HeyPolo Is a New Privacy-First Family Location Sharing App from the Makers of Surfshark
If you’ve looked into family location-sharing apps lately, you’ve probably run into Life360. It works well enough, but over the years it’s collected a fair amount of criticism over how it handles data—ads, sharing with third parties, that kind of thing. Now a new option has appeared from a team that already knows a thing or two about privacy: the people behind Surfshark VPN.
HeyPolo launched in June 2026 and positions itself as a privacy-first alternative for families who want to know where each other are without trading location data for convenience. Here’s what it does, how it differs from the competition, and what you should consider before installing it.
What Is HeyPolo?
HeyPolo is a family safety app built around real-time location sharing. It offers the basics you’d expect:
- A live map showing family members’ locations.
- Geofencing – set up zones (home, school, a friend’s house) and get notified when someone enters or leaves.
- SOS alerts that send your location to the family circle with a tap.
- Battery level indicators for each member’s phone.
The app is available for iOS and Android, and the company says setup takes about five minutes. You create a “family circle,” invite members, and they can see each other’s locations once they accept. End-to-end encryption is used for location data, which means Surfshark (the parent company) shouldn’t be able to read it even if they wanted to.
Why Privacy Matters Here
The main reason HeyPolo exists is that the existing market leader, Life360, has faced repeated scrutiny over its data practices. In the past, Life360 was found to be sharing location data with data brokers and using it for advertising insights. They’ve since changed some policies, but the trust issue lingers for many families.
HeyPolo’s pitch is straightforward: no ads, no selling of location data, and minimal data collection beyond what’s needed for the app to work. The company publishes a privacy policy that explicitly says they do not share location data with third parties for marketing or advertising. Given that Surfshark built its reputation on VPN privacy and no-logs policies, the claims carry more weight than they might from a startup with no track record.
Still, a few caveats: encryption is never a silver bullet. If someone gets physical access to a family member’s phone, they could see location data. Also, HeyPolo is new—its long-term privacy promises are only as good as the company’s future business decisions. Surfshark has a decent history, but it’s worth noting that no app is “set and forget” when it comes to privacy.
How to Get Started with HeyPolo
If you want to try it, here’s the practical rundown:
- Download the app from the App Store or Google Play. It is free with optional premium features (the exact pricing model wasn’t fully detailed at launch, but early reports mention a subscription for advanced geofencing and history).
- Create an account using an email address. You can skip giving your real name if that matters to you.
- Create or join a family circle by sending an invitation link. Each member needs the app installed.
- Adjust location permissions on each phone—iOS and Android both require “Always” for background location sharing to work. This is a battery trade-off, so expect slightly higher drain on phones that actively share location.
- Set up geofences for places you care about. The app lets you customize notification settings per zone.
One thing to watch: because the app is new, user reviews are limited. A few early testers reported occasional delays in location updates, though nothing major. Treat it as a version 1.0: functional, but not yet battle-tested.
Comparison with Life360
| Feature | HeyPolo | Life360 |
|---|---|---|
| End-to-end encryption for location | Yes | No (location visible to server) |
| Ad-supported free tier | No | Yes (with limitations) |
| Data sold to third parties | No | Has been in the past |
| Number of users | Very new, small community | Millions, large network |
| Platform maturity | Startup phase | Years of refinement |
| Crash detection / driving safety | No | Yes (paid plans) |
The big trade-off is that Life360 has a richer set of safety features (crash detection, roadside assistance, driver reports) if you’re willing to pay and accept the data trade. HeyPolo keeps things simpler but cleaner from a privacy standpoint.
The Surfshark Connection
Surfshark is best known for its VPN service, which competes with NordVPN and ExpressVPN. The company has consistently positioned privacy as a selling point and operates under a no-logs policy that has been audited. Building a family safety app under the same roof makes business sense: existing Surfshark customers already trust the brand, and the company can offer cross‑service bundles.
From a user perspective, the connection means there is a real, established company behind HeyPolo with a financial incentive to maintain a privacy‑friendly reputation. That’s more than many smaller app developers can offer.
Is HeyPolo Right for Your Family?
If your main concern is that your family members know where each other are without letting a third‑party company collect and resell that data, HeyPolo is currently one of the best available options. It doesn’t try to be a full‑featured safety suite—no driving analysis or crash detection—but for simple, private location sharing, it does the job.
If you need those extra safety features and are comfortable with Life360’s current privacy policies (which have improved), Life360 remains a more mature product. But for privacy‑conscious families, HeyPolo is a welcome alternative that finally exists.
Sources
- 9to5Google: ‘HeyPolo’ is a privacy-first family safety & location sharing app from the team behind Surfshark (June 2026)