Updates

This page is where we share what we are building, what is shipping next, and what progress looks like in real time.

Current status

Last updated: 4/16/26

Version 2.0 is live on the App Store and Play Store.

Just Chicken In 2.0 is here. The app has been rebuilt from the ground up with new safety features, smarter notifications, full Spanish support, and a completely redesigned experience. The organization portal is live with billing, member management, and a public directory. We are now focused on micro-refinements and expanding the funding program.

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What's new in 2.0

Major update

Smarter notifications

Precise, on-time daily reminders
Notification permission handled during onboarding
Clear delivery confirmations so you know who was reached

Check-in PIN protection

Optional PIN required before checking in
Prevents someone else from checking in on your behalf
Automatic lockout after repeated incorrect attempts, with alerts sent to your contacts
Guardian and general account recovery paths

Daily reassurance texts

Contacts can opt in to receive a daily text when you check in
Two-stage consent so the contact controls what they receive
Free users get 1 reassurance contact, supporters get up to 5

Emergency alert improvements

Home screen shows when an alert was sent and to how many contacts
Auto-delete countdown visible for high privacy accounts
Friendly error handling for delivery failures and pending contacts

Redesigned settings

Clean menu layout instead of one long scrolling page
Each section opens on its own screen with clear labels
Guided setup cards on the home screen for new users

Accessibility and clarity

Larger tap targets, improved contrast, readable sizing
Screen reader support on all key actions
Full English and Spanish support across every screen
Every error and empty state tells you what to do next

Pre-launch hardening (April 2026)

Security and reliability

As we approach a wider public launch, we have spent April tightening the service end to end. None of the changes below require you to update the app — they are all behind-the-scenes improvements that protect accounts and data and make the service more transparent.

Stronger account protection

Two-factor authentication available on all organization portal and admin accounts
Upgraded password protection using modern per-user salted hashing
Automatic defenses against password guessing and abuse
Admin-initiated password reset so organizations never get permanently locked out

Reliability and monitoring

Continuous uptime monitoring across both workers
Dead-man's-switch alerting on the check-in escalation cron so a silent failure cannot go unnoticed
Every alert we send is now logged for audit, debugging, and grant reporting
Successful sustained load test completed — the service held up at 100% success

Transparency for funders and orgs

New admin reporting dashboard with live impact metrics
CSV exports designed for grant reporting (orgs roster, funding ledger, impact summary)
Service coverage map shows which states have which kinds of orgs — useful for outreach

Privacy and legal documentation

Expanded privacy policy with CCPA and GDPR disclosures, retention schedule, and sub-processor list
New law enforcement request policy with a clear posture for domestic-violence and at-risk users
New data processing addendum for organizations using the portal
Expanded terms of use covering age eligibility, governing law, and subscription handling

App improvements (shipped with 2.0.x)

Clear notification when a high-privacy account was wiped after 48 hours, with a path to set up a new account
Automatic recovery if the app and server ever fall out of sync, instead of being soft-bricked
Smarter grace-period slider that prevents urgent reminders from crossing midnight
Organizations now see when a member's account was wiped, so they know to send a new invite

Completed

App polish and refinement

Visual consistency pass across all screens. Onboarding rewritten for plain-language clarity. Loading, error, and empty states now explain what is happening and what to do next. Cross-platform QA for iOS and Android.

Completed

Usability and reliability testing

Notification timing rebuilt for precision. Cancel-race bugs resolved. Friction points identified and fixed. Alert delivery made transparent. PIN protection and lockout system tested across account types.

Completed

Organization portal

Full web portal for organizations: member dashboard, seat management, invite system, alert contacts, billing with Stripe, public directory, and admin approval workflow. Includes a transparent funding algorithm that prioritizes nonprofits and high-need organizations.

This week

What we are working on

Legal review of the expanded policies with an outside attorney. Expanding the community funding program and onboarding additional organizations. Preparing the first impact report using the new reporting dashboard. Listening for feedback from early users.

See our support page for the full roadmap.

Update log

Transparent progress

4/16/26: Pre-launch hardening sprint complete. Two-factor authentication rolled out to all organization portal and admin accounts. Upgraded password protection. Continuous uptime monitoring and automated alerting in place. New admin reporting dashboard with CSV exports for grant reporting. Privacy policy expanded with CCPA and GDPR disclosures, a retention schedule, and a sub-processor list. New law enforcement request policy and data processing addendum published. Automatic recovery for users whose accounts were auto-wiped under high-privacy mode.
4/4/26: Version 2.0 live on App Store and Play Store. Organization portal launched with billing, member management, Stripe integration, and public directory. Community funding algorithm deployed. Donation page live. Full Spanish translation for all SMS and email alerts.
4/3/26: Version 2.0 feature-complete. Check-in PIN protection, daily reassurance texts, settings redesign, notification overhaul, and 9 UX patches shipped.
3/26: App polish and usability milestones completed. Build system hardened for iOS and Android. Notification permission flow rebuilt for iOS.
2/2/26: D-U-N-S number request submitted. Core app build and alert system working end to end.
Up next: Formal attorney review of the expanded policies. First published impact report using the new reporting dashboard. Onboarding additional organizations into the funding program. Preparing the next version of the app with account-recovery options for users who lose their device.

If you would like to help test, improve accessibility, or contribute skills as a volunteer, please visit /support or email hello@justchickenin.org.