- Start with your phonesSome apps only work if everyone has an iPhone.
- Free to download isn't freeCheck what the features you want cost.
- Ask who else gets the dataThe store's privacy section tells you.
- Kids have to keep it onAn app they hate gets switched off.
There's no single best family tracker. The right one depends on which phones your family has, what you want to know, and whether your kids will put up with it. Here's an honest look at the apps families use most, with sources for every fact.
The apps side by side
| App | Phones | Good for | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Find My | iPhone only1 | All-iPhone families, nothing to install | Arrive and leave alerts tell the other person2 |
| Google Maps | iPhone and Android3 | Sharing with one person for a while | The person you share with needs a Google account3 |
| iPhone and Android4 | "Here's where I am" in a chat | For a set time, end-to-end encrypted4 | |
| Google Family Link | A kid's Android phone; parents on Android or iPhone5 | Supervising a younger kid's Android phone | Can't supervise an iPhone;5 arrive and leave alerts for places6 |
| Snap Map | Inside Snapchat, 13+7 | Teens who already use Snapchat | Off by default; Stories sent to the map are public89 |
| Life360 | iPhone and Android1011 | Family circles, place alerts, driving (paid) | Free plan keeps 2 days of history;12 listing says location may be shared with third parties11 |
| Outft | iPhone and Android, same day (coming soon) | Families who want privacy, and kids who keep it on | End-to-end encrypted; kids see what parents see |
How to choose
- Everyone has an iPhone and you want simple: Find My is already there. Find My vs Life360
- Mixed phones, and you just need it now and then: Google Maps or WhatsApp work across iPhone and Android. How to share between iPhone and Android
- Your teen already lives on Snapchat: go through Snap Map's settings together. Is Snap Map safe for kids?
- Your younger kid has an Android phone: Google Family Link shows where the phone is and can alert you when it arrives at or leaves a place.6 It can't supervise an iPhone.5
- You want family circles, place alerts and driving reports: Life360 does that, with more on its paid plans. What Life360 costs
Where Outft fits
Outft is for families that want the useful parts of a family locator without the creepy parts:
- Every phone. Coming soon to iPhone and Android, both on the same day.
- Even we can't see it. Location is end-to-end encrypted on the phone. No ads, and we never sell or share your data.
- Built for kids to keep on. In Outft, a parent is a Honcho. A kid can always see what each Honcho can see and when they checked, and ghost mode gives them a break from their Buds, never from family.
- Free where it counts. Free to download, safety basics free for every family, and kids are always free.
- History you choose: none, 24 hours or 7 days.