Letters that fly the real miles between you.
Write by hand, fold it into a paper plane, and throw it. It crosses the real map and lands in their city. For a partner in another time zone, a best friend who moved away, family on the other side of the world.
Texts are instant, so they feel weightless. A letter you watch cross the map feels like it came from somewhere.
tether makes the distance part of the message. Your note is written in a handwriting pen, folded into a paper plane, and thrown across the real map, every mile of it, until it lands on their city and unfolds in front of them. Between letters, throw a kiss, a hug or a bomb that goes off on their face.
Write. Fold. Throw. Land.
- 01
Write it by hand
A pen that looks like handwriting, in blue or black ink. Every letter carries your name and face.
- 02
Fold it
Pull the letter down and it folds itself into a paper plane, crease by crease.
- 03
Throw it
Aim at whoever you're writing to and flick. It flies across the real map, every mile between you.
- 04
Watch it land
It touches down on their city and unfolds in front of them. You'll see when it's been opened.
Throw a kiss. Make their day.
Not everything needs a letter. Throw a kiss, a hug or a bomb, and it goes off on their face, wherever they are.
Keep your person in sight.
The widget puts the two of you on the map with the last thing they sent, and a throw one tap away.
What you write stays between you.
Your letters never pass through a server of ours. They travel through your iCloud and theirs, and nowhere else.
Only the two of you
Letters live in your iCloud and theirs, end-to-end encrypted and shared with nobody else. Not even the developer can read them.
No sign-up
No email, no password, no account to make. Your iCloud is all tether needs.
A city, never a street
Your location is rounded to about 10 km before it's shared. Or skip it and type your city.
Nothing watching
No ads, no analytics, no tracking across apps. Your letters never pass through a server of ours.
Read the full privacy policy.
A little closer, every day.
tether+ unlocks more ways to stay close: more connections, unlimited letters, every pen and ink, voice dictation, and the Home Screen widget.
Monthly & yearly
SubscriptionChoose monthly or yearly billing. Subscriptions renew automatically and can be managed or cancelled in your Apple Account settings.
Lifetime
Pay once and keep tether+ for good. No subscription, nothing to renew.
Prices are shown in the app, in your currency. Payment is charged to your Apple Account; subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the period, and can be managed in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use · Apple EULA
Questions, answered.
What is tether?
tether is an iPhone app for writing to the people you miss. You write a note in a handwriting pen, fold it into a paper plane, and throw it. It flies across the real map from your city to theirs and unfolds when it lands.
Is tether a long-distance relationship app?
It was made for exactly that: a partner in another time zone. It works just as well for a best friend who moved away or family on the other side of the world. You can be connected to as many people as you like, and each friendship is private to the two of you.
Do we both need tether?
Yes. You both need an iPhone signed in to iCloud. Invite them from the app with a link or a QR code, and once they've opened it you're on each other's map.
How much does tether cost?
tether+ is available as a monthly or yearly subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Prices are shown in the app in your local currency.
Can anyone else read my letters?
No. Letters live in your iCloud and theirs, end-to-end encrypted and shared only between the two of you. Your letters never pass through a server of ours, there are no accounts, and the developer can't read them.
Does tether share my exact location?
No. tether only ever places you in a city. Your location is rounded to about 10 km before it's stored or shared, and you can type your city instead of sharing location at all.
Is there a widget?
Yes. The Home Screen widget shows the two of you on the map with the last thing they sent, and you can throw a kiss or a hug straight from it.
Is tether on Android?
No. tether is made for iPhone, and both of you need one.
Something else? Visit support.
Put your person on your map.
tether+ for iPhone. Choose monthly, yearly, or lifetime access.
Download on theApp Store