The flavours down Taiwan's alleys deserve to be remembered.
So much of Taiwan's best food hides down narrow lanes: no designed signage, no marketing budget — just a broth simmered for decades and an owner who starts prepping at 4 a.m.
These shops hold up our everyday lives, yet they're easy to scroll past. Too often we only notice when the shutters come down for good, with a note thanking customers for all the years.
That's why we built ckin: to get you off the delivery apps and out the door, to an alley snack shop you've never been to — and, after you eat, to share it on Threads so more people find these hard-working places.
One shop at a time, so these flavours stay with us.
FAQ
How does a check-in work?
① At the shop, open its card and tap “📍 I'm here”. ② We draft a post with the shop's link and your personal check-in code (the ?c=CK… at the end) — post it on Threads. ③ Tap Share → Copy link on your post and paste it into ckin. We read that public post, confirm your code, and the pin turns green ✓. Codes are unique per person and shop, so someone else's post won't work.
How is my privacy protected?
Your location is sent only when you tap “I'm here”, used to compute a distance, and not kept — we store only the visit time and distance. Google sign-in keeps your name and avatar, not your email. We read only the one public Threads post you paste; no Threads authorization needed. You have 24 hours to post, so your post never reveals where you are right now. See the privacy policy.
Is it free?
Checking in is completely free. Each area starts with shops under NT$200 per person; check in at all of them to unlock the next price tier.
Is there a reward for checking in at every shop in a city or town?
Yes. We're designing an achievement system with badges for people who complete every check-in in a city or town. Every check-in you make now will count.
My favourite shop isn't on the map.
It may be locked: pricier shops appear once you've checked in at every shop in the area's current tier. Otherwise it probably has fewer than 1,000 Google reviews or a rating below 4.0. Suggest it on GitHub Issues with a Google Maps link — we may lower the review threshold to bring in more small shops. New cities and closed shops are welcome there too.
Does it work on Safari and iPhone?
Yes. On iPhone and Safari, Google sign-in uses a full-page redirect. Allow Safari to use your location when checking in (Settings → Privacy → Location Services → Safari).
