Solo day hike
“Out of the canyon by 5:30 PM, with two hours of grace. Blue hatchback at the North Rim lot, orange shirt. If I miss check-in, message me first. Then call the county SAR non-emergency line in my note.”
The plan you leave behind. Not a tracker.
Set your back-by time at the trailhead. Go where the signal doesn’t.
Leave your trip plan with one person in town. Nothing has to happen on your phone after the Plan starts. Your Backer’s app does the checking from wherever it has signal. You check in when you are back in coverage.
- No account
- No live tracking
- Nothing to do on the trail
Out of the canyon
5:30 PM
No action needed
You decide when “slow” becomes “late.”
The person in town decides what to do next. Nothing happens by itself.
Made for real trips
A trip plan can be simple.
Dawn-patrol ski tour
“Back at the lot by 3:00 PM. Touring with Mateo and Kai, their numbers are in my note. If I miss check-in, message me, then message them. Then call the county SAR line from the note and give them the zone.”
Four-day river trip
“Off the river by 6:00 PM Sunday. Weather can hold us a day, so give it 24 hours. Take-out, permit, and shuttle driver are in the note. If I miss check-in, call the shuttle driver first. Then call the river ranger number in the note.”
How it works
A plan for the hours you are out of range.
BackBy stays quiet unless a check-in needs attention. You choose the time, the details, and the one person who holds them.
Set your Back By time
Choose when you expect to be out. Add a Grace Period sized to the trip, from 0 to 24 hours, so a slow descent does not worry anyone. Back By can be days out for a multi-day trip.
Prepare your Backer
A Backer is the person in town you trust to act. Write your note as your trip plan: route and turnaround, trailhead and vehicle, companions, permits, gear colors, who to call first, and the local SAR or ranger non-emergency number.
Check in when you have signal
Mark yourself safe when you are back in coverage, or Add time from the ridge if you still have a bar. An action sent without signal stays pending until it is confirmed. If the grace period passes, Backers see Needs Attention and follow your plan.
Calm by default
Your Backer can see whether to wait or act.
The grace period absorbs a slow day. “Needs Attention” appears only after the time you chose has passed.
- ScheduledNo action needed
- Grace periodGive them time
- Needs AttentionFollow the note
Two roles, one trip
Make a Plan for yourself. Back someone else.
I’m heading out
Go light. Leave the plan with someone.
Set the time, seal your trip plan, and stay in control of checking in or adding time.
I’m a Backer
Know whether to wait or act, and have what you need to act.
Your app checks for updates and may notify you. If action is needed, follow the person’s trip plan: who to message, who to call, and what to tell them.
Privacy with boundaries
Less data collected means less data to expose.
BackBy is built so the server does not need to know who you are, who your Backers are, or what your trip plan says.
Read what BackBy can and cannot protect- No identity account
- No sign-up, password, or profile database.
- No contact graph
- The server does not store your address book, your partners, or your list of Backers.
- Encrypted notes
- The production design seals your trip plan on your phone and makes Emergency Only the default. The current demo is not approved for real details.
- No tracking tools
- No cookies, analytics, or sessions. Provider-level no-IP proof is still a release blocker.
What travels through BackBy
Your trip plan stays sealed on its way to your Backer.
- Your phone Encrypts the note
- Sealed note Unreadable ciphertext
- BackBy server Stores it, cannot read it
- Backer’s phone Unlocks locally if needed
Clear limits build trust
BackBy is not a rescue service.
- Not a locator beacon or satellite messengerCarry one where you need one. BackBy is the plan, not the signal.
- Not live trackingA Plan is a time, a note, and an optional pin, not a moving dot on a map.
- Not automatic emergency responseYour Backer, not BackBy, decides whether and how to act. The server sends no SMS, email, or push.
Honest about readiness
Useful ideas are not the same as proven protection.
BackBy’s mobile and infrastructure safeguards are still in development. Early access is for testing and feedback only. Do not depend on it yet for a real trip, an emergency, or any safety-critical check-in.
Common questions
The short answers.
Does it work with no signal?
Two parts. After the Plan starts, nothing has to happen on your phone. Your Backer’s app checks from wherever it has signal, so losing coverage on the trail does not break the Plan. Checking in does need a connection. Mark yourself safe when you are back in coverage. If you cannot, your Backer sees Needs Attention after the grace period and follows your note.
Does it track me?
No. A Plan is a time, a note, and an optional pin. There is no moving dot. Map sharing is off by default and has a separate third-party privacy warning.
Who gets called if I’m late?
Whoever your note says. BackBy’s server contacts no one. Your Backer’s app checks for changes and may notify them locally. Your Backer decides what to do next, following the plan you wrote.
Can I use it for a multi-day trip?
Yes. Back By can be set up to a year ahead, so a take-out day next week works. The Grace Period runs from 0 to 24 hours in half-hour steps, so a weather layover does not have to worry anyone.
Is this a replacement for a PLB or satellite messenger?
No. BackBy sends no signal from the field and calls no one. Carry a beacon or messenger where you need one. BackBy is the plan you leave behind, so the person in town knows when to worry and what to do.
What should my note say?
Write it as a trip plan: route and turnaround point, trailhead and vehicle, companions and their numbers, permits, gear and tent colors, layover plan, who to call first, and the local SAR or ranger non-emergency number. Do not put real private details in the current demo.
Can I depend on BackBy today?
Not yet. The project is in development, and the public safety-readiness checklist is not complete. Early access is for testing only.
Help us test carefully
Help us test it before anyone trusts it on a trail.
Request development access, share the idea with a partner or the person who waits for you in town, or tell us what your trips need. No mailing-list form and no tracking pixels, just email.