Meet HeyPolo: A Privacy-First Family Location App from the Surfshark Team
If you’ve been using a family location sharing app like Life360 or Google Family Link, you may have wondered how much of your family’s data those companies actually collect. Surfshark, a company best known for its VPN and privacy tools, has released a new app called HeyPolo that aims to address those concerns head-on. The app launched in early June 2026 and is now available for iOS and Android.
What happened
On June 10, 2026, 9to5Google reported that Surfshark’s team had released HeyPolo, a family safety and location sharing app designed with privacy as a core feature. The app allows family members to see each other’s real‑time locations, set up geofences (virtual boundaries that trigger alerts when someone enters or leaves an area), and send check‑ins or emergency alerts. The key differentiator is its data handling: HeyPolo uses end‑to‑end encryption for location data and promises to collect only the minimum information needed to make the service work.
According to the initial coverage, the app does not require an account tied to a phone number or email address for every family member. Instead, each user creates a local profile that is paired with the family group. Location information is stored on the user’s device and encrypted before being transmitted. Surfshark’s privacy policy for the app explicitly states that it does not sell or share location data with third parties, and it does not retain location history on its servers beyond what is temporarily needed to deliver the current location to other family members.
Why it matters
The family location app market has grown rapidly over the past decade, but privacy practices vary widely. Life360, the most popular alternative, has faced criticism for sharing anonymized location data with third parties for analytics and advertising. Google Family Link collects significant usage data, and while it offers location sharing, its primary purpose is device management rather than privacy‑first tracking.
For parents who are already using a VPN or other privacy tools, HeyPolo’s approach feels like a natural extension. The promise of end‑to‑end encryption means that even if Surfshark’s servers were compromised, an attacker would not be able to read the location data. The minimal data retention policy also reduces the risk of long‑term surveillance or data mining.
That said, there is still limited independent auditing of HeyPolo’s claims. The app is new, and while Surfshark has a track record with its VPN, family safety apps involve additional considerations—such as emergency response reliability and child safety features. Early reviews from tech outlets will be important before fully trusting the privacy promises.
What readers can do
If you are a parent considering a location sharing app and you prioritize privacy, HeyPolo is worth a closer look. Here are a few practical steps:
Compare the privacy policies directly. Open HeyPolo’s privacy policy alongside Life360’s. Look for language about data retention, third‑party sharing, and encryption. Surfshark’s policy is fairly short and clear, which is a good sign.
Test with a small group first. The app is free to start (Surfshark has not detailed its full pricing model yet, but early reports indicate basic features are free). Create a family circle with just your own devices and test accuracy, battery drain, and notification reliability. Pay attention to how location updates behave when family members have poor internet connections.
Consider the trade‑offs. No app gives you perfect privacy. HeyPolo still requires you to trust Surfshark’s server infrastructure and the integrity of its encryption implementation. If you need features like detailed location history (e.g., to review a child’s past locations), HeyPolo may not be suitable, because it intentionally minimizes stored data.
Keep an eye on updates. The app is in its early days. Surfshark has a history of iterating on its products based on user feedback. Check the iOS and Android app stores for change logs, and look for independent security audits in the coming months.
Sources
- 9to5Google, “‘HeyPolo’ is a privacy-first family safety & location sharing app from the team behind Surfshark,” June 10, 2026.
- Surfshark official website and HeyPolo privacy policy (accessed June 2026).