Sweatcoin Privacy and Safety

We couldn't find the Sweatcoin FAQ online (outside of the app) so we took some time to post them here. The Official FAQ and Help Contact info can be found in the app. 

Can I force quit (swipe away) Sweatcoin?

Force  quitting Sweatcoin stops the app from running, meaning no step  counting. Unfortunately, there's no way for us to count and verify steps  when the app has been quit. 

Note:  this is different from having Sweatcoin running in the background (i.e.  using other apps or returning to your phone home screen).

Please  keep the Sweatcoin running in the background. The app has been  engineered to be extremely battery efficient, and shouldn’t use  significant power. There really is no benefit to you or your device in  force quitting Sweatcoin... You’ll just be missing out on Sweatcoins  that would have been yours if the app was running.

So, please DON’T FORCE QUIT!

How can I improve my step conversion?

If your conversion rate of steps to Sweatcoins is way lower than 65% (which is about the average for all users), remember to:

1) Never force quit (swipe up) the app from the list of open apps

2) Always have the latest version of the app installed 

If you're doing this, and you're still experiencing issues, try this out: 

1)  Force send all steps from the info screen > go outside and walk 500  steps while keeping our app open > force send steps again

2)  If your conversion is good in this instance then the only thing you  need to do is to keep our app alive in the background. Do not force quit  it or check on it regularly especially at the beginning of your walk

If none of these tips work, and your conversion remains VERY LOW or ZERO then it is likely that your GPS chip is playing up. 

To check this, please go to iPhone Settings > General > Reset > Reset Location & Privacy

- The accuracy should be below 65

- The speed should be between 0 and 5

- Direction should NOT be -1

If  any of the inputs you get are different from the above, there is an  issue with your GPS chip, so please take your phone to an Apple store.  If everything checks out, but you are still converting well less than  65% of your steps, then bear the following in mind:

1)  Everyone underestimates the amount of walking they do indoors (35% is  the average). In your case, you may be walking indoors more than the  average user

2)  Moving between tall buildings or between dense tree cover or in a  canyon can affect the GPS signal and result in steps being not counted

3) Walking at extremely slow speeds (walking with kids in a park) can result in steps not being counted 

4)  Using a protective phone case can impact step conversion in some rare  instances. Try using your phone briefly without it and see if there is  any difference

If you ever find a better solution that improves your conversion, let us know. A bounty of Sweatcoins awaits!

I've tried everything and still can't improve my step conversion.

1)  If you walk around constantly connected to public WiFi, your GPS signal  can be blocked. More steps will be counted if you turn WiFi off when  walking outdoors

2)  Walking in tight spaces (e.g. a small garden), and not covering much  distance (e.g. doing laps of your backyard) can result in steps not be  converted. When possible, try walking in a straight line on an outdoor  street

3)  Tips for parents with young children: if your phone is in a stroller  while you're walking, steps won't be counted since the phone isn't  “bouncing” to indicate steps. Try keeping the phone in your pocket or a  purse

We’ll be constantly adding tips and tricks here as soon as we receive them from Sweatcoiners.

Why doesn't Sweatcoin count indoor steps?

We  would love to record indoor movement, but our algorithm is not able to  verify movement taken indoors... yet. There is a lot of work under way  to develop the functionality to do this, but it will take some time.

The  app's algorithm removes steps that are not likely directly from  exercise to eliminate the possibility of cheating and GPS helps us do  this at the moment. After all the value of Sweatcoin will depend on our  ability to ensure that every Sweatcoin that goes into circulation is  earned by someone's sweat.

How does Sweatcoin's step algorithm work?

Right  now, Sweatcoin's algorithm verifies about 65% of our users' total steps  on average. We are working hard to increase this % over time as we  improve our algorithm.

The  algorithm is in place to ensure that all Sweatcoins are earned through  hard work and movement. If it wasn’t this way, users could potentially  cheat the system by doing things like shaking their phone or using the  app in a car etc.

Our  algorithm analyses steps collected directly by your phone and checks  them against other data points like GPS location, speed, and consistency  of movement.

Although it does much more, the algorithm performs the following critical checks:

1)  Is any vital data missing (e.g. your GPS location is missing) - if yes  then steps are not counted (so please be sure that you have a GPS  signal)

2)  Does data from different sources match (e.g. you moved 10 miles, but  your phone reported 2 steps - it's likely you’re in a moving vehicle) if  no then the steps are not counted

3)  Does your data match a known pattern of cheating (e.g. shaking the  phone up and down to mimic steps) - if yes (and we manually check this)  steps won’t be counted.

Can I cash out my Sweatcoins to Paypal / my bank account?

At the moment it is not possible to cash out Sweatcoins via Paypal or bank transfer. 

The  long term vision is to make Sweatcoin a fully fledged currency, that'll  be listed on exchanges .But don't wait for this, please spend your  Sweatcoins in the marketplace with our brand partners. Paypal and Amazon  vouchers are featured regularly, especially if you are inviting loads  of friends! 

Please note that the offers change at least once a day and if you do not see something you like today, then pop back tomorrow!

How does Sweatcoin (Sweatco ltd.) make money?

We  make money off our partnerships with brands in our marketplace and we  are starting to establish partnerships with big healthcare and insurance  partners. Longer-term, we are committed to working with national and  local governments in helping them achieve their goals of making their  citizens/residents more physically active.

How do I spend my Sweatcoin?

You can use your Sweatcoins to buy goods and services from brands on the marketplace. To access your marketplace - 

On Android: Swipe right on the tracking screen.

On iPhone: Click on the "marketplace" icon along the bottom (furthest icon on the left).

The offers in our marketplace change at least once a day. Keep your eye out for something you might like and get buying.

If  you do see something you like, click the offer to get more info. A lot  of offers are completely free, whilst some are discounted and still  require you to purchase with $/£ from the brand. 

When  you're ready to select an offer, click the “Buy” button to purchase it  with your Sweatcoins. You will receive a purchase receipt with  instructions on how to complete your purchase. You will have to finalize  the purchase directly on the brand’s site.

How many steps does it take to earn 1 Sweatcoin?

1,000  verified steps convert to 1 Sweatcoin, minus a small 5% commission  which we take, so if you walk 10,000 steps a day you will earn 9.5  Sweatcoins. We're working hard to improve our conversion rate and the  value of each Sweatcoin over time.

Does Sweatcoin impact battery life?

On  most Android and iOS devices we do not see any battery usage issues,  however on a handful of devices we do and we will get to the bottom of  this very soon! When we first started on iOS, battery drain was an  issue. With some tech wizardry over the past year, the iOS app is no  longer in the top-5 battery drainers on most iPhones. 

If  you are experiencing battery consumption issues, please try turning on  battery saver (look for the small "battery" icon on the left of your  main progress bar). This will greatly reduce battery consumption,  however it can reduce steps counting or steps being lost at the  beginning of each walk. To avoid this happening, simply open the app  when you leave your home or office.

Please keep half an eye on our updates as we release them regularly as we work through some of these issues.

How does Sweatcoin work?

Sweatcoin  works by tracking and verifying your outdoor steps using your phone’s  accelerometers and GPS location, using our verification algorithm. Your  steps get converted into our currency - Sweatcoins.

1,000  outdoor steps = 0.95 Sweatcoins. We charge a small 5% commission per  Sweatcoin created. This is so we can keep our lights on, and continue to  provide Sweatcoin for free.

Currently  Sweatcoin can only convert outdoor steps because GPS is one of the  inputs. This means that your indoor steps (including gym, treadmill,  etc.) will not count… for now! We’re working to develop the  functionality to do this, but it will take some time.

We  created Sweatcoin with the desire to help people move more and stay  motivated along the way. We are a small passionate team and want to  deliver you all the best product possible, but understand that there are  still some things that can be improved. We'll get there soon!

Do Sweatcoin expire?

Sweatcoins do not expire.

Do I need to have mobile data enabled for the app to work?

Sweatcoin  can function without mobile data, as it catches back up when you enter a  wifi zone. The app continues to work in the background tracking steps  and geolocation.

As  long as there's an active GPS signal, Sweatcoin will function without  data. However, your phone needs to connect to our servers once a day to  send us your data for verification and for you to receive your  Sweatcoins.

You  can simply go to your mobile data settings and elect for our app to  exchange data with the server only when you have a wifi signal. This  will not stop our app from counting, but will delay you receiving your  Sweatcoins or being able to see our marketplace in real time.

Does Sweatcoin cost anything?

Sweatcoin is completely free!

Even  upgrades of Membership levels are paid for in Sweatcoins, not cash.  Some of the offers in the marketplace might require additional out of  pocket expenses, however it is completely up to you whether you take  these up.

Why can't I link my debit or credit card within the app?

Sweatcoin  does not cost you anything as Sweatcoins are earned by physical  movement, and are therefore not purchasable within our app. We also  don’t take any payment for the offers that appear in our marketplace, as  this is managed by each brand directly. For this reason there is no  option for you to link a prepaid debit or credit card. 

Why can't I use wearables like Fitbit or Garmin with Sweatcoin?

Currently  Sweatcoin only tracks your steps on iPhone, Android smartphones or on  Apple Watch 2/3, as we need to use GPS data to verify steps before  converting them into Sweatcoins (and a lot of wearable devices don’t  have a GPS chip). 

Another  reason we don’t currently integrate with all wearables is that our  algorithm removes steps that are not likely directly from exercise (up  to 30% of certain wearable devices’ steps can come from other means in  our experience) to eliminate the possibility of cheating.

However, we are currently in talks with some major wearables brands to integrate Sweatcoin into their products.

Watch this space!

What if I uninstall the app and then reinstall it later? Will I lose my Coins?

If  you uninstall the app (but don't initiate a delete account request),  you will be able to reinstall it at a later date and access your old  account - as long as you use the same email address that you used when  registering the first time.

Is Sweatcoin a Cryptocurrency?

Currently Sweatcoin is not on a blockchain, therefore is not considered a cryptocurrency. 

Our  long term vision and roadmap is to make Sweatcoin a fully fledged  currency, that'll be listed on exchanges - just like cryptocurencies  bitcoin or Ether. We hope at some point soon, your physical movement  will become tradable on the open market! Currently our daily transaction  volume is in excess of that of the Bitcoin network, therefore achieving  this is not a trivial task, but we are confident we'll get there!

What are Membership levels, and how do I change my levels?

By  default users can only earn a maximum of 5 Sweatcoins per day. You can  increase the number of Sweatcoins you can earn per day by choosing a  higher Membership level. Upgrading is charged monthly in Sweatcoins, not  $/£ so it doesn’t cost you anything other than your steps. Also all  your friends on the app will see your level, so it’s a good way to  humble brag!

There are a total of 4 levels currently available:

1. Mover - Free and allows you to earn up to 150 Sweatcoins per month 

2. Shaker - 4.75 Sweatcoins a month and allows you to earn up to 300 Sweatcoins per month 

3. Quaker - 20 Sweatcoins a month and allows you to earn up to 450 Sweatcoins per month 

4. Breaker - 30 Sweatcoins a month and allows you to earn up to 600 Sweatcoins per month 

To  change your level, go to your Membership level page, click on the  symbol for your current Membership level or on the "Change" button on  your profile page. If all the levels above your current level are greyed  out it means that you do not have enough Sweatcoins to upgrade… yet (so  get walking!). 

Device specific instructions below - 

On  Android: Main Screen > Profile Icon (centre bottom) > "Change"  > Click the button with the monthly price for your desired level >  Confirm

On  iPhone: Main Screen > Profile > "Change" > Click the button  with the monthly price for your desired level > Confirm

How do I check my Sweatcoin wallet?

Once  earned, your Sweatcoins are automatically added to your wallet. You can  see your current balance of Sweatcoins in your Wallet screen.

On  Android: Open your profile and click "Wallet" from the top left corner.  Your total balance also appears on your tracking screen under your  profile photo next to your username.

On iPhone: Click on the "Wallet" icon along the bottom (second icon from the left).

What does the progress bar show?

The progress bar shows the number of Sweatcoin you’ve earned today vs. the daily maximum for your Membership level.

For  example, if the progress bar shows 1.5 Sweatcoins out of 15, this means  you've earned 1.5 Sweatcoins today out of a potential 15 that you could  earn. Your steps are automatically verified and converted into  Sweatcoins every 2,000 steps. Please note that it takes a little time  for recent steps to be verified and converted, so you may see the  progress bar updating throughout the day even if you're not actively  walking.

Does Sweatcoin count my steps when it's in the background?

Yes, the app is able to track and convert steps while it runs in the background.

I don't like any of the offers in the marketplace.

The  marketplace team are working very hard on getting more offers onto the  platform and we have at least one new offer from one of our 160+ brands  every day - check out the app after 8am daily for the newest offer!

We  try to have a mix of attainable daily offers, as well as some bigger  ticket marathon offers that are something to work towards.

The  price in Sweatcoins of an offer generally depends on the brands'  preference as it is them who offer you the goods, not Sweatcoin.

Let us know the sort of offers or brands you'd like to see on Sweatcoin and we'll see what we can do.

What are daily rewards?

Daily  rewards provide another way for you to earn Sweatcoins, simply by  watching an ad within the marketplace. To claim your daily reward,  simply go to the marketplace screen, click "Claim it now" under the  daily reward module, watch the ad from start to finish, and that's it - 1  Sweatcoin is all yours. To view the transaction check your wallet.

How do I become a Sweatcoin Influencer?

Here's how to become an influencer.

You  will be able to earn unlimited Paypal cash vouchers and other  attractive rewards for referring people via your personal invite link  (find it in your Sweatcoin Profile > Settings > Find and Invite  Friends > Copy). Your account is upgraded automatically as soon as  the 30th person you invite registers on the app. Look out for a welcome  email!

If you've done this already, and have earned your reward:

1) Congratulations!!!

2) Please follow the instruction on your “purchase receipt to a T”:

- Make sure you email us from the email address you used for your Sweatcoin account

-  Include your Sweatcoin user ID in the email (a screenshot of your  profile is fine) and all other details mentioned in the receipt

-  Your payment may take up to three working days to arrive as our team  will need to do the necessary checks (plus the payment system can also  take a bit of time)

What do I do if I get scammed?

A  few users have reported being tricked by other users into sending them  Sweatcoins, which they then steal. You should be very certain that you  can trust an unknown user before sending them even a small amount of  your hard earned Sweatcoins. 

Any  user promising to double or triple your Sweatcoins is most likely a  scammer. Even if you send them a small amount of Sweatcoins and they do  double them, this is often part of the scam. As soon as you send a  bigger amount they will keep them. 

If  you are ever scammed, please contact us, choose “I was scammed by  another user” from the drop down list, and clearly state what has  happened, who the other user is, and how you came across them. We take a  zero tolerance approach to scammers and will ban these users if they  have indeed breached our terms of use. 

But  always remember, there are no tricks or hacks that will allow you to  earn more Sweatcoins - only physical movement and referring friends!

Why does Sweatcoin need my location?

Our verification algorithm requires geo-location data to verify reported movement. 

The  algorithm is there to protect Sweatcoins’ value and prevent cheating.  There is no alternative at this stage to geo-location data to calculate  step count, however, if you have the battery saver set to “On” in our  app it'll remain asleep while you are stationary and will only wake up  when you’re on the move.

What are Marathon offers?

A marathon offer is something to work towards over the long term. We  understand that mathematically some of the marathon offers would take  many years to save up for, through walking only. Here's what we  recommend for making marathon offers more attainable:

1) Try and walk 20K+ outdoor steps daily 

2) Invite your friends and family members to Sweatcoin (you'll get 5 Sweatcoins for each new Sweatcoiner that joins)

How do I stop Sweatcoin from running?

If  you want the app to completely stop and not generate any Sweatcoins  then you can force quit it (when you double tap on the home button and  flick the app away).

If  you want to stop the app for a long period you can go to your device  Settings > Privacy > Location Services > Sweatcoin > Switch  Off (or something similar depending on your device).

Don’t  forget to turn it back on when you want it to start generating  Sweatcoins again. Needless to say that in all of these scenarios no  Sweatcoins will be generated...

What devices does Sweatcoin fully support?

In  order to accurately track movement, Sweatcoin requires devices with  advanced sensors, specifically a pedometer (accelerometer and  gyroscope), as well as GPS/geolocation sensor.

On Apple iPhones, the app uses the M7 motion coprocessor (plus later models) and the GPS sensor.

We fully support the following iOS devices:

- iPhone 5s and later

- Apple Watch 2 and later 

We  fully support about 50% of all Android devices listed on the Google  Play Store, including most of the popular devices such as Samsung,  Google, LG, Motorola, and many more.

How do I delete my account?

We're  sorry you want to delete your account, can we do anything to persuade  you? If not, thanks for downloading our app and giving us a go.  Hopefully we'll see you again soon. Here's how to delete your account:

1) Contact us below 

2) Choose “Delete account” from the drop down list

3) Type a reason for leaving

4) Click the paper plane icon in the top right hand corner

5) We'll then send you an email. Click the link and you're out - no more Sweatcoining

I sent Sweatcoins to the wrong person. What do I do?

If  you send Sweatcoins to a friend and they didn’t receive them it is very  likely you have sent them to the wrong user (normally with a similar  username). Please always check the username when making a transfer or  try sending a small amount first to make sure you are transferring  Sweatcoins to the right person. 

If  you have done this, the quickest way of getting back your Sweatcoins is  to contact the user you accidentally sent them to. We suggest sending  0.01 Sweatcoins to the user you accidentally sent them to, and ask them  to send them back. Most users will do this. If you're not having any  luck with this user, we can currently reverse a transaction for you. To  have a transaction reversed, please contact us below, choose “My friend  didn't get Sweatcoins I sent” from the drop down list, and specifically  outline; the transaction that you need reversing and the username you  intended to send Sweatcoins to.

Very  soon the functionality allowing Sweatcoin to reverse transactions will  cease (when we are on a blockchain), therefore the only way to get them  back would be by contacting the other user. So please always be careful  when sending Sweatcoins, and treat these transactions with the same  attention to detail as you would when sending money to someone. 

I got a new phone number, what do I do?

To  do this simply download Sweatcoin on the new device (or if you're using  the current device uninstall the app and then reinstall), and follow  the steps below:

1) Input your profile name and allow the relevant permissions

2) Input your new phone number and verification code

3)  Input your email from your old Sweatcoin account (you must use the  email address of your old account for the account migration to work)

4)  Then click “Yes”, after this message "'Your Name', this email is  already used on an account with a different mobile number. Do you want  to update that account number to xxx number"

5) Check your email and copy verification code

6) Input verification into the app

7) Go coin some sweat

How does Sweatcoin protect my privacy?

We  take great care to protect the privacy of all our users, and no user data is ever shared with third parties. Learn more about this in our  Privacy Policy - http://sweatco.in/privacy

How do I block another user?

To  block another user on Sweatcoin, click on their Profile > Find the  three dots in the top right hand corner > Click “Block” > Read the  pop up message > Click “Block” again. 

Once  blocked the other user won’t be able to find or see your profile,  stats, transactions or send you Sweatcoin. We also won’t let them know  that you’ve blocked them.

How do I logout of Sweatcoin (you can't)?

Sweatcoin supports only one account per number/device (see - http://sweatco.in/tnc for more details), so logging out is not an option.

If there is an important use case that we have missed, that requires us to change our position, let us know.

Can I send and receive Sweatcoins to friends / other users?

Any  registered user can send & receive Sweatcoins. To transfer Sweatcoins, go to your Wallet and select 'Send to Friend' and fill in  the person’s username, email or full telephone number including (+1 for  US, or +44 for UK) at the start. You can also make direct transfers from  your friend's profile page - just click the "Send" button. 

Always  triple check that you have the right username of the person you're  trying to send to. Very soon the functionality allowing Sweatcoin to  reverse transactions will cease. When this kicks in, if you accidentally  send Sweatcoins to the wrong user, they would be lost to you...  forever. Unless of course the other user was friendly enough to send  them back!

What do I do if I have a technical issue with the App?

If  you ever have recurring issues with the app such as; freezing, crashing  or some other random technical issue, try the following:

1) Check that you are running the latest version of our app. If not, please install the latest version

2) If you are, force quit the app and then reopen  

 3)  If this doesn't work, please delete the app and then reinstall it.  Don't worry you won't lose your Sweatcoin account (just make sure you  use the same email and number).