Zenly alternatives after the shutdown

What happened to Zenly

Zenly was a social map for friends. TechCrunch described it as an app where "you can see if friends and family members are hanging out together and where they are right now", with messaging and, later, a personal map of places. It was founded in 2011 by a team in Paris and acquired by Snap in 2017. Snap announced it would shut Zenly down as part of a round of layoffs, and the app closed on 3 February 2023 (TechCrunch, 5 December 2022).

So if you are searching for Zenly today: you can't download it, log in or get your friends' locations from it. The question is which app replaces the part you used.

Zenly alternatives at a glance

As of 7 November 2026, per each vendor's own App Store listing, Google Play listing or help page (linked):

"Not stated" means the vendor page we checked doesn't say; it doesn't mean the feature is missing.

How we checked

On 7 November 2026 we read each app's own App Store listing, Google Play listing and help pages, linked above, plus TechCrunch's report on the shutdown. We didn't rank apps by ratings.

What you actually miss from Zenly

People who loved Zenly rarely miss "GPS". They miss three things:

1. Glancing at the map and knowing who's where, without asking. Any live map does this.
2. The social layer: who is hanging out with whom, favorite places, chat on the map. Bump and Snap Map lean into this.
3. Knowing a friend got home after a night out, without a "text me when you're home" chain. That one is about arrive and leave alerts, and it's where Warden is strongest.

Pick by which of the three you actually used.

1. Warden — best Zenly alternative for friends who both choose to share (top pick)

Warden is a location-sharing app for iPhone and Android where both people choose to share. It isn't a social network: it's a private map for your closest people, up to 10 in a circle, with the "did you get home?" part done for you.

• One private map for iPhone and Android, with live location and battery level.
• Arrive and leave alerts for unlimited places: the flat, the campus, your parents' house.
• Both of you choose. Sharing starts off; only the person sharing can switch it on, on their own phone. Pause anytime and the circle sees "Paused", with no location and no battery.
• Messages and quick check-ins like "On my way" and "Got home safe".
• SOS to your circle: hold the button for 2 seconds to alert everyone with your current or last known position.
• Private. Data stored in the EU, no ads, no data selling, 30 days of history that deletes itself.
• One plan for the circle. Monthly, yearly or lifetime covers up to 10 people; the people you invite join free, and the yearly plan starts with a 7-day free trial.

Moving your old Zenly group to Warden

1. Install Warden on your iPhone or Android phone and create a circle, for example "Flat" or "Friday crew".
2. Send the invite code in your group chat. It's valid for 7 days, then renews automatically.
3. Each friend enters the code on their own phone; you approve each join request. Everyone sees who joins.
4. Each person reads the consent screen and switches sharing on for themselves.
5. Add the places that matter, like the flat, the gym or the usual bar, so arrive and leave alerts work from day one.

2. Bump — closest to the Zenly feel

Bump, by the company amo, describes itself on the App Store as "From the Zenly team, the original location sharing app". Its listing names a map of friends with "their battery level, speed, and how long they've been somewhere", automatically detected places, chat on the map, a scratch map of where you've been and ETA sharing (App Store). It's free with in-app purchases called Bump Club, requires iOS 16 or later, and is also on Google Play, where the listing mentions "ghost mode to take time off the map" (Google Play). If you want Zenly's playful social map back, start here.

3. Snap Map — the map inside Snapchat

Snap Map is part of Snapchat, the company that bought and closed Zenly. Snapchat says location sharing "is off by default" (Snapchat). To set who sees you:

1. Open the Map in Snapchat.
2. Tap the gear icon to open Map Settings.
3. Choose My Friends, My Friends, Except..., Only These Friends... or Ghost Mode.

Ghost Mode can run for 3 hours, 24 hours or until turned off; Snapchat notes your location is still shared with Snap in Ghost Mode, just not visible to others (Snapchat). Snapchat also separates "Only while using" location, which updates only while Snapchat is open, from "Always" location (Snapchat). Full steps: share location on Snapchat.

4. Find My — for all-iPhone friend groups

If every friend has an iPhone, Find My is free and built in. Open Find My, tap People, tap the add button, choose Share My Location, enter a friend and choose how long (Apple). Apple says Live Location needs an iPhone with iOS 15 or later on both ends (Apple). Apple lists Find My for its own devices, so a friend with an Android phone needs a different app.

5. Google Find Hub — for all-Android friend groups

Google's Find Hub shares your location for one hour, until the end of the day, until you stop, or a custom time, and shows friends with address, last-updated time and distance (Google). Google's page doesn't mention iPhone. More: Google Find Hub.

6. Google Maps — for one night or one trip

Google Maps location sharing runs on iPhone and Android; the person you share with needs a Gmail account (Google). It works well for a festival weekend, less well as a daily friend map.

7. Life360 — if your group became a family

Life360's App Store listing is built around family safety: place alerts, crash detection and, on paid tiers, emergency dispatch and roadside assistance. That is a different mood than Zenly. See Life360 alternatives if that's the direction you're weighing.

Which one should your group use?

Where Warden doesn't fit

Warden isn't a social network. It has no music sharing, no scratch map, no discovery of friends of friends and no school directory; Bump and Snap Map do that. A Warden circle holds up to 10 people, and Warden has no free version. And like any honest sharing app, it can't show anyone who hasn't joined and switched sharing on.

FAQ

Is Zenly still around?

No. Snap shut Zenly down on 3 February 2023, as TechCrunch reported in December 2022. The app can't be downloaded or used anymore.

Why did Zenly shut down?

Snap, which bought Zenly in 2017, announced the shutdown as part of a round of layoffs, according to TechCrunch. TechCrunch also noted Zenly would otherwise have been an alternative to Snap Map.

What replaced Zenly?

There's no official replacement. Bump says it comes "from the Zenly team" and has the closest social-map feel; Snap Map is Snapchat's own map. For a private map for close friends and family across iPhone and Android, Warden (top pick) is the better fit.

Is Bump the new Zenly?

Bump's App Store listing says it is "From the Zenly team". It has a friends map, places, chat and a scratch map, and is free with in-app purchases on iPhone and Android.

What are apps like Zenly for iPhone and Android?

Warden (top pick), Bump, Snap Map, Google Maps and Life360 run on both iPhone and Android, according to their own pages. Find My is Apple-only and Find Hub is Android-focused.

Can I get Zenly back?

No. The service was switched off in February 2023, so old installs no longer work. Move your group to one of the apps above.

What is the best Snap Map alternative?

If you want a private map for close people rather than a social feed, Warden (top pick). If you want the social, playful side, Bump.