Tambo
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Coming to Google Play
Coming to Google Play
How it works

Setup, and then silence

Tambo takes about three minutes to set up and then does nothing visible until an unlock attempt fails. Here is the whole of it.

  1. Create your account

    Your name, email address and WhatsApp number. These are the delivery addresses for every report, so use details you can reach without this phone — a work email and a number on a different handset is the ideal pair.

  2. Confirm your device and its IMEI

    Tambo reads the make, model and Android version from the phone. Android does not permit an app to read the IMEI or serial number, so you enter those yourself from Settings → About phone, or by dialling *#06#. Write the IMEI somewhere that is not the phone — it is the first thing the police and your network will ask for.

  3. Grant three permissions and device administrator

    Location all the time, camera, and notifications, plus device administrator so Tambo cannot be uninstalled without your PIN. Each one is explained in the app before Android asks for it, and the permissions page on this site sets out exactly what breaks if you decline.

  4. Choose who receives reports

    Your email address and WhatsApp number, plus a trusted contact — someone who will still have a phone when you do not. Ask them first: you are arranging for them to receive your location and photographs.

  5. Set a Tambo PIN

    The PIN stops a thief opening Tambo and switching protection off. That is the last setup step — Tambo is free while we are in beta, so there is nothing to pay and protection starts immediately.

  6. Send yourself a test report

    Do this on day one, and again whenever you change your email or number. A theft is a bad time to discover a report was going to an address you stopped using.

What a report contains

Reports go to email and WhatsApp. Both carry the same evidence; the email is the archival copy you can forward to police or an insurer.

TamboWhatsApp · 14:32
Alert
Front camera · placeholder · 14:32:04
LocationNgong Rd, Nairobi · ±14 m
Failed attempts3
IMEI356938 03 5195 88 0
Do not go there yourself. Take this to the police with the IMEI.

Every report includes

  • The front-camera photograph, stamped with device, date and time
  • Location, with the accuracy radius and the source of the fix
  • The time of the attempt, and how many attempts failed
  • The method attempted — fingerprint, PIN, pattern
  • Device make, model and the IMEI you entered
  • A link to the full location trail
  • One line of safety advice, every time

Questions people actually ask

Does the thief see anything?
No. Tambo does not change its icon, sound an alarm, or show a warning. The phone behaves normally. This is the single most important design decision in the product: an app that announces itself gets uninstalled before it can report anything.
What if they turn off mobile data?
Readings queue on the device and send the moment any connection returns — including a Wi-Fi network the phone has joined before. The last position obtained before it went offline is already with you.
What if they factory reset the phone?
With device administrator permission enabled, Tambo detects the attempt and sends a final report with its last known location before it can be removed. Nothing survives every reset, which is exactly why the IMEI matters — that is what your network and the police can act on.
Why do you need my IMEI instead of reading it yourselves?
Current versions of Android do not allow an app like Tambo to read the IMEI or serial number. You enter it during setup, from Settings → About phone or by dialling *#06#. It is arguably better this way: typing it is what makes you write it down somewhere that is not the phone.
Can I use Tambo on my child's phone, or my partner's?
On a child's phone, yes, if you are the parent or guardian. On an adult's phone, only if they know Tambo is installed and have agreed to it. Using Tambo to monitor an adult without their consent breaches our terms, may be a criminal offence, and will get the account closed.
Is Tambo really free?
Yes, while we are in beta — every feature, no card, nothing to cancel. If a paid plan arrives later you will get at least 14 days' notice by email and in the app, and Tambo will keep working until you decide what to do.
Who can see my location history?
You, the recipients you nominate, and the hosting provider that stores it encrypted. Our own staff cannot see photographs or locations by default; access requires a recorded reason, and for photographs a second approval. We do not sell any of it.
Can I delete everything?
Yes, yourself, without contacting us. Account deletion removes your account, devices, locations, photographs and event history. Payment records are kept for seven years because tax law requires it. Full detail on the deletion page.