GoLynQ Meet (formerly GPS Friend Finder) shows your friends and the people around you on a live map, so you can meet up quickly, and lets you ask for help with a live location link when something goes wrong. It runs in your web browser at meet.golynq.me: there is nothing to install and no account to create.
Important: GoLynQ Meet is not an emergency service. In an emergency, always call your local emergency number first.
Getting started
- Open meet.golynq.me on your phone or computer.
- The welcome guide explains the basics and the safety points. Tap "I understand — let's start".
- Your browser asks for permission to use your location. Tap Allow. To see the guide again later, tap the ? button at the top right.
- The GPS button at the top turns green (GPS: On) once your position is found, and you appear on the map as a blue arrow.
- People sharing their location near you appear on the map and in the People tab.
After that, GPS starts by itself each time you open the app, with no guide or question, unless you turned it off yourself (tap the GPS button to turn it back on).
The first time, you get a random display name: an animal and a number in your language, for example Otter 42. Change it under Settings › Display Name (see Settings).
Language: the app follows your device's language (English, Français, Español, Italiano, Deutsch, Português, 日本語, 한국어). Change it any time under Settings › Language.
The screen at a glance
Header (top)
| Element | What it does |
|---|---|
| GPS button | Shows the GPS state and turns location sharing on or off (see Turning GPS on and off). |
| 🆘 | Ask for help, from any screen (see Asking for help). Hidden while your help signal is on. |
| Offline | Appears only when you have no internet connection. |
| ? | Opens the help popup: the welcome guide, the full disclaimer, legal information and credits, and a link to this guide. |
Map: your position (blue arrow), the people around you, and the map controls. See The map.
Panel: two tabs, People and Settings, plus Chat between them while a private circle is selected.
- On a phone, the panel sits under the map. Use ▲ Expand and ▼ Collapse to give more room to the panel or to the map.
- On a computer or tablet, the panel is on the left.
Messages appear briefly at the bottom of the screen. Tap one to dismiss it.
Turning GPS on and off
The GPS button at the top shows what is happening:
| Button | Meaning |
|---|---|
| GPS: Off (red, pulsing) | You are not sharing your location and you don't see anyone. |
| GPS: Searching… (amber) | Waiting for a position. Outdoors this takes a few seconds; indoors it can take longer. |
| GPS: Weak (amber) | You have a position, but it is not accurate (more than 300 m off). |
| GPS: On (green) | You are sharing your location and can see others. |
| GPS: Blocked (amber) | Your browser is not allowed to use your location. Tap it for instructions. |
- Tap the button to turn GPS on or off.
- Turning GPS off removes your position from everyone's map right away, and you stop seeing others.
- The app remembers your choice: if you turned GPS off, it stays off next time until you turn it on.
- GPS turns itself off after the time you choose under ⏱ Stop sharing in the My Location box: after 30 minutes, 1 hour (the default), 2, 4 or 8 hours, or only when you turn it off. The box shows until when you're sharing, and 5 minutes before the end a notice lets you tap for one more hour. It never stops while you are asking for help.
- While GPS is on, the app keeps your screen awake. Keep the app open: most phones pause web pages when the screen locks or you switch apps, and your position stops updating until you come back.
The map
You are the blue arrow. It points in your direction of travel when you're moving. The light blue circle around it shows how accurate your position is.
Other people are round markers with their initial or chosen emoji:
| Marker | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Colored dot (blue by default) | Active: updated in the last 20 minutes. |
| Gray dot | Inactive: no update for more than 20 minutes (they probably closed the app). People disappear after 4 hours without an update. |
| Dot with a dashed circle | They share an approximate location: they are somewhere inside the circle (about 150 m, or 500 ft with US units). |
| Large red 🆘 dot, pulsing | They are asking for help. |
Map controls (top right)
- + / − zoom in and out (you can also pinch or scroll).
- ⌖ Follow me keeps the map centered on you as you move (blue when on). Dragging the map turns it off; tap ⌖ again to turn it back on.
For the map style and colors, see Settings.
People
The People tab shows how many people you can see on its label (it turns red when someone needs help). It contains:
My Location
Once GPS has a position, this card shows your coordinates, accuracy, altitude, speed, heading and the time of the last update.
- ⏱ Stop sharing chooses when GPS turns itself off (see Turning GPS on and off).
- Tap 📋 to copy your location: coordinates, accuracy, altitude (and speed and heading when known), the time and a map link, ready to paste into a message.
- Tap the card to re-center the map on yourself.
The list of people
People are listed with anyone asking for help first, then closest first. Each entry shows their name, how far away they are, and when they last updated. A "≈" before the distance means their position is approximate.
Tap someone in the list or on the map to open their card:
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| 🧭 Distance | Draws a line from you to them and shows the distance and heading. |
| 🧭 Point to them | Opens a large arrow that points toward them as you turn, with the distance, like a compass. On iPhone, allow motion access the first time. The N on the dial is north. Hold the phone flat; if the arrow seems off, move the phone in a figure 8. On a computer (no compass), the arrow is drawn with north at the top. |
| 🚶 Directions | Opens walking directions to them in your maps app (Apple Maps on iPhone and iPad, Google Maps elsewhere). |
| 🔍 Zoom In | Zooms the map to them. |
| 🗺️ Zoom Out | Zooms out to see the wider area. |
| 🚫 Block | Hides them from you (see Blocking and reporting). |
| ⚑ Report | Reports them to Vidēre Research. |
The card also shows their accuracy, altitude, speed and heading when available, and closes by itself after 25 seconds.
Who you see, and who sees you
At the top of the People tab, the Who you see selector chooses between 🌍 Everyone nearby and your private circles (see the next section).
You only see people while your own GPS is on.
Private circles
A private circle is for the people you choose: friends at a festival, family on a trip, a hiking group. Circle members see each other anywhere in the world, with exact positions, and nobody else sees them.
Create a circle
- In the People tab, open the Who you see selector.
- Choose ➕ Create a private circle…
- Give it a name (for example "Saturday hike") and tap Create circle.
- Send the circle link to your friends: the share options open automatically. You can send it again later with 📤 Invite to circle, or show its QR code with ▦ QR code.
Join a circle
Open the circle link you received, or scan its QR code with 📷 Scan QR code or your phone's camera. The app asks "Join …?": tap Join circle. GPS turns on if it was off.
Switch between circles and everyone nearby
Use the same selector. The app remembers your circles on this device.
- All your circles always see you while your GPS is on, whichever one you're looking at, so being in a family circle and a hiking circle at the same time works. To stop sharing with one circle without leaving it, select it and untick 📍 Share my location with this circle (you still see its members).
- While a circle is selected, you only see that circle, and people nearby who aren't in your circles don't see you. The one exception: anyone nearby who asks for help (from GoLynQ Meet or GoLynQ Help) still appears, with the red alert, so you never miss an SOS nearby.
- While "Everyone nearby" is selected, you see, and are seen by, everyone nearby using the app.
Circle chat
While a circle is selected, a Chat tab appears between People and Settings. Type a message and tap ➤ (or press Enter; Shift+Enter starts a new line).
- Only people with the circle's link can read the messages. In circles created with the current version, they are end-to-end encrypted: the server can't read them. They are deleted automatically after 7 days.
- Messages can be up to 500 characters; you can send one every couple of seconds.
- New messages from others show a notice and a count on the Chat tab (and in the browser tab's title) whenever the chat isn't on screen, including when the panel is folded down on a phone. Messages in your other circles show a notice too; tap it to open that circle's chat. To be notified while the app is closed, turn on notifications.
- The chat works whether your GPS is on or off.
- Messages from people you blocked are hidden.
- Tap someone's icon to see them on the map (if they're sharing their location in the circle).
- Tap a message for more options: on your own messages, ✏️ Edit (the message is then marked edited) or 🗑️ Delete; on someone else's, ⚑ Report (the message is included in the report) or 🚫 Block.
- Messages always show the sender's current name and icon, even messages sent before they changed them.
Meeting point
Tap 📍 Meeting point, then tap the map where you want to meet. Everyone in the circle sees a 📍 Meet here pin, how far it is and who set it, and gets a notice when you set or move it. Anyone in the circle can move it (same button) or Remove it. It disappears by itself after a day. 🧭 Point to it opens a compass arrow toward the meeting point, with the distance.
Leave a circle
Select the circle, then tap Leave circle. Your position is removed from the circle.
Anyone who has the circle link can join, so only share it with people you trust.
Asking for help (SOS)
If something goes wrong, tap the red 🆘 button at the top of the screen, next to the GPS button.
- The Ask for help window explains who will see you:
- your circle (if a circle is selected) or everyone nearby;
- anyone you send your live location link to (they don't need the app).
- If a circle is selected, "Also alert everyone nearby" lets you alert people outside the circle too (on by default).
- Optionally type a message (up to 300 characters), for example "Twisted ankle by the lake, blue jacket".
- Tap Start help signal.
While your help signal is on:
- Your exact position is shared (even if approximate location is on), updated every 10 seconds when you move.
- People who can see you get a red alert and see you as a pulsing 🆘 at the top of their list.
- Your header turns red, so you always know the signal is on.
- GPS does not turn itself off (the Stop sharing time starts again when you say you're OK).
- All your circles get the alert, and members with notifications on are notified even if their app is closed.
- The red help panel lets you:
- 📤 Send live location link: opens your phone's share options (messages, WhatsApp, email…);
- 💬 Text Message, WhatsApp or 📋 Copy link: the same link, directly;
- edit your message: changes are shared about a second after you stop typing.
- If you close and reopen the app, the help signal is still on.
When you're safe, tap "I'm OK — stop the help signal", then tap it again to confirm. Your live location link stops working and the SOS disappears from everyone's map. Turning GPS off also stops the help signal (you'll be asked to tap twice).
The help signal does not contact emergency services. If you are in danger, call your local emergency number first.
Shortcut: if you installed the app, press and hold its icon and choose I need help. You can also open meet.golynq.me/?help=1.
Live location links
A live location link (it looks like https://meet.golynq.me/?track=…) lets anyone follow a person asking for help. It works in any browser: no app, no account and no GPS are needed to watch.
The page shows:
- a large red 🆘 NEEDS HELP banner, the person's name and when they started asking for help;
- their message, if they wrote one;
- Last update: how long ago their position was sent. If there has been no update for more than 5 minutes, a warning says that the position shown is the last known one;
- their coordinates (tap 📋 to copy), accuracy, altitude, speed and, when sent from GoLynQ Help, their battery level;
- the path they took since they started asking for help: a red line on the map from a white start marker (hover or tap it for the start time) to where they are now, plus how far they moved in the last 10 minutes and in which direction (or that they have not moved), and the total distance;
- the map, which follows them as they move.
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| 🚶 Directions | Walking directions to them in your maps app. |
| ⌖ Center on them | Brings the map back to them after you moved it. |
| 📍 How far am I? | Asks for your location once (it is not shared) and shows the distance and direction to them. |
| Open GoLynQ Meet | Opens the normal app. |
When the person says they are OK, the page shows "This live location link has ended or is not valid." Links also end by themselves 24 hours after the last position.
When someone else needs help
When someone you can see starts a help signal:
- a red banner appears under the header ("🆘 Sam needs help — 650 m away"), and your phone vibrates;
- tap Show to see them on the map, or × to dismiss the banner;
- they appear at the top of the People list in red, with their message;
- their card shows NEEDS HELP, their message, and the usual Distance and Directions buttons.
If you go to help, stay safe yourself, and call the emergency services if the situation calls for it.
Inviting friends
At the bottom of the People tab, 📤 Share Link opens your phone's share options (messages, email, WhatsApp…). Where sharing isn't available, the invitation is copied so you can paste it anywhere.
If a circle is selected, the invitation contains the circle link; otherwise it links to the app.
Settings
Display Name
The name other people see next to your position (up to 30 characters). It is shared about a second after you stop typing. Offensive words, in all the app's languages, are removed automatically; ordinary names are left alone.
My Map Icon
Choose how others see you: your initial or one of the emoji, and a color. The preview shows the result. Changes are shared right away.
Day / Night Colors
Automatic (follows your device's dark mode), Day or Night. Night darkens the whole app and the street map.
Privacy
- Approximate location for everyone nearby (about 150 m, or 500 ft): on by default. People outside your circles see a rounded position, shown with a dashed circle. Your circles and your help signal always use your exact position.
- Blocked people: everyone you blocked, with an Unblock button.
Language
English, Français, Español, Italiano, Deutsch, Português, 日本語, 한국어.
Measurement Units
Metric (m, km) or US Customary (ft, mi).
Map Settings
Map Style: Street map (OpenStreetMap), Satellite (Esri), or Satellite with labels (Esri).
Notifications
🔔 Notify me even when the app is closed sends a notification to your phone or computer even when GoLynQ Meet isn't open:
- 🆘 Someone nearby asks for help: within the same area as "Everyone nearby".
- 👥 My circles: help signals and messages: a member of one of your circles asks for help (including GoLynQ Help alerts sent to the circle), or writes in the chat.
Tapping a notification opens the app on that person, circle or chat. Help notifications stay until you dismiss them. While the app is open in front, you get its in-app notices instead (on iPhone you get both). Your browser asks for permission the first time.
🔔 Send a test notification checks that notifications reach this device, and says what went wrong if they don't. If it says the test was shown but you saw nothing, notifications are turned off for your browser or the app in your phone's or computer's settings (on a Mac: System Settings › Notifications › your browser), or Focus / Do Not Disturb is on.
On iPhone and iPad, notifications only work in the installed app (iOS 16.4 or later): install it first (Installing the app), open it from its icon, then turn this on.
While notifications are on, your notification address, your choices, your circles and your area (to about 5 km, not your exact position) are kept on the server so it knows whom to notify. Turning them off deletes this; it is also deleted automatically a month after you last opened the app.
Install the app
Shown when your browser can install GoLynQ Meet to your home screen (on iPhone and iPad, with instructions). See Installing the app.
Version
The app version and copyright are shown at the bottom.
Blocking and reporting
Block: open the person's card and tap 🚫 Block. They disappear from your map and list. Blocking is stored on your device only, and the other person is not told. Unblock them under Settings › Privacy › Blocked people.
Report: tap ⚑ Report, choose a reason (offensive name or icon, harassment or threats, spam or fake location, something else) and tap Send report. "Also block this person" is ticked by default. Reports are reviewed by Vidēre Research.
Installing the app
GoLynQ Meet works in the browser, but you can add it to your home screen so it opens like an app, full screen, even without a connection.
- Android / Chrome / Edge: Settings › 📲 Install the app, or the browser's Install option.
- iPhone / iPad (Safari): tap the Share button, then Add to Home Screen.
The installed app updates itself automatically. Without a connection it opens, but you need a connection to see people and share your position.
On iPhone and iPad, links you receive still open in Safari: use 🔗 Paste a link in the app to open a circle invitation or a live location link there (see Troubleshooting).
Using it with GoLynQ Help
GoLynQ Help is the GoLynQ personal safety app (on iPhone, and on the web at help.golynq.me). It works with GoLynQ Meet:
- A GoLynQ Help user's circle is a GoLynQ Meet circle. To join it, open their invitation link, or scan their circle's QR code with 📷 Scan QR code (or your phone's camera). You then see them, and the others in their circle, in that circle.
- When they ask for help (or miss a safety check-in), they appear in the circle with a pulsing SOS sign, their name and message, and you get a notification if you turned notifications on.
- Their live location link opens in GoLynQ Meet (see Live location links): their name, message, battery level, the path they took, and medical information if they entered any (end-to-end encrypted, in a highlighted box). Tap 👥 Join their circle to share your own position with the others coming to help.
- Always share: GoLynQ Help users can share their location with their circle all the time, with no alert. You see them in the circle like any other member. Because people who stay put only update about once an hour, they turn gray after 3 hours without news, and disappear after 6.
- People nearby: GoLynQ Help users can choose to alert GoLynQ Meet users near them. You then see a red help signal at their exact position.
In the iPhone app, GoLynQ Help keeps sharing while the phone is locked. In a browser, it only shares while GoLynQ Help is open with the screen on.
Privacy: what is shared, and for how long
No account. The app signs you in anonymously. It never asks for your email address, phone number or real name.
What others can see while your GPS is on:
| Everyone nearby | Your circle | Your live link (help) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display name, icon, color | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Position | approximate (≈150 m) by default, exact if you turn approximate location off | exact | exact |
| Accuracy, altitude, speed, heading | only with an exact position | ✔ | ✔ |
| Help message | while asking for help | while asking for help | ✔ |
| Path taken while asking for help | — | — | ✔ |
| Circle chat messages | — | ✔ (kept 7 days) | — |
| Meeting point you set | — | ✔ (a day) | — |
Encryption. Messages in circles created with the current version, and the medical information on GoLynQ Help's live location links, are end-to-end encrypted: the key is part of the invitation or live link, so only people with the link can read them, not the server. Circles created earlier keep unencrypted messages (the chat tells you); create a new circle to get encrypted messages.
When your information is removed:
- Turning GPS off, leaving a circle or switching circles removes your position from those places immediately.
- Closing the app without turning GPS off: you turn gray after 20 minutes, disappear after 4 hours, and your position is deleted from the server automatically soon after.
- Live location links end when you tap "I'm OK", and expire 24 hours after the last position.
- Notifications (if you turn them on): your notification address, choices, circles and area (to about 5 km) are kept until you turn them off, or a month after you last opened the app.
- Your settings, circles and blocked list are stored only on your device.
Map images are loaded from OpenStreetMap and Esri; Directions opens Apple Maps or Google Maps with your position and the destination. For everything else, including ads and cookies, see the GoLynQ privacy page.
Troubleshooting
"GPS: Blocked" or "Location access is blocked"
Your browser or phone is not allowing the app to use your location. Tap the GPS button for step-by-step instructions for your device. In short:
- iPhone / iPad: Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services must be on, and your browser set to While Using the App. In Safari, open the page menu in the address bar › Website Settings › Location › Allow.
- Android: tap the icon left of the address bar › Permissions › Location › Allow, and turn Location on in quick settings.
- Computer: click the icon left of the address bar, set Location to Allow, and reload.
Then tap Try again.
Stuck on "GPS: Searching…"
Move outdoors or near a window, and check that Location Services are on. The first position indoors can take a minute.
"GPS: Weak", or my position is off by a few blocks
- On iPhone, check that Precise Location is on for your browser (Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services › Safari Websites, or your browser › Precise Location). With it off, the iPhone deliberately blurs your position.
- Wait a moment outdoors: the first position can come from Wi-Fi or cell towers and improves within a minute.
- People see you at an approximate position (dashed circle) when approximate location is on. That's intentional.
I don't see anyone
- Your GPS must be on to see others.
- Check the selector at the top of the People tab: in a circle, you only see that circle (plus anyone nearby asking for help).
- Nobody may be sharing near you right now: invite your friends.
- Check that you haven't blocked them (Settings › Privacy).
My friend is gray
They haven't sent an update for 20 minutes: they probably closed the app, or their phone went to sleep.
My position stopped updating
Keep the app open on screen. Phones pause web pages when the screen locks or you switch to another app.
The live location link says it has ended
The person tapped "I'm OK", or there has been no update for 24 hours.
The circle link doesn't work
Make sure the whole link was copied, including the part after ?group=.
Links open in Safari instead of the app I installed (iPhone, iPad)
iOS always opens links in Safari, never in a home-screen app, and the two keep separate circles and settings. Copy the link (the circle invitation in Safari has a 📋 Copy link button), open GoLynQ Meet from your home screen and tap 🔗 Paste a link under Who you see. On Android, links open in the installed app.
The map is blank
If an Offline badge shows in the header, you have no connection. New map areas need a connection; areas you've already viewed stay on your device and show offline.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free? Yes. The website shows ads, which pay for the servers and maps.
Do I need to create an account? No. There is no sign-up, no email address and no phone number.
Do my friends need to install anything? No. They just open the link in their browser.
Can strangers see exactly where I am? Not by default. People outside your circles see an approximate position (about 150 m). Your exact position is shared only with your circles and when you ask for help. You can change this under Settings › Privacy.
How far away can I see people? Everyone nearby who shares their location. In a private circle, members see each other anywhere in the world.
Does it drain my battery? GPS and a screen that stays on use battery. The app turns GPS off after the time you chose under ⏱ Stop sharing (1 hour by default), and only sends your position when you've moved.
Can I use it on a computer? Yes. A computer's position is usually less accurate than a phone's.
What if I close the app? You turn gray on other people's maps after 20 minutes and disappear after 4 hours. Turn GPS off first to disappear right away.
Does the help signal call emergency services? No. It alerts people using the app and gives you a link to send. Always call emergency services yourself in an emergency.
How do I change my name or icon? Settings › Display Name and Settings › My Map Icon.
Disclaimer
- Positions come from your device and other people's devices. They can be inaccurate, delayed or missing.
- Don't rely on this app in an emergency or where safety depends on it: call your local emergency number.
- While GPS is on, your position and display name are visible to all your circles, and to everyone nearby using the app while "Everyone nearby" is selected (as an approximate position unless you change that setting).
- Only meet people you know and trust, and meet in public places.
- Don't use the app while driving.
- The app is provided "as is", without warranty of any kind. Vidēre Research, LLC is not liable for any loss, injury or damage resulting from its use.
The full software disclaimer also applies. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors; satellite imagery © Esri and its data providers.