Yik Yak is an anonymous social media app created in 2013 by two college students to allow local users within a 5 mile radius to post messages ("yaks"). Users can read, reply to, and vote on yaks without revealing their identity. The app encourages positive engagement within the local community by allowing users to connect anonymously. It has features like viewing top yaks, users' recent posts and replies. Users are expected to follow ground rules against bullying or posting personal information to maintain a respectful environment for sharing thoughts locally.
2. OVERVIEW
• How Yik Yak began
• What is Yik Yak
• Feature of Yik Yak
• Ground Rules For Yik Yak
• How to download and Use Yik Yak
• Yaking Responsibly
3. HISTORY BEHIND THE YAKING!
• Yik Yak was created in October 2013 by
Tyler Droll, and Brooks Buffington two
students of Furman University. The
company is based out of Atlanta, Georgia.
• They wanted to create a social media
application that was geared towards
college students so they could
anonymously connect based upon
location. The purpose is for people to be
engaged with others in their community
without reveling their identity.
4. WHAT IS YIK YAK?
• Yik Yak is a social media application that is described as a local “bulletin board”
where people can post and look at others post based upon location. The difference
with Yik Yak and other posting applications is that Yik Yak is completely
anonymous.
• You can post yaks or just read, reply, or “upvote/downvote” yaks.
• It is based upon a 5 mile radius and you can connect up to 500 Yik Yak users in that
area. If you want to have connection with more users you can pay extra.
5. THE FEATURES OF YIK YAK
Your Yaks
• Yik Yak Handle- it is a way to sign your yaks
from time to time.
• My recent yaks- you can view your most
recently posted yaks through this feature.
• Recent replies- you have the option to reply to
different yaks and then use the feature to view
all of your recent replies to different yaks.
• My top yaks- a feature to view all of your yaks
that are most popular.
• You can “upvote” or “downvote” a yak. It is
similar to liking a post or favoring a tweet.
Top Yaks
• Access the All-Time Greatest Yaks- you can use
this feature to view all the yaks that have been
the most popular.
• Top Yaks in your area- this feature is used to
view the top yaks in the area where you are
located.
• Other top yaks- when you access this feature it
takes you directly to a google search on “yaks”
and images of real Yaks.
• You can “Peek” at other popular yaks that are
posted as well.
6. GROUND RULES OF THE HERD
1. You do not bully or specifically target other
yakkers.
2. Zero tolerance policy on posting people’s
phone numbers.
3. Don’t clutter people’s feed with useless or
offensive yaks. If you see a useless or
offensive yak make sure to do your part by
down voting or reporting it.
4. If your yaks continue to be downvoted or
reported, you will be warned and then
suspended.
5. Must be 17 years of age or older to download
the app and use the app.
7. STEPS ON USING YIK YAK
• You can download it by accessing the
download options at http://yikyakapp.com/
• From there you will click download and will
either have the option of downloading
through the Apple App store or through
Google Play
• Both are free downloads until you decide to
upgrade
8. NEXT STEP…
• Enabled the location setting and begin
looking at other yaks in your area! You
can view ones that are considered
“Peeks” which are featured yaks
outside of your area.
• You can also view the new yaks being
posted and the ones that are considered
“hot” in your area.
9. • Notice that there are up and down
arrows. Those are the arrows you can
click to “upvote” or “downvote” a yak.
• You can also see how many replies each
yak has and how long ago it was
posted.
• In order to create or write your own yak
you will click the box in the upper left
hand corner.
10. START YOUR OWN YIK YAKING!
• Begin creating and posting your own yaks! You can
write whatever you feel at the moment or want people to
know in your area.
• You can attach you “handle name” with your yak or not.
(Dark knight in the picture on the right is the handle
name)
• You can also choose whether or not to show your location
where you are yaking from.
• If you choose you can always upgrade your yak status
then choose how many recipients will be able to view
your “yak”
• Then hit SEND located in the upper right hand corner!
• To go back to the original page of yik yaks click YIK
YAK in the upper left hand corner.
11. • You can then click on a specific yak and
it will reveal the details of the yak.
• It will show you the location of where
the yak originated from and you have
different options from there
• You can share or report the yak
• Or you can choose to reply to the yak
• Once done you can hit the BACK
button in the upper left hand corner.
12. YAK RESPONSIBLY
• Once you are ready to yak keep in mind the purpose behind Yik Yak. It is a social
media application that was meant for positive and helpful post to those in the area
that surrounds you.
• Do Not mention any personal names, phone numbers, or any personal information
about yourself or anyone else.
• Remember that it is a place to post helpful not hurtful information.
13. RESOURCES
• Common Sense Media Inc. (2014, June 19). App Reviews: Yik Yak. Retrieved from
CommonSenseMedia.com: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews/yik-yak
• Crook, J. (2014, June 20). Yik Yak Is An Anonymous Messaging App Aimed At College
Campuses. Retrieved from TechCrunh.com: http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/19/yik-yak-is-an-
anonymous-messaging-app-aimed-at-college-campuses/
