Effective October 17, 2026

OpenFamily privacy policy

OpenFamily is self-hosted family location software. Each server is operated independently. This policy explains what the software handles and which parties may receive information. The person or organization operating your OpenFamily server controls the data stored on that server; the software publisher does not run a hosted location service and cannot access your server’s database.

Information handled by your server

Depending on features you and your server operator use, an OpenFamily server stores account email, display name, password hash, optional phone number and avatar; family membership and role; device name, platform and push endpoint; precise location, time, accuracy, battery level and movement information; saved places and geofence settings; SOS, Help and Check-in notes and short-lived share tokens; optional emergency contact names and phone numbers; and authentication or administrator audit events.

When location sharing is enabled, the phone sends precise location to the configured server, including while the app is closed or not in use. The live map, history, and arrival or departure alerts use this information. Detailed history is normally retained for 90 days. The last known position remains until the account is deleted. SOS share links expire after 24 hours.

Who can access information

Members of the same family can view shared locations. A platform administrator for the server can access location information through the administration tools. Emergency contacts may receive an SOS share link if the server operator enables optional SMS. OpenFamily does not send an SOS to emergency services.

The server operator chooses hosting, backups, disk security, retention settings, and who receives administrator access. The operator may be able to read information stored on the server. Location data is not end-to-end encrypted.

Information sent to other services

• Map providers receive map tile requests for the area viewed and may receive the device IP address. OpenFamily defaults to OpenStreetMap street tiles and Esri satellite tiles; the operator can configure other or self-hosted tile services.
• Android push notifications use the operator’s ntfy server or another UnifiedPush distributor.
• iOS push notifications use Apple Push Notification service.
• If the operator enables optional Twilio SMS, Twilio receives the destination phone number and the alert share link.

OpenFamily requires an HTTPS server address and will not connect to a server over unencrypted HTTP. This encrypts network traffic in transit. Map tile requests and other optional services still go to the providers selected by the server operator, whose security and data practices the publisher does not control.

Your choices and deletion

Turn off Location sharing in the app or revoke location permission to stop this device reporting. You may manage your profile and delete your account in Settings. Deleting an account removes its account and associated location and device data from the server, subject to shared family records, audit records, and backups described by the operator. Shared places may remain for other family members.

For deletion or another request about information on a particular server, contact that server’s administrator, who controls the data and can carry out the request. If you cannot reach the administrator or need help identifying the right steps, contact OpenFamily support at contact@openfamily.app and include the server address. Do not send passwords or precise location history by email. See the account deletion instructions.

Children and families

OpenFamily is designed for family groups, which can include children. A parent or guardian and the server operator should set up a child’s account, explain who can view the location, and use the location-sharing controls appropriate to the family. The app does not include advertising or analytics SDKs. The server operator remains responsible for lawful collection, parental consent where required, and responding to access or deletion requests for that server.

Contact and updates

For questions about the OpenFamily software or this policy, contact the publisher at contact@openfamily.app. The publisher cannot directly access, change, or delete information on a self-hosted server. This policy may be updated when the software’s data handling changes; the effective date above identifies the current version.