Getting started
Is Hetku free?
Yes. Hetku is free to use, has no ads, and you don’t need an account.
Which cities does Hetku work in?
Tallinn, Tartu, Riga and Helsinki today, and more cities are on the way. When a new city launches it switches on by itself, with nothing to update or set up.
When can I download it?
Hetku is coming to iPhone first, and an Android version is planned after that. You can already browse lines and stops on this site.
Which languages does it speak?
English, Estonian, Russian, Finnish, Latvian and Turkish.
Who is behind Hetku?
Hetku is an independent app. It isn’t affiliated with any city or transport operator.
The live map
Are the vehicles on the map really live?
In most cities, yes. Positions arrive about every 10 seconds and Hetku moves each vehicle along its route in between. In Tartu, buses follow live trip times where available and are otherwise placed by the timetable, with a dashed ring so you can tell.
Why does a vehicle sometimes disappear?
A vehicle that stops reporting is taken off the map after a short while, rather than being shown frozen in the wrong place. If a whole feed goes quiet, a banner tells you.
Do I have to share my location?
No. If you refuse, you choose a city from a list and everything works, without the blue dot. You can allow location later in Settings.
Stops and departures
What does "Scheduled" mean?
That the time comes from the timetable, not from the vehicle itself. Times with a green dot are live. We show the difference because a timetable can’t know about a late bus.
How do I save a favourite stop?
Open a stop and tap the star. It appears on Home and in the Stops tab, and you can add it to your Home Screen as a widget.
Journeys and following
How do I follow a ride?
Press Go on a route, or Follow on a stop or line. Hetku shows each step and keeps the minutes on your Lock Screen.
Will it tell me when to get off?
Yes. While you follow a ride, a notification tells you to get ready before your stop.
Alerts
Do alerts work when the app is closed?
Yes. Alerts are checked on our server and sent as a notification, so the app doesn’t have to be open.
What if my bus runs late?
The alert follows live data where it’s available, so it moves with the vehicle. In a city without live data it uses the timetable.
Privacy
Do I need an account?
No. The app signs in with an anonymous ID that isn’t linked to your name or email.
What do you store about me?
Your settings, and, unless you turn it off, roughly where you open the app and which trips you plan. You can turn this off and delete everything in Profile, Privacy. The privacy policy has the details.
Something wrong with a line or a time?
Report it from the app: while following a ride, tap the red button on the map. Privacy policy
