What is a Circle?
A Circle is a private group (e.g. family, friends, or coworkers) where all members share their location with each other on a map.
Inside a Circle I can:
See where members are on the map
Know how far they are from me
Send Aware when I want others to follow my route
See the battery level of their devices
Chat with all members of the Circle
Pause or activate my location whenever I want
Each Circle also includes an associated chat so members can easily communicate while viewing the map.
I can have multiple Circles at the same time.
How do I create a Circle?
From the Maps tab:
I tap New Circle at the top of the screen
I enter a name and optionally add a photo, then tap Create Circle
After that, I can invite participants in several ways:
Selecting contacts already in ēllu
Copying the invitation link
Sharing the link through other apps
Copying the Circle invitation code
I can also choose Do it later if I prefer to add people afterward
From a chat or group:
I can also create a Circle directly from a chat or group. I just open the conversation and tap the Maps 🗺️ icon in the top-right corner. This automatically creates a Circle with the participants of that chat or group.
Another option is going to a contact’s profile (individual or group chat) and tapping the Maps 🗺️ icon, which also creates a Circle automatically.
How do I join a Circle?
I can join a Circle in several ways:
With an invitation code:
I open the Maps tab
I tap Join a Circle
I enter the invitation code
With an invitation link:
If someone sends me a link, I just open it to join the Circle.
From a chat invitation:
If someone adds me to a Circle, I receive an invitation in the group chat to join.
From Smart Notifications:
I can also find invitations in Maps > Smart Notifications 🔔 (bell icon in the top-right of Maps), where pending Circle invitations appear.
Can I be in multiple Circles?
Yes. I can be part of multiple Circles at the same time.
At the top of the Maps screen I can switch between Circles to view each map.
How do I add members to a Circle?
If you are a Circle admin, you can add members from different places:
From the Circle map: Where you’ll find the options to share a link, show a QR code, or add contacts.
From Contacts: open a contact and tap +.
From the Circle settings: go to Settings ⚙️ > Add members.
While creating a Circle: after entering the Circle name, you can add participants.
From Contacts, Settings, and during Circle creation, you’ll access the invitation screen, where you can select contacts, share the link, show the QR code, or copy the invitation code.
Who can add or remove members?
Only Circle administrators can:
Add new members
Remove members from the Circle
How do I leave a Circle?
I can leave a Circle from the Circle settings:
I go to Maps
I tap the Settings ⚙️ icon
I select Leave Circle
When I leave:
I stop sharing my location
Other members see a message that I left the Circle
If I leave the chat, do I also leave the Circle?
Yes. If I leave the group chat, I automatically leave the Circle. However, the opposite is not true: if I leave the Circle, I remain in the chat.
Is my location always shared?
No. I can pause or resume my location at any time.
Location sharing only applies to the Circle where I enable or disable it.
How do I pause my location?
I open the Circle in Maps
I tap Pause location
My location stops being shared with that Circle. I can reactivate it whenever I want.
What happens when I pause my location?
Other members stop seeing me on the map
I can still see other members’ locations
A message is sent in the Circle chat indicating that I paused my location
Member statuses
Next to each person's name you'll see a label showing the status of their location:
Location updated (green) — They're sharing their location and the data is recent. You'll also see their distance from you and their device's battery level.
Last updated X ago (yellow) — They're in the circle sharing their location, but no new position has come through for a while. This can be down to poor signal, GPS turned off, or low battery.
Location paused (grey) — They've temporarily paused sharing their location. You'll still see the rest of the circle as normal.
If a member has accepted the invitation but hasn't sent their first location yet, their avatar will appear blurred with no status label.
When a location is being shared but the accuracy isn't exact, a halo will appear around the avatar on the map: the larger it is, the lower the accuracy.
Information visible on the map
Inside a Circle I can see:
Map location: each participant’s current position
Distance from me: approximate distance between me and another person
Battery level: device battery percentage of each member
Last location update: if a member is inactive, I can see when they last updated their location
What are Smart Alerts?
Beyond seeing members on the map, you can get a notification when someone in your Circle arrives at or leaves a Place. You choose which Places to follow and which people you want alerts for, so you only get what matters to you.
To set them up:
Go to Maps.
Tap Smart Alerts 🔔 (bell icon, top right).
Select the Place.
Choose the Circle members you want to follow.
Turn on arrival alerts, departure alerts, or both.
You can set up as many person-and-Place combinations as you like, and turn them off at any time from the Place settings or from Maps > Smart Alerts 🔔. Your setup only affects your device: other members will keep getting their own alerts based on what they've chosen.