Built in the UK 🇬🇧

MyBuddy Family Friends Safety User Guide

✨ Why MyBuddy is Different

Other apps (Life360, Find Hub) MyBuddy Family Friends Safety
24/7 tracking, drains battery ✅ Sleeps until needed – battery lasts
Everyone needs the app ✅ No app for them – just a magic link
Complex circles and maps ✅ Simple SMS with street address
Your data may be sold ✅ No data selling. Built UK privacy
Uses your phone to track strangers ✅ Private – one-to-one only

🔴 IMPORTANT: Not a 24/7 Tracker

This is NOT like Life360 or Google Find Hub. We do not watch your location continuously. There are no "dots on a map" for people to stare at.

MyBuddy Family Friends Safety sleeps until an event happens (like you arriving at a Place Alert, or a trusted buddy tapping their magic link). This saves your battery and protects your privacy.

Jump to:

1. Setting up the Buddy Hub

The "Hub" is your control center. This is where you manage who can find you and what alerts they receive.

  1. Tap Enter Buddy Hub on the main screen.
  2. Sign in with your Google Account (secures your private links).
  3. Ensure the Buddy Switch is turned ON to allow trusted contacts to find you.

(If this switch is OFF, you're offline. No one can find you, even with their magic link.)

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2. Adding trusted contacts – they get magic links

They never need the app. You add them. They save a link. That's it.

📱 How the Magic Link Works:

When you add a buddy, the app automatically texts them their own private magic link. They save it on their phone. No app store. No passwords. No accounts.

When they tap their link, you get a notification. You approve it once. They instantly get your street address by SMS and email.

  1. In the Hub, tap A List of my Buddies.
  2. Tap Add a New Buddy.
  3. Select your family member, partner, or friend from contacts.
  4. That's it! Their private magic link is sent immediately by SMS.

IMPORTANT: They do NOT need the app! They just save the link on their home screen. Works on any phone – iPhone, Android, even basic mobiles.

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3. Automatic Place Alerts – "Set Once, Forget Forever"

Perfect for families. Get a text automatically when someone arrives at school, leaves work, or reaches an appointment.

📱 Examples:

Every alert sends an SMS – no app needed for them to see it.

Creating a Place Alert:

  1. In the Hub, tap My Place Alerts.
  2. Tap Create an Alert.
  3. Search for a place (e.g., "School", "Work", "Home"), choose who to notify, and tap Send.

How it works: Your phone quietly checks in the background only when you enter or leave that zone. The app sleeps the rest of the time. No 24/7 tracking.

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4. Asset & Vehicle Protection £6/MONTH

🚚 Turn Any Old Android Phone into a Hidden Tracker

Perfect for: Work vans, tool trailers, classic cars, caravans, or equipment.

Better than expensive trackers: Costs 90% less and sends real street addresses by SMS – not just map dots.

Step-by-Step Setup:

  1. Get an old Android phone (or buy a cheap one).
  2. Install MyBuddy Family Friends Safety on it.
  3. Add your main phone as a "Buddy" on the tracker phone.
  4. Hide the phone in your vehicle/asset (connected to power).

🔔 Theft Alert Setup:

Set up a Place Alert for your "Van Depot" or "Parking Spot". Set it to notify you on Departure.

Result: If your asset is moved or stolen, you get an instant SMS alert with its new location.

If Stolen:

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5. The £6/Month SIM Strategy SET & FORGET

💰 Why a Monthly Bundle Beats Pay-As-You-Go

Smartphones use data in the background. On standard Pay-As-You-Go credit, this eats your money fast.

The Solution: A basic monthly bundle (like Giffgaff's £6 Goodybag) gives you:

Cost Comparison vs Commercial Trackers:

⚠️ Important:

We recommend Giffgaff because they run on the O2 network (great UK coverage) and have no contracts. You can cancel anytime.

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6. Real World Uses

👪 Family Peace of Mind

Stop nagging your teen. Set a Place Alert for school. You get a text when they arrive and when they leave. No 24/7 tracking. No "big brother" feeling.

👴 Aging Parents

Know when dad leaves the house or arrives home. He stays independent. You stay sane. No calls interrupting his day.

👷 Trades & Lone Workers

You're a plumber in a loft or an electrician under a floorboard. Your colleague needs to know where you are. You can't answer the phone. They tap their magic link, and your phone auto-replies with your location. You get on with the job.

🚚 Van Logistics

Running a small fleet? Don't pay for expensive vehicle trackers. Use the Androids your staff already have. Set arrival alerts for depots.

🎉 Social & Meetups

Mate stuck in traffic? Lost friends at a festival? Don't call to ask "Where are you?". Just tap their magic link and get an automatic text with their exact location.

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7. Send Location Now (Manual)

Use this for one-off sharing ("I'm here!") or emergencies.

  1. Open the app.
  2. Tap Send Location Now.
  3. Select a contact or enter a mobile number.
  4. Tap Send SMS.

They receive a text containing your real street address (e.g., '23 Patient Lane, Bristol BS1 2AB') plus a map link.

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8. Delete your data

🔗 No longer have the app?
If you've uninstalled MyBuddy and need to delete your account, visit:
https://placemeguardian.com/request_account_data_deletion.php

You're in full control. You can delete your account and all data at any time:

All your location history, buddy lists, and place alerts will be removed.

MyBuddy Family Friends Safety – Simple location sharing. No 24/7 tracking. No app for them. Built in the UK 🇬🇧