--- title: "Putting It Out There: Think Before You Sync" description: An important consideration as you use all these apps with location markers. When it comes to your health information and your physical location, our advice is to think before you sync. --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2013/09/19/putting-it-out-there-think-before-you-sync#) [MEDIA](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/tag/media) # Putting It Out There: Think Before You Sync Sep 19, 2013 7:00:02 AM  |  by [Barb Szyszkiewicz](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/barb-szyszkiewicz-ofs) [![](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/TechTalk-sized-652.png?width=326&height=244&name=TechTalk-sized-652.png "TechTalk sized")](http://catholicmom.com/?attachment_id=34341) I love to try new apps, especially if they’re free. I love that for just about anything you can dream up, there’s an app (or three) for that. But when the apps you use contain your personal information, it’s important to take some safety measures. ![RunKeeper friends feed](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/RunKeeper-friends-feed-200x400.png?width=200&height=400&name=RunKeeper-friends-feed-200x400.png) One of my friends uses RunKeeper to track her workouts. This app lets you share your planned route on social media and (with in-app purchase) broadcasts LIVE maps of your runs or bike rides to your “supporters.” Yikes. I like using an app to track my walking workouts. Since I live in a neighborhood with irregularly-sized (and shaped) blocks, it helps me figure out routes with a certain target distance in mind—without having to drive around in the car to measure on the odometer. It also keeps track of my pace and my “personal best.” While this app uses my phone’s GPS to measure my pace and distance, I do not have it set up to sync with social media of any kind, or with “The Cloud.” I could, but I don’t. **All my workout data is stored on my phone**. There’s a reason for that. ![runkeeper map sample](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/runkeeper-map-sample-225x400.png?width=225&height=400&name=runkeeper-map-sample-225x400.png) I don’t need to let anyone know where I’m walking, or that I’m not at home, or how long I’ll probably not be at home. (When I’m done, if I need to brag, I can compose my own tweet, thankyouverymuch, with my time and distance.) Am I being ultra-cautious? Probably. I’m a worrier by nature. But a recent [New York Times article discusses just a few of the security concerns](http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/12/your-money/free-apps-for-nearly-every-health-problem-but-what-about-privacy.html?ref=nutrition&_r=0) that users of health and fitness apps should consider. This article doesn’t even get into the issues of women who run or walk alone and who use these apps to track their routes, broadcasting their location over Facebook or Twitter. **The bottom line is:  you don’t know who sees it; you don’t know who stores it; you don’t know where that data goes once it leaves your phone.** We tell our kids to be careful about the information they share online—but we share our workout routes to anyone (family member, friend, or stranger) who cares to check the hashtag these apps automatically include with every tweet. When it comes to your health information and your physical location, my advice is to think before you sync. ***Copyright 2013 Barb Szyszkiewicz*** ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2013%2F09%2F19%2Fputting-it-out-there-think-before-you-sync%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2013%2F09%2F19%2Fputting-it-out-there-think-before-you-sync%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2013%2F09%2F19%2Fputting-it-out-there-think-before-you-sync%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Putting%20It%20Out%20There%3A%20Think%20Before%20You%20Sync) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2013%2F09%2F19%2Fputting-it-out-there-think-before-you-sync%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2013%2F09%2F19%2Fputting-it-out-there-think-before-you-sync%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Barb Szyszkiewicz](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/BSzyszkiewicz%202022.jpg) ### [Barb Szyszkiewicz](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/barb-szyszkiewicz-ofs) Barb Szyszkiewicz, senior editor at [CatholicMom.com](http://catholicmom.com), is a wife, mom of 3 young adults, and a Secular Franciscan. Barb enjoys writing, cooking, and reading, and is a music minister at her parish. Find her blog at [FranciscanMom](http://franciscanmom.com) and her family’s favorite recipes with nutrition information at [Cook and Count](http://cookandcount.wordpress.com). Barb is the author of *[The Handy Little Guide to Prayer](https://amzn.to/2LQB2oL)* and * [The Handy Little Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours](https://amzn.to/3wbDB8k)*, available from Our Sunday Visitor. ## Related Blog Articles [ Book Notes: Meeting God in the Upper Room Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2017/02/09/book-notes-meeting-god-upper-room) [ Back to School with STYLE: Yes, it Has a Home Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2015/10/14/back-to-school-with-style-yes-it-has-a-home) [ Stock the Shelves with Catholic Fiction Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/stock-the-shelves-with-catholic-fiction) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! 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