Protego in Manchester: a family map for trams, rain and match days

Greater Manchester spreads well beyond the city centre — out through the boroughs, along the tram lines, into the towns that ring the city. Protego is the protection charm that keeps your family's circle connected across all of it, rain or shine.

Population 2.8M

Why Manchester families use Protego

The Metrolink gives Manchester teenagers real independence, from the centre out to Bury, Altrincham and beyond. A geofencing ward at the tram stop or school gates means you know they've arrived, without chasing them for a text.

Families here live across ten boroughs — Salford, Stockport, Oldham, Trafford. Protego keeps everyone on one live map, so a normal day across Greater Manchester never means losing the thread.

Cast geofencing wards around the places your family goes most — school, college, a friend's, training — and Protego confirms each arrival the moment it happens.

How Protego works across Greater Manchester

Wards at the tram stop. The Metrolink runs out to Bury, Altrincham, Rochdale and the airport. Ward the stop near home and the school, and the journey reports itself.
Ten boroughs, one map. Bolton, Stockport, Salford, Oldham, Nan in Wigan. Greater Manchester families spread out, and the parchment map keeps everyone's avatar in one place.
Match-day meeting points. On match days the trams are heaving and phones are hard to hear. Ward the meeting point after the final whistle and let it do the talking.
Nobody's watched in secret. Your teenager can see you too. There's no hidden mode, so it feels like a family map, not a leash.

A Manchester week, rain or shine

Greater Manchester kids get about by tram and bus from early secondary school. Here's a week that will sound familiar.

Monday, 7:30 a.m.: Your Year 9 catches the Metrolink at Didsbury Village into town. The ward at school fires just as the rain starts.
Tuesday on Oxford Road: Your sixth-former takes a yellow Bee Network bus down Oxford Road to college. You see them pass the university and leave them to it.
Wednesday, Grandad's day in town: Grandad comes in on the tram from Bury for the day. He's in the circle, so the only message is the one about where to meet for lunch.
Saturday, match day: Your teenager goes to Old Trafford with mates. The tram home is rammed, and the ward at home in Sale fires an hour after the final whistle.
Sunday in Heaton Park: A walk round Heaton Park, then a drive out to the edge of the Peak District. Rain, sun, rain. Everyone's avatar on the same map.
Half-term at Salford Quays: The cousins visit Salford Quays and spend the day around MediaCityUK. You check the map once, see them by the water, and put the kettle on.

Setting up Protego for tram and bus journeys

Install Protego on your phone and your child's, iPhone or Android. You and one child cost nothing; a paid plan adds the rest.
Ward the tram stop or bus stop near home, the school and a grandparent's house.
Agree on a match-day meeting point and ward that too.
Let your child choose an avatar and add you back, so the map works both ways.

Manchester questions we get asked

Does Protego work on the Metrolink and Bee Network buses?

Yes, wherever the phone has signal. It follows the phone, not the ticket, so it doesn't matter how they paid.

Does it link to my child's bus pass or travelcard?

No. Protego doesn't read passes or contactless payments. It only uses the phone's location.

Will it work in a packed stadium crowd?

It works as long as the phone has signal, but big crowds can slow mobile networks, so the map may lag. Agree a meeting point anyway and ward it.

Does it work across all of Greater Manchester?

Yes. A circle has no borough lines, so a day that crosses Salford, Trafford and Stockport stays on one map.

Can my child see where I am too?

Yes. Every circle is mutual and there's no hidden mode.

Is Protego free for a family in Greater Manchester?

Free for a circle of two, with a paid plan to add more of the family. We never sell anyone's location data.