HeyPolo: A Privacy-First Family Safety App from the Surfshark Team – What You Need to Know

If you’ve ever hesitated to use a family location-sharing app because you didn’t want your child’s every move logged and sold to advertisers, you’re not alone. Apps like Life360 and Google Family Link are convenient, but their data collection practices have raised eyebrows among privacy-conscious parents. Now a new option has appeared: HeyPolo, built by the same team behind Surfshark VPN. It launched in June 2026 and promises to do for family safety what Surfshark did for browsing privacy.

What Happened

HeyPolo is a free (with optional subscription) location-sharing and safety app designed for families. It was developed by Surfshark, a company known for its no-logs VPN and privacy-first reputation. The app is available on both iOS and Android and lets family members share their real-time location, set up safe zones (e.g., home, school), and receive alerts when someone arrives or leaves those zones. There’s also a panic button and battery-level sharing.

What sets it apart from incumbents are its privacy claims: the app uses end-to-end encryption for location data, meaning even Surfshark cannot see where you are. It also collects minimal data—no email addresses required beyond account creation, and no location history stored on servers after alerts are delivered. There are no third-party trackers and no ads.

Why It Matters

The family safety app market has been dominated by Life360, which has been criticized for sharing user data with data brokers and for its opaque privacy policy. Google Family Link offers more control but still ties location to your Google account, which many parents prefer to avoid. Apple’s Family Sharing provides location sharing within iCloud, but it lacks features like geofencing alerts and works only on Apple devices.

HeyPolo enters this space by making privacy a core feature, not an afterthought. For tech-savvy parents who already use a VPN or value digital privacy, this is an appealing alternative. The encryption model resembles that of a messaging app like Signal—location is visible only to invited family members, and only while the alert is active. Once the geofence event is triggered, the location data is deleted from their servers.

Of course, no app is perfect. HeyPolo is new, so the user base is small, and some features—like check-in reminders or driving safety—are still absent. The free tier is ad-free but limits the number of geofences; the paid plan costs $3.99/month (as of launch) and removes those limits. Whether the company will maintain its privacy promises long-term remains to be seen, but Surfshark’s track record with its VPN offers some reassurance.

What Readers Can Do

If you’re considering a family location app and privacy is important to you, here are a few steps:

  • Evaluate your current app’s privacy policy. Look at what data is collected, how long it’s kept, and whether it’s shared with third parties. If it feels invasive, HeyPolo might be worth a try.
  • Test HeyPolo with your own family. It’s free to download and use a basic account. Try setting up a geofence for home or school and see if the alerts work reliably. The interface is straightforward similar to other location apps.
  • Compare feature sets. HeyPolo lacks some advanced features (e.g., driving behavior reports, crash detection) that Life360 offers. Decide which features matter most for your family’s safety.
  • Keep an eye on updates. Because the app is new, features may change quickly. Follow their blog or 9to5Google for reviews and updates.

Remember, no location-sharing app can protect your privacy entirely if you or your family members don’t configure it properly. Always review permissions, turn off location sharing when not needed, and talk to your kids about why you’re using the app.

Sources

  • 9to5Google: ‘HeyPolo’ is a privacy-first family safety & location sharing app from the team behind Surfshark (June 10, 2026)
  • Surfshark official announcement and product page (June 2026)