Want to spy on your friends? This app lets you locate them in real time
Spot wraps location sharing, ephemeral messages, and anonymous chat into one app
If you’re wondering where a friend is but don’t want to ask them directly, try this app… or maybe not.
The first time you open Spot, you’ll be asked to invite friends from your existing network, whether it’s on WeChat, QQ, or your phone book. And once they join, their location will immediately appear on a map in your app. You can click on their pictures to chat with them -- or send them stickers, music clips, and videos that disappear immediately after they’re seen.
Sounds good? There’s a catch. The app is constantly keeping track of your location, even when you’re not using the app. It won’t even let you use the app if you don’t choose “Always” for location access. This made my friend really suspicious after I forced them to download the app and play with me. “Admit it, you just want to spy on me,” one of them said.
The app has been live since September, but only started to climb up in ranking last week. It’s not clear what triggered the app’s sudden spike in popularity, especially because there doesn’t appear to be much of a discussion on social media.