The Manhunt app
Manhunt IRL: Real-Life GPS Tag is a free iPhone app that referees real-life Manhunt. It runs the head start and the clock, gives hunters fuzzy location pings, gives runners a heartbeat when a hunter is near, handles jail and jailbreaks, confirms every tag, and ends each game with a replay of everyone's route. Friends without the app, including Android users, join in their browser.
From "let's play" to playing in under a minute
- HostTap Host. No sign-up, no account, no tutorial. You get a fun nickname you can change any time.
- InviteFriends scan the QR code on your screen or tap the link in the group chat. They're in the lobby in two taps, app or no app.
- StartThe app picks hunters, sizes the boundary to the group, and starts a synced head start on every phone.
- PlayPut your phone in your pocket. It buzzes when it matters.
- RecapWatch everyone's route replay, see who got the awards, and run it back. The first caught become the new hunters.
What it does
Pings that keep the game moving
Every one to three minutes, each hunter sees a circle around each runner. The runner is somewhere inside it, almost never at the center. Runners get a 10-second warning, and see the same circle the hunters see. Pings speed up as the game goes on, and the final minute is sudden death with a ping every 15 seconds. Nobody can hide forever, and nobody is shown as an exact dot.
A heartbeat for runners
When a hunter comes within about 80 meters, your phone starts to beat like a heart. At 50 meters it quickens, and at 25 it pounds. It never tells you which direction. You find that out with your ears.
Jail and jailbreak, the way you played it
Caught runners walk to jail. A free runner who stands in jail and holds Jailbreak for 5 seconds frees the prisoners, while every hunter's phone sounds an alarm. Hunters can guard jail, but any hunter within 35 meters of it shows up on every runner's map. No other app builds the game around the rules that make Manhunt, Manhunt.
Tags that settle arguments
Tag with a light touch, then tap Caught. The runner has 10 seconds to accept or dispute. The server checks the two phones were actually close, so a hunter across the field can't spam tags. Boundaries allow for GPS wobble, with a warning buzz near the edge and a 30-second grace if you step out.
An ending worth sharing
Every game ends with an animated replay of everyone's route, the closest call of the night, and awards like Apex Predator, Houdini and Final Boss. Share cards use abstract path art with no map or street names, so you never post where you live.
Built for the dark
A dark interface and haptics instead of sounds, so your phone doesn't give you away. Browser players can also switch to a dim stealth screen (coming to the iPhone app).
Free for the whole group, forever
Manhunt only works if everyone can play, so the core game will always be free for everyone in it:
- Unlimited games. No daily limits, no "one free game".
- 20+ players. No player caps.
- Every core mode, starting with Classic and Infection.
- Equal information. Nobody can pay to see more of the map, get more pings or see live locations.
- No ads during live play.
If we ever charge for anything, it will be optional extras that don't change who wins: cosmetics, recap video exports and tools for hosting large events.
How it compares
There are several good GPS hide-and-seek apps, and we've learned from all of them. Here is what we chose to do differently:
| What matters to a group | Manhunt IRL | Typical GPS hide-and-seek app |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Manhunt rules (jail, jailbreak) | Built in, with a hold-to-break and hunter alarm | Usually elimination only |
| Players on the free tier | 20+, unlimited games | Often capped, or limited games per day |
| Friends without the app | Join from a link or QR in the browser | Everyone installs first |
| What hunters see | Fuzzy circles; exact positions never leave the server | Often exact dots, sometimes a paid upgrade |
| Tags | Touch, tap Caught, runner confirms, server checks distance | Button press or honor system |
| Proximity warning | Heartbeat haptics, no direction | Varies |
| After the game | Route replay, awards, share card | A results screen |
| Accounts | None | Often required |
For camps, schools and youth groups
A leader can join as a non-playing referee who sees everyone live and can pause and resume the game for all players. Any player can hold the pause button for safety, and once a game has started the host approves anyone new who tries to join. Games are private, joined only by code, and there are no accounts or free-text chat. Read the safety guide.
Privacy
Location is shared only during a live game, only with the players in it, and only in the way the rules allow. It stops at the final horn, and raw location data is deleted from our servers within 24 hours. No advertising or analytics company ever receives it. Details are in the privacy policy.
Requirements
- iPhone: iOS 18 or later.
- Everyone else: a recent version of Chrome, Safari, Firefox or Samsung Internet with location enabled. Play in your browser.
Who needs what
One person needs an iPhone to host the game. Everyone else can join from any phone: iPhone friends through the app, and anyone else, including Android users, straight from the invite link in their web browser. Hosting from the browser is on our roadmap. More answers in the FAQ.