Whera is a privacy-first family and friends location sharing app. It lets you see family members or friends on a shared map, receive alerts when they arrive at or leave specific places, and access safety features like an SOS panic button and crash detection — all while keeping your data private. Think of it as the Signal of location sharing: real security, not just marketing.

Privacy and trust. Life360 has faced scrutiny for selling precise user location data to data brokers. Whera will never sell your data — and in Enhanced Privacy mode, we literally cannot read it. Your location is encrypted on your device before it ever reaches our servers, using the MLS protocol (RFC 9420). Whera also protects every API request with hardware-bound DPoP tokens (RFC 9449), verifies device integrity continuously, and scores every location update for trustworthiness — security measures you'd expect from a bank, not a family app. Life360 describes its security as “industry-standard.” We describe ours in detail because we think you deserve to know exactly how your family's data is protected.

Apple Find My only works across Apple devices — if anyone in your family uses Android, you're out of luck. Google Family Link is designed for parental controls on children's devices, not mutual family location sharing. Neither offers end-to-end encryption for location data, per-group privacy controls, or the safety features that Whera provides like crash detection, speed alerts, and offline store-and-forward. Whera works across iOS and Android with the same features on both platforms, and you choose the privacy level for each group independently.

Whera is available for iOS and Android, built from a single codebase using Kotlin Multiplatform so the experience is consistent on both platforms. We also offer a lightweight web viewer for temporary share links — anyone can view a shared location in a browser without installing the app.

Whera is designed for families and close groups who want to stay connected. Common use cases include parents keeping track of children, adult children checking in on aging parents, couples coordinating daily logistics, and outdoor enthusiasts who venture into areas with limited connectivity. Enterprise plans are also available for organizations like elder care facilities, field service teams, and logistics operations.

Whera supports 31 languages — more than most family location apps, including the market leader. Supported languages include English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Romanian, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish, Arabic, Hebrew, Hindi, Tamil, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Malay, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese, and Haitian Creole. Whera is the only family location app offering Haitian Creole.

Whera is launching initially in the United States and Canada, with plans to expand internationally after launch. The app supports 31 languages from day one, with full coverage for major Asian, European, and Nordic markets.

Yes — Whera has a free plan that includes location sharing with updates every 30 minutes, 1 group with up to 4 members, 24-hour location history, 5 on-demand Check Ins per day, and the SOS panic button. Every security feature — end-to-end encryption, hardware-backed keys, device attestation, DPoP token binding — is included on all plans, including Free. There are no ads on any tier. Paid plans start at $5/month and unlock more frequent updates, longer history, and additional features.

Subscriptions. That's it. We don't sell your data, we don't sell your location to data brokers, and we don't monetize your behavior. There are no ads on any tier — not even the free plan. Our incentive is to build a product good enough that you want to pay for it, not to extract value from your data behind the scenes.

Whera is pronounced “where-ah” — like asking “where” with a little extra at the end.

It means three things. First, you choose who sees your location — only people in your groups, and you can pause or stop sharing at any time. Second, if you pick Enhanced Privacy mode, even Whera itself cannot see where you are — your location is scrambled on your phone and only your family can unscramble it. Third, Whera will never sell your location data or personal information to anyone. Ever. You don't need to understand encryption to benefit from it — it works automatically in the background to keep your information private.

No. You must create an account, grant location permission, and join a group before anyone can see your location. You can see exactly which groups you're sharing with at all times, and you can pause sharing or leave any group whenever you want. Whera is designed for mutual, consensual sharing — not surveillance. There is no way for someone to add you to a group or access your location without your active participation.

End-to-end encryption means your location data is encrypted on your device before it ever leaves your phone. The encrypted data passes through our servers, but we don't have the keys to read it — only the members of your group do. Think of it like sealing your location in a locked box that only your family can open. Whera physically cannot access your coordinates in this mode, even if compelled to. This isn't a policy promise — it's a cryptographic guarantee.

These are the two privacy modes you can choose for each group. Enhanced Privacy uses full end-to-end encryption via the MLS protocol (RFC 9420) — your location is encrypted on your device and only your group members can see it. Whera's servers store opaque blobs they cannot read. MLS provides continuous forward secrecy (keys advance with every operation, not just when members change) and post-compromise security. Enhanced Features encrypts your data in transit over TLS 1.3 (RFC 8446) and at rest with AES-256, but allows Whera's servers to process your location for richer features like server-side geofence alerts, speed monitoring, and driving reports. Both modes are fully encrypted — no data ever travels unencrypted. It's a question of whether you want maximum privacy or maximum features for a particular group. Family groups default to Enhanced Privacy.

Yes. Privacy mode is set per group, not per account. You might use Enhanced Privacy for a group with your partner and Enhanced Features for a group that tracks your teen's driving. You choose what makes sense for each relationship.

In Enhanced Privacy mode, no — it's impossible by design. Not even Whera employees can see your location. The data is encrypted on your device and we do not have the keys. In Enhanced Features mode, location data is processed by our servers to power features like geofence alerts, but it is encrypted when stored and access is strictly controlled. We never sell, share, or monetize your location data regardless of which mode you use.

Our servers enforce encryption at the API level, not just the client. If you belong exclusively to Enhanced Privacy groups, the server will reject any location update that arrives without end-to-end encryption — it simply will not be stored or processed. This is a server-side guarantee that operates independently of the app. Even in the unlikely event of a client-side bug that bypasses the encryption step, the backend acts as a second line of defense and refuses to accept plaintext location data for users whose groups require it. Your Enhanced Privacy commitment is enforced by the server, not just trusted to the app on your device.

No. Whera will never sell your location data or any personal information to third parties. Our business model is subscriptions, not data monetization. In Enhanced Privacy mode, this is enforced by our architecture — we can't access your location data even if we wanted to.

Whera collects only what is necessary to provide the service: your account information (email, name), group memberships, and location data (subject to the privacy mode you choose). We do not collect your contact lists, browsing history, app usage behavior, or advertising identifiers. Payment details are handled by Stripe, Apple, or Google — we never see your card numbers.

Whera uses the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol (RFC 9420) for group key management in Enhanced Privacy mode — the same IETF standard being adopted for next-generation secure messaging. Location data is encrypted with XChaCha20-Poly1305, which provides authenticated encryption with 192-bit nonces to eliminate nonce-reuse risks. All network communication uses TLS 1.3 (RFC 8446) with FIPS 140-validated cryptographic modules. Keys are stored in the iOS Secure Enclave or Android Keystore and never leave your device.

Yes. Every connection between the Whera app and our backend requires TLS 1.3 (RFC 8446) — the latest and most secure version of the Transport Layer Security protocol. Older TLS versions (1.2, 1.1, 1.0) and unencrypted HTTP connections are rejected outright. All API cryptographic operations use FIPS 140-validated modules. Only two cipher suites are permitted: TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384 and TLS_CHACHA20_POLY1305_SHA256. This applies to all traffic: location updates, authentication, push notification payloads, and API calls. There is no scenario in which your data travels unencrypted between your device and our servers. HSTS is preloaded with a 2-year max-age to prevent downgrade attacks. TLS 1.3 also provides forward secrecy by design, meaning that even if a key were somehow compromised in the future, previously recorded traffic could not be decrypted. This is the transport-level encryption that protects all users regardless of which privacy mode their group uses — it's the baseline, not an option.

Yes. Whera's infrastructure runs on AWS, which uses AWS-LC (AWS LibCrypto) — the first open-source cryptographic library to achieve FIPS 140-3 validation with post-quantum algorithms included. AWS-LC powers the TLS stack across the AWS services Whera relies on, including CloudFront, our API load balancers, and KMS. Beyond FIPS validation, AWS has deployed hybrid post-quantum key exchange on these services. This means TLS connections to Whera's infrastructure use a combination of classical elliptic-curve cryptography (ECDH) and ML-KEM (Module-Lattice-based Key-Encapsulation Mechanism), a NIST-standardized post-quantum algorithm. The hybrid approach means that even if one algorithm is eventually broken, the other still protects your data. This matters now, not just in the future. “Harvest now, decrypt later” is an active threat — adversaries can record encrypted traffic today and attempt to decrypt it once sufficiently powerful quantum computers exist. By using AWS's post-quantum TLS, your data in transit to Whera's servers is protected against both current and future cryptographic threats.

Forward secrecy (also called perfect forward secrecy) means that even if someone recorded all your encrypted traffic and later compromised a server's private key, they still could not decrypt those past sessions. Whera provides this at two independent layers. Layer 1: TLS 1.3 is mandatory on every connection, and TLS 1.3 requires forward secrecy by design — every session generates unique ephemeral keys that are discarded after use. This protects all users on all plans. Layer 2 (Enhanced Privacy mode only): MLS (RFC 9420) provides continuous application-layer forward secrecy, where keys advance with every operation using tree-based key ratcheting. Combined with post-compromise security, this means that after a compromised device is removed or rotates its keys, future location updates become secure again even if the attacker had full access to the device's prior key material. Whera's MLS implementation uses an HKE (Historical Key Epoch) dual-key schedule that enables decryption of historical location data within your tier's retention period while preserving forward secrecy beyond that window. Key rotation is triggered by member removal, device removal, security resets, and periodic rotation.

Yes. Whera's encryption is built on open, publicly audited standards and libraries — not proprietary cryptography. The MLS protocol is defined in RFC 9420, developed openly by the IETF, and implemented by well-tested public libraries. XChaCha20-Poly1305, our symmetric cipher, is a widely reviewed standard used across the industry. We deliberately chose established, battle-tested cryptographic primitives rather than inventing our own. Our implementation of these protocols is private today, but we may open-source it in the future.

Yes. The Whera mobile app pins against the SPKI (Subject Public Key Info) hash of the API certificate, with both primary and backup pins. This means the app will only communicate with servers presenting the expected certificate, preventing man-in-the-middle attacks even if a certificate authority is compromised or a malicious root certificate is installed on the device. Certificate pinning applies to all API connections from the mobile app. The web-based share link viewer uses standard TLS trust (browser certificate store) since it runs in a browser context where pinning is not practical.

Each Whera app installation generates a unique ECDSA P-256 keypair on first launch. The private key is stored in the Secure Enclave on iOS or StrongBox / TEE on Android. The private key is non-exportable and hardware-bound — it literally cannot be extracted from the device, even by the device owner or by Whera. Keys automatically rotate on reinstall, “sign out everywhere,” or password change. This hardware-backed key is what makes features like DPoP token binding possible: every API request from your device is cryptographically signed by a key that only your physical device possesses.

Every authenticated API request is individually signed by your device's hardware-backed private key using DPoP (Demonstrating Proof-of-Possession, RFC 9449). The signature covers the HTTP method, URL, timestamp, and a server-issued nonce that rotates on every response. This means a stolen access token is useless without the hardware-bound private key — it cannot be replayed from another device. Standard bearer tokens (what most apps use) can be intercepted and replayed freely. DPoP comes from the OAuth 2.0 world and is used by banks for high-security transactions. Additionally, if a refresh token is ever used twice (indicating potential theft — both the real user and an attacker tried to use it), Whera immediately revokes the entire session and requires re-authentication plus device re-attestation.

Whera makes it very difficult. Every location update receives a composite trust score and a verified flag. The score factors in device attestation level, DPoP validity, key storage type, behavioral signals, and GPS accuracy. A spoofed GPS position from a rooted phone running a mock location app gets flagged automatically. Beyond GPS validation, Whera runs behavioral anomaly detection — impossible travel detection (you can't be in Seattle and Tokyo 5 minutes apart), rapid geographic region switching, and IP anomaly checks. These are controls adapted from banking and fintech fraud prevention. Family group admins can view trust details in member settings, so if a teen is using a location spoofing app, it won't go unnoticed.

Yes. Whera uses platform-provided device attestation to verify that the app is running on a genuine, unmodified device. On iOS, this uses App Attest to confirm the app binary is authentic and the device has not been jailbroken. On Android, Play Integrity API verifies the app is a legitimate install from Google Play running on a device that passes integrity checks. Attestation isn't just checked at login — Whera verifies continuously: at first launch, through weekly re-attestation, and on-demand when suspicious behavior is detected. Devices are assigned a trust level (full, standard, reduced, or untrusted) that directly influences what the device can do.

Whera hashes passwords with Argon2id — the algorithm recommended by both OWASP and NIST, configured with 64MB memory cost. Argon2id is memory-hard, which makes GPU and ASIC brute-force attacks economically impractical. Older algorithms like bcrypt require only 4KB of memory per attempt — an attacker with a GPU can run millions of guesses in parallel. With Argon2id at 64MB per attempt, the same attacker runs out of memory after a handful.

No. There is no server-side key recovery. Whera's servers never have access to your encryption keys in Enhanced Privacy mode — they are generated and stored exclusively on your device (in the iOS Secure Enclave or Android Keystore). If you lose your device, you can sign in on a new device and will be re-added to your groups via the MLS protocol, receiving new keys. You will be able to see new location updates from that point forward, but location history that was encrypted before your new device joined is only recoverable if you have another device still active in the group.

No. Every security feature — end-to-end encryption via Enhanced Privacy, hardware-backed device keys, DPoP token binding, device attestation, and risk-scored location ingestion — is available on all plans, including the free tier. All five security layers are included for every user. Privacy and security are core values, not premium upsells.

No. The Whera website does not use Google Analytics or any third-party tracking scripts. There are no pixel tags, no advertising trackers, and no behavioral profiling. The only cookies the site uses are strictly functional — a session cookie if you sign in and a language preference cookie — neither of which tracks your behavior or is shared with third parties. A privacy-first app demands a privacy-first website.

Our maps are powered by Stadia Maps and the open-source MapLibre SDK — a deliberate choice driven by privacy. Google Maps, Mapbox, and Apple Maps send user viewport data, search queries, and interaction patterns to their providers, building profiles about where you look and what you search for. Stadia Maps does the opposite: they don't collect user telemetry, don't use cookies, don't store request logs beyond 30 days, and their SDKs are fully open source. When you view a map in Whera, no personal data is sent to the map tile provider — it simply serves the images that make up the map. Your location data never touches Stadia Maps; it stays entirely within Whera's own infrastructure (or encrypted on your device in Enhanced Privacy mode). Using a privacy-respecting mapping provider is part of the same principle that runs through every decision we make: if we're asking you to trust us with your location, every part of the stack should earn that trust.

Whera runs entirely on Amazon Web Services (AWS), which holds SOC 1/2/3, ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, and PCI-DSS Level 1 certifications. We build on that foundation with our own security architecture following Zero Trust principles (NIST SP 800-207): no implicit trust based on network location, mutual TLS for all internal service-to-service communication, and just-in-time privilege elevation with no persistent admin roles. FIDO2/WebAuthn is required for all privileged accounts — SMS-based MFA is prohibited for admin access. We also deploy monitored decoy accounts that trigger alerts if accessed — a deception-based defense common in sophisticated enterprise security.

Whera's security program is built against requirements drawn from SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001/27002, ISO 27701 (privacy management), NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0, PCI-DSS, FIPS 140, GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, HIPAA, COPPA, and more. We've consolidated requirements from over 20 compliance frameworks into a unified set of controls that governs everything from encryption and access control to logging, vulnerability management, and incident response. These aren't retrofitted — they're built into the architecture from the first line of code.

Not yet — and we want to be transparent about that. We are building to SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 standards from day one, and our infrastructure already meets the technical requirements of both frameworks. Formal certification involves an independent audit over an observation period, which we're planning to complete after launch. In the meantime, our security controls, policies, and audit results are documented internally and available for review by enterprise customers under NDA.

Yes. We perform automated vulnerability scanning on every code change using static analysis (SAST), dependency scanning, and container image scanning. Critical findings block deployment — no exceptions. We also plan to conduct annual penetration testing by independent third-party security firms with a comprehensive scope covering our API, mobile applications, network services, and encryption implementation. Findings are triaged by severity with strict remediation timelines: critical vulnerabilities within 7 days, high within 30 days.

Whera maintains formal security policies covering information security management, access control, encryption, incident response, data classification, change management, and business continuity. Key commitments include: all data encrypted at rest with AES-256 and customer-managed keys, all network traffic encrypted over TLS 1.3 with no fallback to older protocols, least-privilege access with no shared accounts, multi-factor authentication required for all production access, centralized audit logging with 365-day retention, real-time monitoring and alerting, and incident response targets of under 4 hours for critical issues. Our security principles start with “privacy by architecture” and “zero trust for user data” — meaning we design systems so that even we can't access what we don't need to.

We have a documented incident response process with severity-based response times. If a data breach occurs, we are committed to notifying affected users within 72 hours as required by GDPR, and without unreasonable delay under CCPA. We operate on an “assume breach” security philosophy — our systems are designed so that even if a component is compromised, the blast radius is limited. In Enhanced Privacy mode, a server breach would yield only encrypted data that we cannot decrypt.

Every vendor that touches user data is evaluated for security posture. Critical vendors like AWS and Stripe are required to hold SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certifications. We maintain data processing agreements with all sub-processors as required by GDPR, and we document exactly what data each vendor can access. Our mapping provider (Stadia Maps) receives no user data at all — only map tile requests. Payment details are handled entirely by Stripe, Apple, or Google. We never store card numbers or payment credentials on our own systems.

When you enable location sharing in a group, your device periodically sends your GPS coordinates to other group members. The frequency depends on your subscription tier — ranging from approximately every 30 minutes on the Free plan to every 5 minutes on Standard and every minute on Premium. Group members see your position on a shared map in real time.

Location accuracy depends on your device's GPS hardware and environment. In open areas with clear sky, accuracy is typically within 5–15 meters. In urban areas with tall buildings or indoors, accuracy may decrease to 20–100 meters. Whera uses the best available location data from your device, combining GPS, Wi-Fi, and cell tower signals.

Yes. You can pause location sharing with any group at any time. You can also use the Zone feature to share only an approximate area — such as “at home” or “away” — instead of your precise coordinates. Timed sharing lets you automatically stop sharing after a set duration.

Zone is a privacy feature that lets you temporarily hide your precise location from a group. Instead of showing your exact coordinates, group members see that you're within a general area (such as “at home”) or simply “away.” This gives you privacy when you want it without fully disconnecting from the group.

Location history retention depends on your subscription tier. The Free plan retains 24 hours of history, Standard retains 30 days, Premium retains 90 days, and Teams retains 365 days. Enterprise plans offer custom retention periods. When history exceeds your tier's limit, older data is automatically deleted.

Yes. Whera uses a store-and-forward system — when your device is offline, the app continues recording your GPS position locally. When connectivity is restored, the full trail of locations is uploaded and backfilled on the map for your group. Competitors just show “location unavailable.” Whera shows where you actually were, with heading and battery level at each point. This is especially useful for hiking, camping, or rural areas with spotty reception.

Yes. You can download map regions before going off-grid. Your own GPS position and saved pins remain visible even without internet, so you can still see where you are on a detailed map. Offline map tiles are available on paid plans.

This is a planned Premium feature that will let you connect a Meshtastic or MeshCore LoRa radio (~$20–35) to your phone and extend location sharing to 1–10+ km range with no cell service at all. This turns Whera into a true off-grid location sharing tool for backcountry hiking, remote work sites, or disaster scenarios. No other family location app offers cross-platform off-grid location sharing.

Before going off-grid or on a trip, you can set an expected return time. If you don't reconnect by that time, Whera automatically alerts your group members that you may need assistance. This is useful for outdoor activities, kids walking home from school, commutes, or road trips.

Whera is designed to minimize battery impact. On the Free plan, location updates are infrequent (approximately every 30 minutes) which uses very little battery. On paid plans with more frequent updates (every 5 minutes on Standard, every minute on Premium), battery usage increases modestly. Typical impact is comparable to other location-aware apps. You can reduce battery usage further by pausing sharing when not needed.

Yes. You can generate a share link that anyone can open in a web browser — no account or app download required. The recipient sees your location on a lightweight map with periodic updates. Share links are time-limited (30 minutes to 24 hours) and auto-expire. The viewer is not tracked in any way.

You can pause your own location sharing in any group at any time while still viewing other members' locations. This is useful if you want to check in on family without actively broadcasting your own position. Group members will see that your location is paused — Whera doesn't hide the fact that you've stopped sharing, because transparency is important in a family safety app.

Groups are how you organize the people you share your location with. You might have a group for your immediate family, another for a hiking club, and another for a trip with friends. Each group has its own privacy mode, members, and alert settings. The number of groups you can create depends on your subscription tier.

Group size limits depend on your subscription tier. The Free plan supports 1 group with up to 4 members. Standard supports 5 groups with up to 15 members each. Premium supports 15 groups with up to 30 members each. Teams supports 50 groups with unlimited members, and Enterprise has no limits.

You can invite people by sharing an invite link via text, email, or any messaging app. You can also show a QR code for them to scan, or share an invite code they can enter manually. When someone joins via your invite, they'll be prompted to download Whera if they don't have it, then automatically added to the group.

Geofences are virtual boundaries you draw on the map around places that matter to you — like home, school, or work. When a group member arrives at or leaves a geofenced area, you receive a notification. You can create circular zones or custom polygons. The number of geofences you can create depends on your tier.

In Enhanced Features mode, geofences are evaluated on the server, which means alerts can be processed even when your phone is in a low-power state. In Enhanced Privacy mode, geofences are evaluated on each group member's device instead, since the server can't see the location data. Both approaches deliver alerts, but server-side evaluation in Enhanced Features mode can be slightly more reliable in edge cases.

Whera supports several types of alerts depending on your plan: geofence arrive/leave alerts, speed alerts for teen drivers, inactivity alerts for elderly family members, low battery alerts (when a member's phone drops below 20% and 10%), departure alerts for off-grid situations, and SOS/crash detection alerts. You can customize which alerts you receive for each group member.

Speed alerts notify you when a group member exceeds a speed threshold you set — for example, if your teen driver goes over 75 mph. This feature requires Enhanced Features mode for the group since speed is calculated server-side. Available on Standard plans and above.

Inactivity alerts notify you if a group member hasn't moved or updated their location for an extended period. This is especially useful for monitoring aging parents who live alone — if they haven't moved by a certain time of day, you'll get a gentle alert to check in. Available on Standard plans and above.

Whera includes an SOS panic button, crash detection, speed alerts, inactivity alerts, battery alerts, and departure alerts for off-grid situations. The SOS panic button and basic safety features are available on all plans, including Free — we believe safety should never be paywalled.

One tap on the SOS button immediately sends your current location to all of your group members and designated emergency contacts, along with an alert that you need help. Emergency contacts receive a push notification and optional SMS. The SOS alert includes your precise GPS coordinates, battery level, and a timestamp. You can optionally have it initiate a call to 911 (or your local emergency number).

SOS data is not end-to-end encrypted — and this is intentional. When you press SOS, your location is sent without the additional layer of E2E encryption regardless of whether your group uses Enhanced Privacy mode, because our servers need to deliver the alert reliably and immediately. The data is still fully encrypted in transit over TLS 1.3, so it is never sent in the clear — but Whera's servers can read the SOS location to ensure delivery. In an emergency, getting your location to the people who can help you is more important than preventing server access. This safety override is clearly disclosed during onboarding and in our privacy policy.

Crash detection uses your phone's accelerometer and motion sensors to detect a sudden, severe impact consistent with a vehicle collision. If a potential crash is detected, Whera displays a countdown alert on your screen. If you don't respond within the countdown period, it automatically triggers an SOS alert to your group members and emergency contacts.

The Free plan supports up to 3 emergency contacts, Standard supports 5, and Premium supports 10. Emergency contacts receive your SOS alerts and crash detection notifications. They do not need to be Whera users — alerts can be sent via SMS, so they work even if the emergency contact doesn't have the app installed.

The SOS panic button is always free on every plan. We will never put a core safety feature behind a paywall. Crash detection and advanced safety features like speed alerts and driving reports are available on higher tiers, but the fundamental ability to call for help is available to everyone.

If you lose your phone, your last known location remains visible to your group members, which can help you (or them) find it. You should sign in to Whera on another device and remove the lost device from your account to revoke its access. If your group uses Enhanced Privacy mode, removing the device triggers an MLS group update that rotates the encryption keys, ensuring the lost device can no longer decrypt new location updates even if someone gains access to it.

Whera offers five tiers: Free ($0), Standard ($5/month), Premium ($10/month), Teams ($15–20/user/month), and Enterprise (custom pricing). Each tier increases the frequency of location updates, length of location history, and available features. All tiers — including Free — get every security feature: end-to-end encryption, hardware-backed keys, DPoP, and device attestation. Annual subscriptions are available at a discount.

The Free plan includes location sharing with updates approximately every 30 minutes, 1 group with up to 4 members, 24-hour location history, 2 geofences per group, 5 on-demand Check Ins per day, and the SOS panic button. All five security layers are included. There are no ads on any plan.

Standard ($5/month) upgrades you to 5-minute location updates, 30-day history, 5 groups with up to 15 members each, 10 geofences per group, Privacy Zones, and inactivity alerts. Premium ($10/month) unlocks 1-minute updates, 90-day history, 15 groups with up to 30 members each, 20 geofences per group, full crash detection with auto-escalation, speed alerts, and driving behavior reports. Teams and Enterprise plans add 365-day history, check-in rates down to 30 seconds, SSO, fleet management, audit logging, and more.

Yes. Annual subscriptions purchased through our website are discounted 20% compared to monthly billing. This web discount reflects the lower payment processing fees we pay compared to in-app purchases through the App Store or Google Play, and we pass those savings directly to you.

App stores charge 15–30% of each transaction as a processing fee. Payment through our website via Stripe costs us roughly 3%. We pass those savings on to you with a 20% discount on annual plans purchased through the web. Same subscription, same features — just a better price.

Yes. You can switch from monthly to annual billing at any time to take advantage of the annual discount. If you switch from annual to monthly, your current annual term will complete first. You can manage your subscription through the app, our website, or the App Store / Google Play depending on where you originally subscribed.

If you downgrade, features beyond your new tier's limits are adjusted. Excess groups are archived (not deleted) — you choose which to keep active. Existing group members stay, but you can't add more beyond the new limit. History beyond your new retention limit is preserved but not viewable until you upgrade again. Features like crash detection and speed alerts are disabled if they're not included in your new tier.

It depends on where you subscribed. For web subscriptions (Stripe), we process refunds directly — pro-rated for annual plans, and we're generous within the first 30 days. For subscriptions through the Apple App Store, you'll need to request a refund through Apple (Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions). For Google Play subscriptions, refunds are requested through Google Play. We cannot process refunds for App Store or Google Play purchases directly.

Teams ($15–20/user/month) and Enterprise (custom pricing) are designed for organizations that need location sharing for teams — such as field service companies, logistics operations, elder care facilities, schools, or construction sites. They include an admin dashboard (Whera-hosted or self-hosted), SSO (SAML/OIDC), shift-based sharing controls, configurable check-in rates (down to 30-second intervals), 365-day history, fleet management features, configurable alerting (Slack, PagerDuty, webhook, email), comprehensive audit logging, and dedicated support with SLA. Enterprise adds REST API access, custom integrations, custom data retention, and invoice billing. Contact us for pricing.

You can create a Whera account using your email address and a password, or sign in with your Apple or Google account. Account creation takes about a minute, after which you'll set up location permissions and create or join your first group.

You can delete your account from the app's settings. When you request deletion, your account enters a 30-day grace period during which you can change your mind and reactivate. After 30 days, all your data is permanently and irreversibly deleted from our systems — including your location history, group memberships, and account information.

Yes. We support data portability as required by GDPR and CCPA. You can request an export of your personal data from the app's settings. The export includes your account information and location history in a standard format.

Whera is designed for privacy compliance from the ground up. We support the right to erasure (account deletion), right to portability (data export), and data minimization (we only collect what's necessary). We never sell personal data. In Enhanced Privacy mode, we can't even access your location data. Our privacy policy documents all of this in detail, and our EU Terms Addendum provides additional protections for users in the European Economic Area. You can read more about the GDPR and CCPA from their respective authorities.

Location history is retained based on your subscription tier (24 hours to 365 days) and automatically deleted when it exceeds your tier's limit. SOS event data is retained for 90 days and then automatically deleted. Server logs never contain location data or personally identifiable information and expire after 90 days. When you delete your account, all data is permanently purged after a 30-day grace period.

No. There are no ads on any Whera plan, including the free tier. We believe ads create misaligned incentives — an ad-supported app is motivated to collect more data about you to serve targeted ads. Whera's revenue comes entirely from subscriptions, which keeps our incentives aligned with your privacy.

In the unlikely event that Whera ceases operations, we would provide advance notice and a window for users to export their data. All data would then be permanently deleted. We would not transfer or sell user data to any third party.

Whera needs location permission (“Always” is recommended for background updates, though “While Using” works with reduced functionality) and notification permission (to deliver alerts). On Android, you may also need to adjust battery optimization settings so the app can run reliably in the background. Whera will guide you through each permission during setup.

Location sharing works best when Whera can update your position in the background — even when you're not actively using the app. Without background access, your location only updates when the app is open, which means your family might see a stale position. You can choose to grant only “While Using” access, but your group members will see less frequent updates.

After creating your account and granting permissions, tap “Create Group” and give it a name. Choose the privacy mode (Enhanced Privacy or Enhanced Features) for the group — family groups default to Enhanced Privacy. Then invite members by sharing a link, showing a QR code, or sharing an invite code. Once another member joins, you'll see each other on the map.

If someone sends you an invite link, tap it. If you already have Whera installed, you'll be added to the group automatically. If not, you'll be taken to the app store to download Whera first, then you'll join the group after signing up. You can also join by scanning a QR code or entering an invite code in the app.

An empty map means no one else has joined your group yet. Tap the invite button to send an invitation to a family member. Once they install Whera and join your group, you'll both appear on each other's maps. If members have joined but still aren't visible, check that both devices have location permissions enabled and that location sharing isn't paused.

Open a group, tap the geofence (or “places”) button, and draw a circle on the map around a location you care about — like home, school, or work. Give it a name and choose whether to be notified on arrival, departure, or both. You'll receive a push notification when group members cross the boundary.

Go to Settings → Safety → Emergency Contacts. Add the people you want to be notified when you press SOS or if crash detection is triggered. Emergency contacts can be anyone — they don't need to have Whera installed. Alerts are sent via SMS with your location.

Whera requires users to be at least 13 years old, in compliance with COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act). Children under 13 cannot create their own account. For families with younger children, a parent or guardian manages the child's presence within the app through the parent's own account and device. Whera is designed for family safety, and we take children's privacy seriously — we do not collect data from children beyond what is strictly necessary for the location sharing service, and all standard privacy protections (including Enhanced Privacy encryption) apply equally.

Whera works on iPads and Android tablets, though it is primarily designed for phones since location sharing is most useful on the device you carry with you. A tablet left at home will show its fixed location to your group, which is less useful than a phone in your pocket. The full feature set is available on tablets, including geofence alerts, SOS, and group management.

Start with these steps: (1) Make sure their device has location permissions set to “Always” for Whera. (2) Check that they haven't paused location sharing for your group. (3) On Android, check that battery optimization isn't killing Whera in the background — this is the most common cause. (4) Make sure they have an internet connection. (5) Ask them to open the app briefly, which often triggers a fresh update. If the issue persists, try having them toggle location sharing off and on.

The Free plan uses the operating system's significant-change location monitoring, which only triggers an update when your device detects you've moved a meaningful distance — roughly every 30 minutes. This approach is designed to minimize battery usage. Paid plans use more frequent active monitoring, with updates every 5 minutes on Standard and every minute on Premium.

Many Android manufacturers aggressively kill background apps to save battery. The fix depends on your phone brand. Samsung: Settings → Apps → Whera → Battery → “Unrestricted” and disable “Put app to sleep.” Xiaomi/Redmi: Settings → Apps → Whera → set to “No restrictions” and enable Autostart. Huawei/Honor: Settings → Battery → App Launch → set Whera to manual with all toggles enabled. OnePlus/Oppo/Realme: Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization → Whera → “Don't optimize” and disable Deep Optimization. Google Pixel: Settings → Apps → Whera → Battery → “Unrestricted.”

Check these settings: (1) Make sure notification permission is granted for Whera in your device settings. (2) Check that Do Not Disturb is not enabled (or add Whera as an exception). (3) On Android, ensure Whera's notification channel is not muted — go to Settings → Apps → Whera → Notifications and make sure all categories are enabled. (4) Check that the specific alerts you expect are enabled in Whera's group settings.

Some battery usage is expected since Whera accesses location services. However, excessive drain is not normal. Try these steps: (1) Check your location update frequency — plans with minute-by-minute updates use more battery than the Free plan's 30-minute updates. (2) If you don't need real-time updates for all groups, consider pausing sharing in less important ones. (3) On iOS, make sure Whera is set to “Always” (not “While Using”) — counter-intuitively, “While Using” can use more battery because the app has to stay active. (4) Check for a Whera app update, as battery improvements are included regularly.

This is usually a network connectivity issue. Check your internet connection and try refreshing the page or reopening the app. If you're on a restricted network (school, corporate WiFi), the map tile server may be blocked — try switching to mobile data. If the issue persists, try clearing the app's cache in your device settings.

Make sure the invite link hasn't expired — invite links have a limited validity period. If the link opens a web page instead of the app, try copying the link and pasting it into your browser, or ask the group creator to send a new invite. On Android, make sure Whera is set as the default handler for whera.app links in your device settings.

The cancellation process depends on where you subscribed. For web (Stripe) subscriptions: go to your account settings on whera.app and click “Manage Subscription.” For Apple App Store: go to Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions → Whera → Cancel. For Google Play: open Google Play → Menu → Subscriptions → Whera → Cancel. Your subscription remains active until the end of the current billing period after cancellation.

You can reach our support team at support@whera.app. We aim to respond within 24 hours on business days. Before emailing, check this FAQ and our support articles — many common questions are answered there.