> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://whip.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to open and use apps on Whip

> Open any app on Whip and you get your own private copy — your scores and data are yours alone. Here's how using apps works, including consent and offline.

When you open any app on Whip — one you built, a friend's [share link](/sharing/share-links), or something from [the feed](/discover/the-feed) — you get **your own private copy**. Your scores, entries, and saved data are yours alone. The creator never sees them, and other players never see them. Tap **Try Whip** or **Play**, and the app runs right inside Whip.

## Your own copy, every time

This is the single most important idea on Whip, so here it is plainly: **opening an app gives you a private copy of it, with private data**.

Picture a habit tracker that a thousand people open. Each person gets their own separate copy — a thousand private trackers, not one shared one. Your streaks, notes, and high scores stay in your copy. Nobody else can peek in, and you can't see anyone else's.

<Note>
  The only thing that's ever shared is a game's
  [leaderboard](/using/leaderboards) score, if the app has one — and that
  shows just your score, never your data. Everything else stays in your own
  copy, always.
</Note>

## Opening and running an app

<Steps>
  <Step title="Tap to open" icon="play">
    On the feed, tap **Try Whip**. From a profile or search, tap **Play**. From
    your [Home screen](/using/home-screen-and-folders), just tap the app.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Say yes if it asks" icon="circle-check">
    Some apps have superpowers — saving your data, an AI chat, or pulling live
    info from the internet. The first time you open one, Whip shows a short
    consent sheet explaining what it uses. Tap **I agree** to open it. [More on
    that here](/using/data-ai-and-consent).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Play it" icon="gamepad-2">
    The app runs right inside Whip — buttons press, scores count, data saves.
    Tap the fullscreen option for an edge-to-edge view, and minimize to bring
    back the header.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## When an app needs a moment

A couple of things can happen when you open an app, and both are normal:

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="You're offline" icon="wifi-off">
    Whip needs a connection to load and run apps. If you lose signal, you'll see
    a friendly **You're offline** screen, and Whip reconnects the moment you're
    back online.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="An older app takes a second to wake up" icon="clock">
    Apps that haven't been opened in a while may take a moment to wake up — Whip
    rebuilds them automatically behind the scenes so they always load. No action
    needed; just give it a beat.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Something won't load" icon="circle-alert">
    If an app shows an error, tap **Try again**. If it keeps happening, our
    [troubleshooting guide](/help/troubleshooting) has the fixes.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## About play counts

Every app shows how many times it's been played, right on its card. Fresh apps also surface faster in the feed when they're getting recent plays. One friendly rule: **opening your own app doesn't count toward its play count** — so testing your own creation won't inflate the number.

<Tip>
  Found an app you wish worked a little differently? You don't have to ask the
  creator. [Remix it](/discover/remix-apps) into your own version and change
  whatever you want.
</Tip>

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can the creator see my data or scores?" icon="eye-off">
    No. Everything you do inside an app stays in your own private copy. The only
    thing shared is your score on a game's [leaderboard](/using/leaderboards),
    if it has one — and that's just the score.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I need the app on my phone to open a share link?" icon="smartphone">
    You need the free Whip app. A [share link](/sharing/share-links) opens the
    app right inside Whip and gives you your own copy to play.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Where do apps I open live?" icon="house">
    Apps you build or save show up on your [Home
    screen](/using/home-screen-and-folders). Save an app you love so it's always
    a tap away.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Data, AI, and consent" icon="shield-check" href="/using/data-ai-and-consent">
    What the consent sheet means and the superpowers behind it.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Leaderboards" icon="trophy" href="/using/leaderboards">
    Compete for the high score on games the whole community plays.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>