Private, encrypted location sharing
Encrypted by design — even from us.
BanditKin is a private, end-to-end-encrypted location-sharing app for Android. Whether you're a family, a hiking party, or a rescue crew, everyone in your circle sees each other on a live map and gets place alerts — but your locations and messages are visible only to you. What doesn't exist in readable form can't be shared, sold, or leaked.
No ads. No AI. No data trade.
How it works
Private by architecture, not by promise.
Setup is one in-person scan. After that, your circle stays in sync while the server only ever relays sealed, encrypted data.
01
Pair in person
Scan a shared QR code once. The encryption key is created on your devices and never touches the server.
02
See everyone live
Your circle appears on a private, real-time map, with battery level and online status.
03
Alerts, messages, SOS
Arrive and leave alerts for places like Home and School, plus text, voice notes, and check-ins.
04
We only see ciphertext
Locations and messages are end-to-end encrypted. The server relays sealed data it cannot open.
Features
Everything you expect. Nothing you don't.
All the staying-connected features of a location app, built so none of it leaks.
Live family map
See everyone in your circle on a private, real-time map.
Place alerts
Automatic arrive and leave alerts for Home, School, Work, and your own places.
Text & voice messages
Message your circle and send voice notes, encrypted end to end.
SOS & check-in
One-tap SOS and check-ins, so people know you are safe.
Offline maps
Map tiles download once to your phone. Where you look on the map is never transmitted.
Battery & status
See who is online and their battery level, so you know who can respond.
Why BanditKin
The difference is what we can't do.
Other location-sharing apps can read and sell your location. BanditKin is built so that is impossible. Here is what that rules out.
End-to-end encrypted
Locations and messages are encrypted on your device. Only your circle holds the key.
No ads, ever
There is no ad business here, so there is no reason to profile you.
No analytics SDKs
No third-party trackers are bundled in the app. Nothing phones home.
No data sales
There is no readable data for us to sell, and we never will.
No account needed
Pairing uses random device IDs scanned in person. No email, no account.
Yours to self-host
Run the relay on your own hardware, so even encrypted metadata stays with you.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Is BanditKin really end-to-end encrypted?
Yes. Your locations and messages are encrypted on your device with a key only your circle holds. BanditKin's servers store ciphertext they cannot decrypt.
How is it different from Life360?
Life360-style apps can read and monetize location data. BanditKin is built so that is impossible: the server never sees readable locations, and there are no ads, analytics SDKs, or data sales.
Does it work on iPhone?
BanditKin runs on Android today, plus a web app you can use in a browser. An iOS app is coming soon to the App Store.
Do I need an account or email?
No. Devices are paired in person by scanning a QR code, using random identifiers. No account or email is required.
Can I run my own server?
Yes. The relay is self-hostable. It is a small service that runs on a low-cost server, so even encrypted metadata can stay on hardware you control.
What can BanditKin see?
Operational metadata only: that a device is online, its battery level, and that an alert fired. Never where you are or what a message says.
Stay close. Stay private.
BanditKin is coming to Google Play, end-to-end encrypted from day one.