Yik Yak is a social media app that allows users to connect with others within a five-mile radius. To use the app, users must verify their US phone number. Identities on the app are kept secret, and users are referred to as a "herd". Users can post messages, called "yaks", which are visible to their herd, and can upvote or downvote yaks to show their approval or disapproval. The Hot feed displays yaks from the past 24 hours based on the number of upvotes they receive, and users can comment on yaks to start a conversation. Notifications allow users to stay updated on activity within the app. Yik Yak also has a nationwide Hot and Top feed to show what is happening around the country. The app has guidelines, called Community Guardrails, to keep users safe.