FamiWatch shows your family's real-time location on a live map, lets you exchange text and voice messages, and sends an instant SOS alert to everyone when it matters most — all in one app. Guardians and children each get a role-specific interface. Joining the family group takes one QR code scan — no account registration, no complex setup. Route history, profile photos, and unread message badges keep everyone connected and informed.
Family members' locations are encrypted with AES-GCM and shared through iCloud CloudKit, so only your group can see them. The map auto-zooms to fit everyone on screen. Profile photos appear directly on each pin so you know at a glance who's where. Route history (up to 24 hours) can be overlaid as footprints.
Guardians can receive text and voice messages from children. The child's interface shows preset phrases set by the guardian — one tap sends a message like "I'm on my way home!" or "Please pick me up." Voice messages up to 10 seconds are supported for quick audio check-ins. All messages are end-to-end encrypted.
Tapping the SOS button on the map enters confirmation mode. A second tap sends a push notification to every family member immediately. A 3-second auto-cancel prevents accidental sends. SOS events also appear as red alert entries in the chat history so nothing gets missed.
The guardian creates a family group and a QR code appears on screen. Children and a second guardian scan it to join instantly — no email, no password, no registration. Up to two guardians are supported. The settings screen handles member visibility, profile photos, and name changes.
Location data is AES-GCM encrypted and delivered through iCloud CloudKit in real time. The map automatically adjusts to include all visible members. When a profile photo is set, it appears directly on the map pin so you can identify each person instantly. Toggle the footprints button to overlay up to 24 hours of movement history on the map — useful for seeing which route a child took home.
Guardians see the full chat history — text messages, voice messages, and SOS alerts — all in one scrollable list. Children see a grid of large preset-phrase buttons set by the guardian, so even young children can send a message with one tap. Voice messages up to 10 seconds can be recorded and sent directly from a dedicated recording screen. All content is encrypted with the family's shared key before upload.
The SOS button sits at the center of the map header. Tapping it once enters a confirmation state — the button changes appearance and a label prompts the user to tap again. A second tap within 3 seconds sends a push notification to all family members and logs the event in the chat as a red SOS entry. If the second tap doesn't come in time, the confirmation state resets automatically so accidental alerts are never sent.
Open the app as a guardian and a new family group is created with a QR code ready to share. Children scan it to join and start sharing their location immediately. A second guardian can also join using the same flow. In Settings, guardians can manage each member's visibility on the map, set or update profile photos with a built-in crop tool, rename their device, and remove members if needed.
Open the app, tap "Register as Guardian," and a QR code appears. Have your child open the app and scan it — they join the family group instantly, no account creation needed. A second guardian can join the same way.
Your child's location appears as a pin on the map as soon as sharing starts. Send messages, receive preset-phrase replies, and use the SOS button when immediate contact is needed. Unread message badges keep you informed at a glance.
Tap "Footprints" to overlay the last 24 hours of movement on the map. Check which route your child walked home, see where they stopped, and clear the overlay with one tap when you're done.
"I can see exactly where my daughter is when she's walking home from school. The QR code setup took about 30 seconds and it just worked. Having the SOS button there gives both of us peace of mind — she knows help is one tap away."
"The preset message buttons on the kids' side are brilliant. My son is in first grade and he can't type well yet, but he taps "I've arrived!" every time he gets to after-school club and I get the message instantly."
"The footprints feature is surprisingly useful. I can see the route my kids walked home and notice if they took a detour. Voice messages make it easy to check in without a phone call. Simple, reliable, and does exactly what it says."
Find answers to common questions below.