BackHere
FAQ
Does it need a connection, does the arrow navigate, do places survive a new phone, and seven more.
Questions
The ten we are asked most
If yours is not here, write to us — the address is on the Support page.
Does the app need an internet connection?
No. Saving a place, browsing the list and walking back all run entirely on the device. A connection is used only to fetch map imagery and to look up the nearest address for a coordinate — with no connection the map is blank, but the arrow, the distance and your photos still work.
Does the app send my location anywhere?
No. There is no account, no server of ours, and no list of places is ever uploaded. The Privacy page lists every piece of data, one row at a time.
Does the arrow navigate turn by turn like Google Maps?
No. It gives a bearing and a straight-line distance, computed with the phone's compass — which is exactly why it still works with no signal. When you want real directions, the detail screen has a button that hands the place to Apple Maps or Google Maps.
What about an underground car park with no signal?
GPS is usually weak underground, so if the fix is poor when you press save, the app tells you the accuracy is low. The reliable habit: save the moment you step out of the car, then take a photo of the pillar or the level sign. On the way back the arrow uses the compass, so it points correctly with no signal at all.
How many places does the free version keep?
Five active places, with no time limit and no ads. A place that expires moves to the archive and stops taking up one of those five.
Is Pro a monthly subscription?
No. Pro is a single payment, kept forever — Play calls this a one-time product, StoreKit calls it Non-Consumable. There is no monthly plan, no annual plan and no trial that starts charging.
If I change phones, do my places come with me?
Pro does: press Restore and the store gives it back, as long as it is the Apple or Google account that bought it. The list of places lives on the old phone, so it comes along only if your operating system's backup (iCloud or Google) carried the app's data. We hold no copy to restore for you.
Does the person I send a location to need BackHere?
No. What is sent is a map link that opens in any browser, together with the place's name and its address when there is one.
My iPhone runs iOS 15 — can I install it?
Yes, from iOS 15.1. That is a deliberate choice: a newer version of the platform the app is built on raises the floor to iOS 16.4, which drops the iPhone 6s, the iPhone 7 and the first SE — devices people still use — so the app stays on the version that keeps iOS 15.1. On Android it needs 7.0 or newer.
Do the photos I take in the app go to the cloud?
No. A photo is copied into the app's own folder on the device rather than into your photo library, and it is never uploaded. Uninstalling the app deletes that folder with it.
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