Most messaging apps are designed for conversations. WheresNow Family is designed for conversations and safety. Every Circle includes a private group chat that keeps family communication organised, right alongside location sharing.
What the Circle Chat Does
The Circle chat allows all members to communicate in one place. Messages are visible to everyone inside the Circle, so nothing gets missed and there are no separate threads to manage.
Why Use Circle Chat?
Families often switch between multiple apps, one for messaging, another for tracking locations. WheresNow combines both features into a single platform.
With Circle chat, you can:
- Chat with family members: all in one private space
- Discuss travel plans: coordinate before you leave, not after
- Arrange pickups and drop-offs: no more back-and-forth texts
- Share updates: let everyone know you have arrived safely
- Respond to SOS alerts: reply directly when someone needs help
Connected to Location Sharing
The biggest advantage of Circle chat is that it works alongside location sharing. Instead of switching between a maps app and a messaging app, everything stays inside one experience. See where your family is, then send a message, without leaving the app.
This matters most in time-sensitive moments. When an SOS alert comes through, Circle members can respond immediately in the same space where they can already see the person's location.
Share More Than Just Text
Chat in WheresNow now goes beyond words. Circle chat, Bubble chat, and 1:1 direct messages all support sending photos: from your camera or your gallery, alongside your messages. That covers the moments text alone can't: a photo of where you're waiting, what the traffic looks like, or proof you made it somewhere safely.
Photos are compressed before upload to keep things fast, with a 10MB limit per image in jpg, jpeg, png, or webp format. They're stored securely, and only people who are actually members of that conversation can view them, checked on the server every time, not just when it's uploaded, with access to each image time-limited rather than left open indefinitely.
Chat also supports location messages, which show up as a small map preview right in the conversation:
- A one-time pin drop: share exactly where you are, right now
- A live or timed location share: let someone follow along for a set period
- An "on my way" / ETA share: so people know when to expect you
Tap any location message to open the full map view. Combined with photos, this means a Circle conversation can carry the whole picture of a moment, where someone is, what's happening, and when they'll arrive, without leaving the chat.
What Every Member Can Do
| Action | Available to All Members |
|---|---|
| Send messages | Yes |
| Read messages | Yes |
| Receive notifications | Yes |
| Stay updated in real time | Yes |
Every member of a Circle has equal access to the chat, there are no read-only members or admin-only announcements. Communication inside a Circle is shared and transparent.
Next Steps
Download WheresNow, join a Circle, and start communicating with your family in one secure place.
