You don't have to open Tether. It turns itself on when you go out, notices when something's wrong, and asks the friend who can actually reach you.
Stopped outside for 15 min. All good?
One night, five moments
- Stopped outside 15 min
- Asking Dev, 2 blocks away
You leave the apartment. Tether notices. One tap: drinking.
Maya, Dev and Sam are with you. The pill says so. That's all it says.
You're outside alone, stopped, for 15 minutes. One check-in.
You didn't answer. Dev, two blocks away and sober, gets the ask.
Home. Dev and Maya know. Nobody else heard a thing.
Concept screens
With Maya, Dev and Sam
Nothing to set up, nothing to check
Concept screens
- Tether11:48 PM
Heading out?
One tap. Ignore it and you're still covered.
It turns itself on
Leave home on a Friday night and Tether notices. One notification: drinking, not drinking, or not tonight. Ignore it and you're still covered.
- Tether12:30 AM
Out · on
With Maya, Dev and Sam
Nearby, so nothing to doIt knows who you're with
Friends whose phones are near yours show up on your lock screen. Split up to go to another party and nothing happens. That's normal.
- Tether1:42 AM
Check-in
Stopped outside for 15 min. All good?
No answer by 1:58 AM: Dev is asked
It only speaks when it has to
Alone on a street at 2 a.m., stopped, not answering. You get one check-in. If you don't tap it, your friends do.
A specific ask, sent to the right person
Maya isn't answering. She's about 2 blocks from you, outside Shangri-La.
- Phone 4%
- Stopped 16 min
- Last with you
Concept screens
Exactly what to do
Dev gets where Maya is, what's probably wrong, and what to bring.
The friend who can actually go
Your agent asks your friends' agents who's closest, sober and awake, and picks that one.
One person at a time
One friend is asked. If they can't go, the next one is, and everyone else hears it's handled.
Location was never the problem
Every app you already use stops at a dot on a map and hands the hard part to a human.
| Capability | Find My | Life360 | Apple Check In | Tether |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shows where you are | Yes | Yes | On arrival | Yes |
| Works without setup each night | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Knows who you're with | No | No | No | Yes |
| Notices you're in trouble | No | No | Only if you don't arrive | Yes |
| Picks which friend should go | No | No | No | Yes |
| Tells friends what to do | No | No | No | Yes |
Only what you'd tell a friend
- Is it always tracking me?
- Your friends see nothing unless you're out together or you need help. Outside a night out, Tether behaves like Find My. “Not tonight” is one tap.
- How often will it bug me?
- A normal night is zero check-ins. It asks once, only when it has a reason you'd recognize. If it asks more than that, it's a bug.
- What if I tap Need help by accident?
- You get ten seconds and a cancel button. Pick a reason (ride, lost my friends, feel unsafe) and the right friend is asked immediately.
- Does it listen to my mic or read my texts?
- No. It uses your location, movement and battery, and what your friends can see with their own eyes. Nothing else.
- What about dates?
- Share the person's profile to Tether and pick one friend. That friend can check on you silently, without texting you mid-date.
- Does everyone need the app?
- Your friends need it to be asked for help. When a friend's Tether is on near you, you get an invite, so groups tend to join together.
Go out, your friends have you
Launching at UT Austin first. Join the list and we'll text you when it's ready.
- Proof
- Built at UT Austin · HackTX 2026 best pitch
- Launch
- Austin, TX