Is ETA free?
Yes. ETA is free to use. The guide pages show a few banner ads (only if you accept ads cookies); the app screens never do.
Do I need an account?
Not for Wake me / get off — that works entirely on your phone. To tell your people you need a free account, because ETA has to email them for you and they must confirm first. Signing in only needs your email address: we send you a one-time link, so there’s no password.
Does it work with the screen off or in the background?
No, and we want to be clear about this. Browsers only give location updates to pages that are on screen (this is in the W3C Geolocation specification). Keep the ETA journey screen open; ETA asks your phone to keep the screen on while a journey is running. Read why the screen has to stay open.
Will it work on my iPhone?
Location and the on-screen alert work in Safari. Two things differ from Android: Safari doesn’t support vibration from web pages, and keeping the screen on (the “wake lock”) arrived in Safari 16.4 but, according to MDN’s compatibility data, only works in an app added to the Home Screen from iOS 18.4. So on an iPhone, rely on the sound and the screen alert, and turn the volume up.
Does ETA know where I’m going?
The destination you set is kept on your phone and never sent to us. If you tell people, our server gets the contacts you chose, an optional nickname for the destination (like “home”), and the “send the alert now” message with your phone’s estimate of the minutes left. If — and only if — you switch on the live ETA link, your phone also sends your latest position, which we delete when the journey ends (24 hours at the most).
How accurate is the ETA?
It’s an estimate. Your phone measures how quickly you’ve been getting closer to the destination in a straight line over the last few minutes, and divides the distance left by that speed. It doesn’t know about roads, timetables or traffic, so treat it as a guide. If you’ve stopped, ETA shows the distance only.
Why must my contacts confirm?
So that nobody can use ETA to send emails to strangers. When you add someone, we email them once, explaining who you are; they only get alerts after they press “Yes”. Every email has a link to stop alerts from you, or to stop all emails from ETA for good.
Can it send texts or WhatsApp messages?
Not at the moment. ETA sends emails only. Texts and WhatsApp would need a paid messaging provider; the app is built so one could be added later.
Can I use ETA in an emergency?
No. ETA is not an emergency service and nobody monitors it. Messages can be delayed or not arrive, and the app stops if your phone’s screen turns off, the battery runs out or you lose signal. In an emergency, call 999.
Does the alarm work without internet?
Once the journey has started, the wake-me alarm uses your phone’s location and works without a data connection. The map pictures need the internet, and so do emails to your contacts. If you install ETA on your home screen, the app itself also opens without a connection.
How do I install it?
In Chrome on Android, open the menu and choose “Add to Home screen” or “Install app”. In Safari on iPhone, tap Share, then “Add to Home Screen”. It then opens like an app.
How do I delete my account?
Sign in, open Account and choose “Delete my account”. Your account, contacts and journeys are deleted straight away.
Browser facts checked against MDN and the W3C Geolocation specification on 20 October 2026.