Our smartphones can do a lot, but perhaps one of the most underrated things they can do is offer great peace of mind for families. That’s a big part of why location-sharing apps have been popular for years, but many of them can also be a privacy nightmare. That’s the problem Surfshark’s HeyPolo aims to solve: a privacy-first family safety app.
Hello Polo supports location sharing optimized for families, but respecting your privacy both to the outside world and within the family.
While most location sharing apps are always on, HeyPolo is designed for limited time sharing. Family members can set specific repeat times to share their location, or use one-time shares for specific nights out or trips. But if you set a timer, that’s it. The app stops sharing your location as soon as you want it to. Of course, you can enable 24/7 sharing, but it’s completely up to you.
You can also customize location sharing to include your exact location, a general area, or set it to private person-by-person or group-by-group mode, giving each family member some level of privacy while still sharing their details. HeyPolo also keeps a log of your trips, but similarly you can choose who can see those past trips and what they can see.
HeyPolo also features smart notifications, including SOS alerts and the ability to receive notifications when family members enter or leave a certain location, or even if your battery is running low. Again, everyone has full control over the privacy of these types of notifications.
There’s also an “Emergency Access” feature that gives someone one-time access to your live location, if you give them permission, in the event location sharing is not enabled during an emergency. This can be limited, such as allowing it only once a year, so that it is not abused.
Another useful feature is driving tracking, which not only monitors location and history, but also speed and driving habits.
The app is built entirely on the idea of consent-based tracking, with no always-on modes by default. As HeyPolo explains, it provides peace of mind for family members “without turning relationships into surveillance.”
HeyPolo never sells or exploits users’ location data (it is not monetized at all) and everything is completely encrypted on both Android and iOS. And there’s reason to be confident here, as HeyPolo is developed by the team behind Surfshark, one of the world’s leading VPN providers.
Instead, the app is funded by a subscription fee that only one person has to pay. For $3.99 a month, you can create groups of family, friends, or even coworkers. You subscribe and everyone else joins for free, and it’s unlimited.
Can try HeyPolo for 7 days freeand the $3.99/month fee comes as a one-time annual payment of $47.88. There is also a 30-day money back guarantee.
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