory, and a meet-up flow that’s built for festivals and nights out. And unlike big family trackers, it’s tuned for friend groups first.
Is It Safe to Use at Big Events?
As safe as you make it. Keep your group small, only add people you trust, and pause sharing after. The developer’s docs emphasise user control and background permissions you can change anytime, plus a data policy you can read in plain English.
What We Love
Love:
Frictionless meet-ups with OMW and live ETAs.
Battery-sensitive live map you can run all day.
Auto places + scratch map for a satisfying “where we’ve been” after a long day.
Quick FAQ
Is Bump free?
Yes—free on iOS and Android at the time of writing.
Who makes it?
amo, the team behind Zenly. Their site lists Bump as a flagship product, alongside other social apps.
Does it run in the background?
Yes, if you allow it; that’s how you get smooth real-time updates without babysitting the app. You can turn it off anytime.
What data is shared with third parties?
The Google Play Data Safety page states no data shared with third parties (as declared by the developer). Full details are in amo’s Privacy Policy.
How often is it updated?
Recently: Aug 20–21, 2025 across iOS/Android app stores.
A One-Minute Setup for Notting Hill Carnival
Add your crew and pick two meet points (e.g., near Ladbroke Grove station and a food stall you all like).
Save both in Bump as Places.
When you split, hit OMW! supersend so both clusters can watch each other’s ETA and converge.
If signal dies, head to the fallback Place on the hour.
That’s the difference between “five hours lost” and “we danced all day.”
Final Thoughts
There are lots of ways to share a pin. Bump is the rare app that makes staying together feel easy and fun—and that matters when London is buzzing and you don’t want logistics to kill the vibe. If your calendar is full of carnivals, stadium nights, concerts, marathons, or sprawling park days, this is the one app that quietly removes the friction so you can actually live the day.
Try Bump before your next big day out.
Set your core crew, save two meet points, and give OMW a spin on your next gig run. If it saves you just one “Where are you?” spiral, it’s already done its job. And if you want more London-smart tools like this—plus deep-dive guides for Notting Hill Carnival, gigs, and beyond—follow @Londonyaar for the good stuff (and fewer lost friends).