whoo - a location sharing app for iPhone

App snapshot

Whoo is a free social/location-sharing mobile app from LinQ, Inc. It uses your phone’s GPS to help you discover and chat with people who are nearby. The app is intended for connecting and coordinating with friends in real time rather than for covert tracking.

How location sharing works

• You will only see another person’s location if they have a Whoo account and explicitly add you as a friend.
• The app updates a user’s location only when that person is signed into their account, which helps limit background tracking.
• Registration is required to use the service.

Permissions and data habits to be aware of

Whoo collects location information after you grant it access. In practice, the app requests persistent (always-on) location permission and may repeatedly prompt you to allow permanent access even if you initially select “While using the app” or “Only once.” Keep this behavior in mind when deciding what permission level you are comfortable granting.

Privacy controls you can use

• Ghost Mode lets you hide your precise, real-time position from people on your friends list.
• You can limit visibility to a broad area (for example, just your city) instead of sharing an exact pinpoint on the map.
• The app supports sharing your account via a link or QR code and makes it easy to distribute that link on platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and Line.

User experience and typical uses

Whoo has a simple interface that most users find easy to navigate. It can be useful for:

• Social discovery or meeting up with friends.
• Adding a location layer to dating or group plans.
• Light tracking of friends’ activities when everyone consents to share.

The main complaint some users report is the persistent request for always-on location access, which can be annoying. Otherwise, many find it a convenient tool to see what friends are up to in real time.

Alternatives worth checking out

• Life360 — family and group location sharing with safety-focused features.
• Google Maps — simple, built-in location sharing with select contacts.
• Snap Map — location visibility within the Snapchat ecosystem for friends you follow.
• Rave (Watch Party) — more focused on shared media experiences, sometimes suggested as a social alternative for coordinating with friends.

Quick recommendation

If you value easy, real-time sharing and like the available privacy controls (Ghost Mode, city-level visibility), Whoo is worth trying. If you’re uncomfortable granting permanent location access, evaluate alternatives that can provide similar sharing with different permission behaviors.