BackBy

Development preview BackBy is still being tested. Do not rely on it yet for real emergencies or safety check-ins.

What that means

For community organizations

A safety practice that stays person-to-person.

BackBy is being shaped with worker centers, immigrant-rights groups, legal teams, and rapid-response networks. The goal is a teachable check-in practice without a central member list or organizer surveillance dashboard.

  • No organization-wide member list
  • No admin surveillance dashboard
Talk with us about a careful pilot
A diverse group learning together around a table at a community center
Built for teaching togetherPeople keep ownership of their own Plans and connections.

Where BackBy fits

A shared rhythm, not another case-management system.

01

Individual agency

Each person chooses their Backers, timing, grace period, and instructions. The organization does not own their Plan.

02

No organization-wide graph

BackBy does not create a central roster showing who supports whom. Connections live with the people involved.

03

Calm response language

Backers learn when to wait, when to send a quiet message, and when to follow the person’s prepared steps.

04

Bilingual by default

English and Spanish copy are maintained together and reviewed for meaning, not just literal translation.

Useful without taking ownership

Give people a practice, a private way in, and trusted options.

Safety briefings

Teach the practice

Introduce BackBy during onboarding, worker trainings, or legal-safety briefings. Use harmless practice Plans so everyone learns both roles.

Poster or QR

Make discovery voluntary

Offer a poster, QR code, or take-home card in community spaces. People can learn more and set up privately, without joining an organization roster.

Public resources

Publish trusted contacts

Maintain a general list of vetted legal, community, and rapid-response contacts. Each person privately decides whether to place any of them in an encrypted note.

Ready-to-run trainingRun a 10-minute practice briefing View the five steps
Practice only during development

Use fictional details and harmless scenarios. Do not enter real personal information or rely on BackBy for real risk while it remains a development preview.

  1. Create one fictional Plan

    Choose a harmless routine and a BackBy time for today.

  2. Choose trusted Backers

    Select one to three practice partners and privately share the fictional Plan by QR code or recovery words.

  3. Write a fictional Emergency Only note

    Practice instructions involving an attorney, community contact, or child-care plan without using real personal information.

  4. Walk through the status sequence

    Have Backers open the app and practice Scheduled → Grace Period → Needs Attention.

  5. Reset and rehearse the response

    Complete or reset the exercise, then practice calm outreach and review what BackBy does not do.

Fictional prompts

  • After work: “If this test Plan needs attention, send a quiet message first.”
  • School pickup: “Practice who would handle pickup if this were a real plan.”
  • Legal appointment: “Practice finding a fictional legal-support instruction.”

A responsible pilot

Test the practice before anyone depends on the technology.

Four adults practicing phone check-ins together at a community center
Practice firstA good pilot feels like a learning session, not a product rollout.
  1. 01

    Map the response

    Define who messages, who calls, what “Needs Attention” means, and when legal or rapid-response help enters.

  2. 02

    Practice with harmless plans

    Use training scenarios only. Every participant practices completing, adding time, and responding to a missed test Plan.

  3. 03

    Review privacy together

    Explain what is stored, note visibility, optional map risk, device risk, and what BackBy cannot do.

  4. 04

    Gate real use

    Do not move to safety-critical use until every public-release blocker is closed and community reviewers approve the deployed setup.

The boundary

What an organization should never be asked to do.

  • Do not build a shadow rosterDo not copy participants, Backers, legal names, or Plan details into a shared spreadsheet or dashboard.
  • Do not promise emergency responseBackBy supports a community protocol; it does not guarantee rescue, legal representation, or contact with authorities.
  • Do not pilot under real riskDevelopment access is for training and feedback until the readiness checklist is complete.
Community members discussing a phone check-in practice together around a table

Bring your operating knowledge to the design.

We want feedback from the people who already run trusted check-ins, know what happens after a missed call, and understand where technology can make things worse.

Email hello@backby.date