# BuddySOS: Group Safety & SOS — Find friends & share location

> Location sharing and group connection app with safety features. (iPhone/iPad app by Kingbird Solutions.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddysos-group-safety-and-sos/id6642666031 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Kingbird Solutions](https://appshunter.io/developer/1744416130)
- Category: Social Networking, Navigation
- Price: Free with in-app purchases (on sale, was $3.99)
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 12 App Store ratings · 10 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.0 · 68 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2024-10-02
- Data updated: 2026-08-12
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddysos-group-safety-and-sos/id6642666031/reviews.md

## What is BuddySOS?

BuddySOS puts your whole group on one live map, so you always know where your people are.

Built for festivals, group trips, hikes, nights out, and families with a mix of iPhones, BuddySOS is a cross-platform alternative to Find My Friends and Life360 that keeps everyone connected and safe.

WHAT YOU GET
- One live group map with distance and direction to each person
- One-tap SOS that alerts your whole group with your live location
- SMS escalation that texts your emergency contacts your location (they do not need the app installed)
- Safe zones that send a push when someone enters or leaves an area you draw on the map
- Works across iPhone on the same map
- Sign in with just a phone number, no email or social login

EVERY SAFETY FEATURE IS FREE
SOS, SMS escalation, live location, and safe-zone alerts are free on every tier. Many location apps put emergency features behind a monthly subscription. BuddySOS does not.

PRIVACY BY DESIGN
BuddySOS keeps no location history. There is no stored trail of where anyone has been, and we never sell location data.

FREE AND PREMIUM
BuddySOS is free to use with ads. An optional subscription removes ads and unlocks more groups and safe zones. Every safety-critical feature stays free.

Get your group on one map today.


Terms of Use (EULA): https://buddysos.app/terms-and-conditions

## Key features

- Buddy System for group location
- Real-time location tracking
- Background location sharing
- SOS alerts and group invites
- Transparent permission explanations
- Ad-supported free version
- Ad-free subscription option

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BuddySOS Ad-Free | $1.99 | per month |


## Recent user reviews (10 of 10)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddysos-group-safety-and-sos/id6642666031/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Must-have for events!

*2025-07-28*

RaveDaddy makes it so easy to stay connected and feel safe at shows. Love the one-tap SOS and location sharing control. Super smooth experience, highly recommend!

### 5/5 — Will Save Lives

*2025-04-29*

Have had friends collapse in the middle of crowded venues - including arenas with stadium seating where my friend toppled several rows down. 

Having something like RaveDaddy in that scenario would’ve been huge - and would’ve ensured my friend had appropriate care quickly instead of 15-20 minutes later. 

I feel safe attending events with this app on my phone - I can signal for help for me or others around me at the tap of a button, and once enabled, my SOS stays on for loved ones to track me indefinitely (in the case of abduction) using location services on my device. 

Amazing peace of mind.

**Developer response:** The scenario you described — a friend collapsing in a stadium crowd — is exactly why we built the SOS feature. That 15-20 minute difference in response time can genuinely matter. One thing you might not know: if you set up your emergency contacts in the app, your location goes to them automatically the moment SOS activates — no fumbling required. Thank you for sharing this. Stay safe out there.

### 5/5 — Never losing my rave squad again!

*2025-04-02*

It used to be such a struggle keeping all my friends together at music festivals. RaveDaddy made the issue obsolete! It makes raving with the squad so easy and worry free!

**Developer response:** Never losing your rave squad — that's the whole mission right there. No more 'meet at the ferris wheel' plans that never work 😂 Tell your squad — the more people in the group who have it, the better it works.

### 5/5 — Great app to stay safe!

*2025-03-13*

Awesome app, so useful to keep safe and connected with everyone when we are out! I even told my parents about it to keep them safe.  Def recommend and can't wait to see so many more ppl benefitting from this idea

**Developer response:** Love that you're already spreading the word to your parents — that cross-generational use case is exactly what we built for. Worth knowing: location sharing works across iOS and Android so it doesn't matter what devices the family is on. Keep having fun and staying safe 🙌

### 5/5 — 1st Responders Support It!

*2025-03-13*

As a 1st responder, finding someone in trouble who needs help in a rave crowd, mosh pit, or large complex packed with people is extremely difficult. This app provides a specific location that can enable fire, medical, or police to locate the emergency quicker. And it can be used to locate friends and family for non-emergencies, too.

**Developer response:** First responders are the people we hope never get this app by accident and the people we most want vouching for it. Thank you. Update since this review: RaveDaddy is now BuddySOS. Same team, same SOS, same precise location share for emergencies. The rebrand extended what worked in mosh pits and crowded venues to family trips, hiking groups, and conferences. If anyone in the responder community wants to talk about how BuddySOS could plug into event medical workflows, we'd be glad to.

### 5/5 — Safety First

*2025-03-13*

This app is a great way to find friends/family at the fair, ballpark, amusement parks or to call for help with a specific location in a crowd. Safety First!

**Developer response:** Fairs, ballparks, amusement parks. Exactly the crowded places where 'meet me by the entrance' falls apart. Update since this review: RaveDaddy is now BuddySOS. Same one-tap SOS, same shared map, broader use cases. Keep finding your people.

### 5/5 — A Must-Have for Festival-Goers at the Gorge!

*2025-03-12*

I’ve been using RaveDaddy for a few festivals at the Gorge, and it’s honestly a game-changer! As someone who loves attending events in this beautiful but often remote location, I can’t stress enough how much peace of mind this app provides. The safety features are top-notch—especially the location-sharing options and emergency alerts. It makes it so much easier to stay connected with friends in large crowds, and if anything goes wrong, the app has you covered with quick access to emergency services.

**Developer response:** The Gorge is the venue where this app pays for itself. Big, remote, painful to cross. Thank you for using RaveDaddy then. We renamed to BuddySOS in 2026 because the use case grew past festivals: family trips, hiking, conferences. Same team and same privacy stance. The SOS button you used is still right where it was. See you out there.

### 5/5 — Must Have for Festivals!

*2025-03-03*

Used RaveDaddy recently when my friends failed to find the meet up spot and it worked perfectly. Pinpoint location accuracy with none of the creepy oversight other apps provide your parents!

**Developer response:** That one line, 'pinpoint accuracy with none of the creepy oversight,' is the design brief in one sentence. Still true in 2026. Two updates since this review: RaveDaddy is now BuddySOS (same team, same privacy stance, broader use cases), and we shipped meetup pins so 'failed to find the meet up spot' is now a one-tap fix. Tell the festival friends who still text 'where you at' into the void.

### 5/5 — Safety for all

*2024-10-03*

Finally! An app that focuses on safety of festival/rave goers.  For just a couple dollars I can download, connect with friends, sync with custom groups, track my phone in case it's stolen, etc - I am so much safer with this app in my pocket! I'm even thinking of having my parents use it for their safety, as well. 

Awesome work RaveDaddy, can't wait for future updates!

### 5/5 — Works When Other Apps Don’t

*2024-10-03*

It feels like magic when Ravedaddy works and other apps won’t connect.

**Developer response:** That 'it just works when nothing else does' feeling is the whole point. Update since this review: RaveDaddy is now BuddySOS. Same team, same map, broader use cases now (festivals, family trips, hiking). Thanks for sticking with us through the rebrand.

## Frequently asked questions about BuddySOS

### Does RaveDaddy have ads?

Yes, the free version of RaveDaddy contains advertisements. Ads are disabled for users in the EU/UK.

### How much does RaveDaddy cost?

RaveDaddy offers a free version with core features and light ads. An ad-free experience and premium tools are available through a subscription plan.

### What is the subscription cost for RaveDaddy?

The subscription plan for RaveDaddy costs $1.99 per month and includes a 3-day free trial.

### What age rating does RaveDaddy have?

RaveDaddy has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of users.

### How often is RaveDaddy updated?

The latest version of RaveDaddy, 1.7.8, was last updated on February 25, 2026, indicating regular updates for enhanced speed and stability.

### What devices does RaveDaddy support?

RaveDaddy is available for iPhone and iPad devices.

### Can I turn off location sharing easily in RaveDaddy?

Yes, RaveDaddy includes a one-touch quick toggle for turning location sharing on and off with groups as needed.

### Is my data safe with RaveDaddy?

RaveDaddy states that it protects your data and never sells your information, emphasizing transparency in its permission settings.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.1.3 — 2026-08-10

Thanks for using BuddySOS! This update brings behind-the-scenes improvements to performance, stability, and reliability, so keeping your crew together stays smooth and fast. Have a request? We read every piece of feedback.

### 2.1.2 — 2026-07-14

Thanks for using BuddySOS! This update brings behind-the-scenes improvements to performance, stability, and reliability, so keeping your crew together stays smooth and fast. Have a request? We read every piece of feedback.

### 2.1.1 — 2026-07-07

Thanks for using BuddySOS! This update brings behind-the-scenes improvements to performance, stability, and reliability, so keeping your crew together stays smooth and fast. Have a request? We read every piece of feedback.

### 2.1 — 2026-07-04

What's New
- Live location sharing windows — location streams only during an active sharing window that an admin starts. Nothing shared before; auto-stops after.
- Real-time group sync — members go live/stop together the moment the event window opens or closes.
- Live-sharing banner — top strip shows "you're sharing your live location" with end time + a per-group LIVE badge. Tappable.
- Safe zones (geofencing) — members see group safe zones; exit alerts fire when someone leaves a zone.
- Multi-zone safe zones — multiple zones per group. Zone #1 is free;

Fixes
- Stopping sharing now clears your marker on other members' maps (no more frozen pin).
- Leaving a group now stops background location sharing immediately (was running until window expiry).
- Ads capped at G content rating — blocks PG/T/MA creatives (mature-ad fix).
- Fixed push notification + app crash issues.
- Foreground location service is killed on app destroy (notification no longer gets stuck).
- Invite no longer fails when a push notification fails (best-effort).
- Login render crash fixed; console.log stripped in all builds.

### 2.0.2 — 2026-05-15

Big update for groups:

- Deep linking: one tap opens the group, pin, or SOS right inside the app. Share a link, get your people there.
- Invite anyone: adding someone to your group now sends them a direct download link if they don't have BuddySOS yet. No more "wait, I don't have the app" at the start of the trip.
- Performance improvements and a few small fixes you asked for.

Keep the whole crew together. Thanks for using BuddySOS.

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*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 2026-08-12.*