weBump!

As a high schooler, every summer I seem to start a new project. This year—as a rising senior—I completed work on an app called weBump!

I got the inspiration for this app from Nintendo StreetPass—a feature that allowed Nintendo systems to exchange game, Mii, and other data wirelessly. Two people could pass each other without knowing, then later come back to discover they had received a StreetPass. It displayed information from the person you had passed. It was a cool way to feel connected to a community and brought a sense of serendipity.

That feeling of serendipity was what I wanted to replicate in a modern way.

I searched far and wide to see if anyone had built something similar, and it looked like I had something original.

So I began development.

The main functionality—having two phones recognize each other as they passed—would be the biggest hurdle. I targeted iPhones, something around 60% of Americans have in their pockets. This presented an issue, though. Apple deliberately sandboxes apps and limits permissions to ensure security. Maybe this was why an app like this didn't already exist.

But I continued anyway and spun up a Deep Research agent using ChatGPT. My prompt was for it to find possible avenues to create the functionality that I wanted while not using location (which drains battery and is a safety risk), being performant, and capable of running in the background.

After a 30-minute search, the AI came up with a risky idea.

GATT (Generic Attribute Profile) is the protocol Bluetooth Low Energy uses to exchange data—perfect for my use case. ChatGPT's research concluded that it might work on iPhone apps, and maybe even when the app was closed, though it would probably be unreliable.

That didn't exactly inspire confidence, so I continued searching. I came up with nothing and was close to scrapping the idea.

But I decided to give BLE a shot.

Besides a few initial bugs, it was actually pretty easy to implement! I got it working within a week, and seeing the notification appear on both devices was incredibly exciting.

But I needed to test more.

I tried closing the app on one device, then both devices, installing it through TestFlight, leaving it suspended—it always worked. It was incredibly reliable. Even after leaving a device untouched during my vacation, I instantly received a notification upon returning home.

In weBump, this functionality is called "bumping," as in bumping into each other.

From then on, I spent hours every day building the app, and I had a lot of fun doing it.

Today, weBump is a modern spin on StreetPass that allows people to create profiles showcasing themselves. The idea is to "collect the people you pass." I think it's a great way to become more aware of the people around you—and maybe even spark a few friendships. It's perfect for campuses, groups, and events.

I'd like to think it was a great start to my summer!

Check out weBump here:
webump.app