OTS SafeLink

OTS SafeLink is a self-hosted location-sharing and emergency-alerting app for small private groups — families, work teams, expedition crews, or any tight-knit circle where everyone needs to know where everyone else is, and any member can call for help with one tap.

Unlike commercial location-tracking services, your data never leaves a server you control. There is no third-party service in the middle, no advertising network, and no analytics SDK. SafeLink connects only to the server URL your group's administrator configured at pairing time.

Key features

• Live group map — see your group on a single map with each member as a colored marker, updating as they move. • One-tap SOS — fires an alarm that pulses on every other member's map and triggers a loud alert on their phone. Use it for medical emergencies, getting lost, vehicle breakdown, or any situation where you need help fast. • Optional SOS SMS — pre-configure trusted contacts who receive a text message with your live coordinates when you trigger SOS. On iPhone, the system Messages compose sheet opens pre-filled with your position so you tap Send to confirm each dispatch. • Significant Location Changes — your iPhone keeps reporting your location even when the app is suspended or relaunched after termination, using Apple's energy-efficient background location framework. • Battery-friendly — pick your update interval per device. The app sleeps between updates instead of sampling continuously. • End-to-end encrypted — beyond the HTTPS layer, every authenticated request also rides inside a ChaCha20-Poly1305 envelope sealed with a key unique to your phone.

Who it's for

• Families wanting a privacy-respecting alternative to commercial location trackers. • Outdoor groups (hiking, hunting, off-roading, sailing) where one-tap SOS matters and cellular is unreliable. • Small teams (field crews, security details, response units) that need shared situational awareness without enterprise IT. • Anyone who wants location sharing without giving the data to a third party.

Requirements

OTS SafeLink is not a standalone service — it pairs with a SafeLink server that your group administrator runs. The server is a free, open-source Docker container deployed on a small VPS or home server. See safelinknetwork.net for setup instructions. If you don't already have a server URL and pairing code from someone in your group, you need either to ask your group administrator for one, or to set up the server yourself before installing the app.

Privacy

• Your location goes to your administrator's server only — never to OTS or any third party. • No advertising SDKs, no analytics, no telemetry sent to the publisher. • Authentication tokens stored in the iOS Keychain (Apple's hardware-backed secure storage). • Full privacy policy: https://safelinknetwork.net/privacy