# Buddies Beacon > Private location sharing and status updates for close friends. (iPhone/iPad app by Liam Maxwell.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddies-beacon/id6797344092 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Liam Maxwell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885715770) - Category: Social Networking - Price: Free - Rating: 5.00/5 from 1 App Store ratings - Age rating: 12+ - Requires: iOS 17.0 · 8 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2026-08-28 - Data updated: 2026-10-24 - Monetization: free ## What is Buddies Beacon? Buddies is a small app for lighting a beacon when you're out. Tap the button and every buddy sees the signal. They tap back — on my way, twelve minutes, can't tonight — and that's it. No group-chat limbo. No public feed. No usernames, no search, no directory. You invite the people you actually want to see, and beacons stay between you. Buddy lists let you send to your golf crew, your poker crew, or all of them at once. Flares let you plan ahead — Sunday brunch, Thursday dinner — and they light themselves at the moment. Light a torch when a friend is trying to find you in a crowd. Everything you have live sits in one list. Your location is shared only when you light something, only with the buddies you chose, and only while it shows on your lock screen. Swipe that away and sharing stops. It is deleted when the beacon or torch ends. Made for the friends you'd actually want to show up. ## Key features - Send location beacons to friends - Receive quick status responses - Temporary and controlled location sharing - Create custom buddy lists - Plan future meetups with flares - Signal presence in crowds ## Is Buddies Beacon safe? Not enough ratings yet to assess Buddies Beacon. ## Is Buddies Beacon legit? Buddies Beacon has limited verification signals. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for Buddies Beacon is 58 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data. ## Frequently asked questions about Buddies Beacon ### What is Buddies Beacon? Buddies Beacon is a social networking app designed for private location sharing and quick status updates among a select group of friends. It focuses on direct communication without public feeds or usernames. ### How does Buddies Beacon handle location sharing? Location is shared only when you light a beacon or flare, and only with the specific buddies you choose. Sharing stops when the beacon ends or when the app is no longer visible on your lock screen. ### Can I plan future events with Buddies Beacon? Yes, the 'Flares' feature allows you to plan future meetups like Sunday brunch or Thursday dinner, and they will automatically light up at the scheduled time. ### Is Buddies Beacon suitable for large groups? Buddies Beacon is designed for close friends. You can create custom buddy lists for different groups like a golf crew or poker crew, allowing you to send signals to specific sets of people. ### What is the age rating for Buddies Beacon? Buddies Beacon has an age rating of 12+. ### What devices does Buddies Beacon support? Currently, Buddies Beacon supports iPhone devices. ### How often is Buddies Beacon updated? The latest version is 1.5.1, and the app was last updated on September 30, 2026. This suggests a relatively active development cycle. ### Does Buddies Beacon have ads? No, Buddies Beacon does not contain advertisements. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.6.0 — 2026-10-20 Home is two circles now: one to say where you are, one to ask a buddy to come find you. Tap either to light it. Finding someone works at every distance. Far off you get the drive or the train rather than a walking time that was never going to happen; closer in, the street; in the last few steps, which way to look. A beacon for Saturday comes from the same place as one for right now, because the composer asks when. Planning ahead is no longer a separate thing to learn. And if you said you were coming to someone's beacon, there is now a way to tell them you arrived. ### 1.5.1 — 2026-09-30 Fixes a bug where your buddies' avatars did not show in your crew — anybody who has made one now appears with it. Fixes the torch finder over long distances. It used to say a friend was a few blocks away however far off they really were, and the map showed only one of you. It now says which direction they are in, whether that is walkable, and the map frames you both. The finder also has a way back out. Leaving it stops your phone reporting how close you are, and leaves the torch lit. Pinning a buddy to the top of your crew now lasts. ### 1.5.0 — 2026-09-22 Everything you have live now sits in one list. A torch, a beacon and your plans for later share the Signals tab, with a way to light another at the top. Torches now work inside the app. Light one for the buddies you pick and they can see how far away you are, right up until you meet. Add somebody to a torch that is already burning, or light one straight from a beacon when a friend cannot find the place. When buddies say they are coming to your beacon, you can see them arrive. Make an avatar from your initials in Settings. The morning after, say whether you met. That is the only look back Buddies keeps, and it is gone by noon. Your location is shared only while a torch or beacon you chose shows on your lock screen. Swipe it away and sharing stops. ### 1.3.1 — 2026-09-15 Buddies now tells you when a buddy says they're coming to your beacon, and when someone you invited becomes your buddy. Messages arrive with a sound. Settings > Notifications turns each of these off. When you share an invite you can note who it's for, and the Buddies screen keeps those invites in view. Tapping a notification that opens Buddies now takes you straight to the right screen. ### 1.3.0 — 2026-09-09 Plans, not just moments. Light a flare from your lit beacon for the next one, or set a capped flare — a foursome for Saturday, first-come — and watch the seats fill honestly. Add a buddy to a beacon mid-flight when you notice someone missing. Introduce two buddies to each other; both say yes before anything happens. Call people what you actually call them, notes only you can see. A quiet seal when a new friendship lands. And the safety floor: mute, block, and report, each one tap, each honest about exactly what it does. Also: the torch finds people properly now, invites you cancel actually go away, and a scanned QR reconnects you after install — with your say-so. ## Apps similar to Buddies Beacon | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [CMG Chat](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cmg-chat/id1479591904) | 3.0 (48) | Free | Social Networking | | [Text Vault - Texting App](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text-vault-texting-app/id1186010974) | 4.4 (22,859) | Free | Social Networking | | [LineLeap](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lineleap/id960804043) | 4.7 (3,091) | Free | Social Networking | | [Mighty Networks](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mighty-networks/id1081683081) | 4.8 (74,937) | Free | Social Networking | ## More apps by Liam Maxwell - [Gruvwork](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gruvwork/id6760683094) All apps by Liam Maxwell: https://appshunter.io/developer/1885715770 ## Related topics [buddies, it disappears...](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/buddies-it-disappears) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-10-24.*