Is the app available now?
Not yet. The iPhone app is finished and in submission with Apple. Join early access and you will hear the day it goes live. An Android version is not scheduled.
What does it cost?
The whole safety app is free: every user report, every live agency feed, unlimited reporting and confirming, safety check-ins, trusted contacts, offline caching, your location in every format, the compass, agency phone numbers and daylight remaining. Premium is $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year and adds unlimited Trip Packs and Alert Places instead of one each, alert circles up to 25 miles instead of 5, and the ability to choose which hazard categories each place alerts you about. Nothing that could keep somebody alive is behind the wall.
Does the app send notifications?
No. There are no push notifications at all, on either plan. Alert Places collect new reports filed inside the circles you saved, and you see them the next time you open the app. Anything you may have read on this site previously about geofenced, haptic or watch alerts described an early concept, not the app.
Is the demo on this site the app?
No. The demo is the original browser prototype, built to work out ideas and gather feedback. It runs on sample data, uses an older design, and contains features that did not ship. The real app is the one going to the App Store.
Will it replace official emergency alerts?
No. Official agencies, emergency services and local authorities remain the primary source for emergency instructions. The app pulls in public warnings and adds what other people have seen on the ground. It complements official information; it does not replace it. In an emergency, call 911.
Are reports verified?
No, and the app does not claim they are. Reports come from other users. Other users can confirm a hazard is still there, which is the only corroboration the app offers — there is no expert review and no official seal. Every report carries who filed it, when, and how many people confirmed it, so you can judge it yourself.
How are false or abusive reports handled?
Text a user types is filtered before it is published, every report can be flagged by any user, flagged content is reviewed and removed when it violates the terms, and you can block an account so its reports never reach your map. Reporting a hazard that is not there, to mislead people, is a violation of the terms.
Why include People as a hazard family?
Because it is a real category of thing that hurts people, and leaving it out would have meant suppressing the reports that matter most. It covers location-based safety conditions: aggressive or threatening behavior, unwanted following, unsafe crowding, civil disturbance, reckless driving and road rage. It is for conditions in a place, not for accusing named individuals.
Why are mushrooms in the Plant family?
Because that is where people look for them. Plant is the user-facing family for poisonous plants, toxic mushrooms, spores and irritating sap. Mycologists are correct that fungi are not plants; the taxonomy keeps the accurate detail underneath a simpler interface.
What happens to my location and my photos?
The app asks for your location only while you are using it, and never tracks you in the background. The only positions stored are the ones you choose to send: a report you file, a check-in you send, and the centers of the Alert Places and Trip Packs you save. Photos have their embedded metadata, including EXIF location, stripped before storage. A hazard report is public by design, so a report filed from “My location” publishes where you were standing — if that is your home or your campsite, point at the spot on the map instead.
Will there be advertising?
No. There is no advertising in the app on either plan, and no analytics, attribution or tracking. The membership is the business model precisely so the safety information is not shaped by advertising incentives.
Do I have to be 18?
Yes. The app is for adults and the account terms require you to be 18 or older.
Will it work outside the United States?
Version 1.0 launches in the United States only. The public data feeds behind the map are US federal and state sources, and international coverage depends on mapping, official data, community participation and local legal requirements. It is a long-term goal, not a launch feature.
Does it work without a signal?
Save a Trip Pack before you leave service and the area’s hazards, map tiles and agency phone numbers stay on your phone. Your trusted contacts are kept on the phone too, so Need Help works with no connection. A report you file offline is queued and sends itself when you are back in range.
How can organizations participate?
Parks, agencies, tourism organizations, schools, nonprofits and outdoor companies are welcome to get in touch about pilots, data partnerships or education. Nothing organization-facing ships in version 1.0 — these are conversations about where the platform goes next.
How can I become a beta tester?
Join early access and say so in your message. Beta rounds are announced as they open.
What should I do in an emergency?
Call 911, or the appropriate local emergency number, and follow official instructions. Do not rely on community reports for emergency response.