HeyPolo Review: A Privacy-First Alternative to Life360 from the Surfshark Team

If you’ve ever used a family location‑sharing app like Life360, you’ve probably wondered how much of your family’s movement data gets collected, stored, and possibly sold. Most popular apps in this category rely on a business model that monetizes location data—something that makes many privacy‑conscious parents uneasy. A new app called HeyPolo, built by the team behind the well‑known VPN provider Surfshark, aims to change that by putting privacy at the center of family safety.

What Happened

On June 10, 2026, 9to5Google reported the launch of HeyPolo, a “privacy‑first family safety and location sharing app” developed by Surfshark. The app is available for both iOS and Android, with a free tier that includes basic location sharing and a paid subscription for more advanced features such as geofencing and detailed location alerts. According to the article, Surfshark designed HeyPolo from the ground up with end‑to‑end encryption for all location data, meaning that even Surfshark itself cannot see where your family members are. The company also states that no location history is stored on its servers—only on the users’ own devices.

Why It Matters

The significance of HeyPolo becomes clear when you compare it to incumbents like Life360. Life360 has faced criticism for sharing location data with third‑party partners (though it has since added more privacy controls) and for storing location history on its servers. For many families, the trade‑off between safety and privacy has been difficult to navigate. HeyPolo offers a way to keep tabs on family members—knowing when a child arrives at school or leaves a friend’s house—without surrendering constant location data to a company that could potentially misuse it.

Other privacy‑focused options exist, such as using encrypted messaging apps with location sharing, but they typically lack the dedicated safety features that families want: geofencing alerts, SOS buttons, and low‑battery notifications. HeyPolo brings these features into a package that explicitly minimizes data collection. The choice of Surfshark as the developer also adds credibility, given the company’s track record in privacy advocacy with its VPN and other privacy tools.

That said, HeyPolo is new, and its long‑term trustworthiness will depend on how transparent it remains about data handling and whether it ever changes its privacy promises. Surfshark has a good reputation, but all privacy claims should be taken with cautious optimism.

What Readers Can Do

If you’re a parent looking for a safer alternative to Life360, here are a few practical steps:

  • Evaluate your current app’s privacy policy. Look for sections about data sharing, third‑party access, and data retention. Life360, for example, has improved transparency but still shares aggregated, de‑identified data. HeyPolo claims no server‑side storage of location history, which is a clear advantage.

  • Try HeyPolo’s free version. The free tier allows basic location sharing and emergency alerts. Use it for a week with your family to see if the interface and reliability meet your needs. Keep in mind that advanced geofencing—which lets you set custom zones and get automatic notifications—requires a paid subscription (pricing hasn’t been detailed in the 9to5Google report but will likely be comparable to other premium family apps).

  • Check for platform support. As of now, HeyPolo is available on iOS and Android. If your family uses a mix of devices, verify that all members can install it.

  • Compare with other privacy‑focused options. Apps like Jumbo Privacy or simple encrypted messaging with location sharing may suit some families, but they lack the integrated safety alerts. HeyPolo fills a specific niche: dedicated family safety with privacy defaults.

  • Stay informed. Surfshark has a history of publishing transparency reports and conducting independent security audits. Watch for similar commitments from HeyPolo as the app matures.

Sources

  • 9to5Google, “‘HeyPolo’ is a privacy‑first family safety & location sharing app from the team behind Surfshark,” June 10, 2026. Link