It’s late, your friends are heading out, and nobody has a plan for getting home. Polarys gives you a reminder to figure that out. After 45 minutes or more at bars or places you’ve saved, leaving can bring up a check-in with Uber, Lyft, transit, or a text to a friend.
Save your home address and the places you go. Allow Always location, Precise Location, and notifications.
a little setup before you head outPolarys watches for visits at night. Bars and saved party addresses count toward the same session.
9 pm–5 am, local timeLeaving after 45+ venue minutes can trigger a ride reminder. You can always open ride options yourself.
have a plan before getting in the carBetween 9 PM and 5 AM, Polarys counts time at monitored places. Once you’ve spent 45+ minutes there across the same night session, a detected departure can send a reminder. It doesn’t go off just because the timer hits 45 minutes.
“How are you getting home?” Tap the notification to open your options. There’s one departure reminder per night session, not another alert every time you walk past the door.
Planning to drive? There’s a quick check-in first. Looking for a ride? You can go straight to the options.
If you were planning to drive, Polarys asks how much you’ve had. You can skip the answer. Every answer leads to ride options, and your answer isn’t saved.
Open Uber or Lyft with your saved home as the destination, look up transit, or open a text to a friend with your pickup location. You still send the text or book the ride yourself.
You know that friend who always hosts? Save their address in Settings. Polarys can watch that place the same way it watches a bar.
Add up to 10 places, give them nicknames, and remove them whenever you want. The same 9 PM–5 AM window and 45-minute departure rule apply. Your saved home is separate: getting home ends your night.
Saved places stay on your phone until you remove them. Address lookup uses Google or your device’s location service.
You can save your car’s Bluetooth audio connection in Polarys. After 45+ venue minutes, a qualifying connection can bring up another check-in. The app checks the active audio connection while it’s running; it doesn’t scan every car nearby or know who’s driving. A car Shortcut can help open Polarys when the app is asleep.
Departure reminders don’t need Bluetooth. And choosing “0 drinks” doesn’t turn off the car check-in.
The home screen shows your current venue and time spent there. Low, Medium, and High reflect venue time and a qualifying saved-car connection. They don’t measure alcohol or tell you whether you’re safe to drive. Time spent traveling doesn’t add points.
Save a friend’s address and use the same departure reminders as bars.
Open the Ride tab whenever you need it. You don’t have to wait for a notification.
Find general next steps and links to help if you or a friend needs them.
Find state-specific information and links to official sources. It isn’t legal advice.
Anay Shah — Iowa State University
I’m an Iowa State student building Polarys. The idea is pretty simple: getting home should be part of the plan, even when the rest of the night wasn’t planned at all.
The name comes from Polaris, the North Star. I liked the idea of something that helps you find your way home. I’m testing the iPhone app with friends and working through what’s useful on an actual night out.
Polarys is currently being tested on iPhone. It isn’t available as a public App Store download yet.
Reminders depend on phone permissions, GPS, and iOS. They can arrive late or fail to arrive, so make a plan before you leave. Polarys can’t tell you whether you’re sober or safe to drive.