• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

need good phone locator app

  • Thread starter Thread starter TinaSeaburn
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
T

TinaSeaburn

Guest
I have two children in school and I have provided them both with android phones. I'm wondering if there are any apps that will allow me to locate them should the need arise. I personally use an iPhone so it would be nice if the app worked cross platform (can't afford iPhones for both of them). It can't be something they have to have running and truthfully, I would rather they not even know the app is on their phone.

This comes up because I have a neighbor whose daughter came up missing for several hours after school. Since we spend so much money on these fancy phones, I would think that something like this could be done.

Thank You so much,
Tina
 
Ive never tried it so im not sure but theres Latitude on Google Maps. You sign into it and your friends can see where you are
 
Tina,
I believe that WhereAreMyKids is the app you are looking for.

You install it on your kid's phone and it appears as a simple FlashLight app. When you want to find the location of that phone you just send the phone a text message with a code in it. You child never gets the text message but you get back a google map link showing the exact location of the phone.

The text message can be sent from any kind of mobile device so it will work find with your iPhone.

Full disclosure: I'm the author of the app and it's new to Android.
Gary
 
Come on! Don't spy on your kids. Let them make your own mistakes.

I'm almost 18, so I've just been through that whole part of life, and if a parent can't trust their child not to do something so stupid that they have to be GPS-tracked, then there is something wrong with their parent-child relationship. Though maybe you just want to spy on them more generally...see where they go after school...what they do on weekends... Give them some privacy! Children are just young adults; at least show them some respect by getting their consent before you turn their phone into a tracking device.
 
lob said:
Come on! Don't spy on your kids. Let them make your own mistakes.

I'm almost 18, so I've just been through that whole part of life, and if a parent can't trust their child not to do something so stupid that they have to be GPS-tracked, then there is something wrong with their parent-child relationship. Though maybe you just want to spy on them more generally...see where they go after school...what they do on weekends... Give them some privacy! Children are just young adults; at least show them some respect by getting their consent before you turn their phone into a tracking device.
Click to expand...


I'm with you on this one, though I'm over 50 with an 8 year old boy ...... Kids have to be kids and learn for themselves.

Dave
 
lob said:
Come on! Don't spy on your kids. Let them make your own mistakes.

I'm almost 18, so I've just been through that whole part of life, and if a parent can't trust their child not to do something so stupid that they have to be GPS-tracked, then there is something wrong with their parent-child relationship. Though maybe you just want to spy on them more generally...see where they go after school...what they do on weekends... Give them some privacy! Children are just young adults; at least show them some respect by getting their consent before you turn their phone into a tracking device.
Click to expand...

I have a 16 yo daughter and a 14 yo son. The daughter has an android phone and the son will get his on our next upgrade. I use AV software on the phone that will allow location of the phone. I was very clear with my daughter (and will also be with my son) that the software is there and what it will do. I don't "check-up" on my daughter with it because I agree with the lob. I have had my daughter call me on two different occasions and ask me to locate her phone. Once was because she had laid it down and couldn't remember where. She thought someone had picked it up. The other time she texted and asked me to locate her and tell her how to get home from where she was. I did as she asked, because I had told her how to get home from where she started and was really curious about where she was. (She had missed/neglected to take an exit and was nearly 20 miles in the wrong direction when I located her. She and her brother were sitting in her car on the side of I-40 waiting for directions.) So I told her that if she would use the Google Nav software, it would take her straight home.

All that being said, a location service on a phone is nice and can be very useful. I can't tell you how many times I have used the alarm feature to help my wife find her phone. Lookout and Kaspersky both allow this type of location and both work well. I tried Cerberus, but was really put off with their pricing and how "locked down" there trial version was. There is one other called Android Lost (I think) that seemed to work OK also.

Good luck on your search.

BigRedGonzo
 
Having locating services on phones doesn't mean you'll be actively tracking your children. As stated above, they can be handy. Also, in case of trouble like kidnapping or some such, they can be located to an extent.


To the OP, if your kids have Samsung phones, simply go into settings, register and activate the Samsung Account and Mobile tracking, then the devices can be located on a PC using SamsungDive.com
 
Chanchan is correct and I should have explained that in my post. Location services give you a snapshot of where the tracked device is at the time it locates itself. Depending on the device, its location and the satellite view it has, your location could be very accurate of very, very rough. Also, if the device is moving, by the time you get a location it could be quite a distance from the location you received.

BigRedGonzo
 
+ 1 on the Cerberus app - it's great. I've tried them all and this program works awesome. As for the debate about tracking your kids, I say track them. Our job as a parent is to protect them and make sure (to best of our abilities) that they are safe and making good decisions. Teaching them to be truthful, make good decisions, and realize in today's technologically advanced world that they cannot get away with much are valuable life lessons that will help them lead better lives!

Obviously you cannot overdo it, but as a parent with three grown kids I wish we had this technology when mine were growing up. Being able to see where they are will not keep them from making bad choices but will at least help you help them when they get themselves into trouble. At the very least it will be helpful to put a parents concerns at ease to know that the kid is somewhere where they are safe. And in extreme cases, can provide you with a location and other information if they are in serious trouble.
 
1+ on Cerbeus. I like the fact that you can track multiple phones with one login.

My kids know it's on there and what it can do and I don't use it to read their texts, spy on them, etc., but it could definitely come in handy of they ever misplace the phone somewhere or something worse.
 
Gary blakely said:
Tina,
I believe that WhereAreMyKids is the app you are looking for.https://play.google.com/store/search?q=wherearemykids&c=apps

You install it on your kid's phone and it appears as a simple FlashLight app. When you want to find the location of that phone you just send the phone a text message with a code in it. You child never gets the text message but you get back a google map link showing the exact location of the phone.

The text message can be sent from any kind of mobile device so it will work find with your iPhone.

Full disclosure: I'm the author of the app and it's new to Android.
Gary
Click to expand...
Gary,
your app really works! Just what I was looking for. I also looked at the cerbeus app but it seems rather complex with accounts to setup and you have to use there website, etc.

With your WhereAreMyKids app I just installed it and it works. The location appears to be very precise.

Thanks so much for pointing this out!
Tina
 
Gary blakely said:
Tina,
I believe that WhereAreMyKids is the app you are looking for.

You install it on your kid's phone and it appears as a simple FlashLight app. When you want to find the location of that phone you just send the phone a text message with a code in it. You child never gets the text message but you get back a google map link showing the exact location of the phone.

The text message can be sent from any kind of mobile device so it will work find with your iPhone.

Full disclosure: I'm the author of the app and it's new to Android.
Gary
Click to expand...
Dude !
I can't believe I'm reading about your Kids app on this forum. I read about it on an Android blog last week and I've been using it since then. This is so cool!! I don't have any kids. I running it on my girlfriends phone. This is really a kick.

Since there are no accounts or websites to use there is no way of tracing it back to me. I can't believe it works without the app actually running.

I've got a Windows Phone but since it just uses text messages it works fine for finding her Android phone. When the free trial runs out I'll be buying it. You got a hit here!
Mike
 
I guess using the locator apps to help your family out is a bad thing. I just got a private message from some jerk that slammed me up one side and down the other about my previous post.

BigRedGonzo
 
TinaSeaburn said:
I have two children in school and I have provided them both with android phones. I'm wondering if there are any apps that will allow me to locate them should the need arise. I personally use an iPhone so it would be nice if the app worked cross platform (can't afford iPhones for both of them). It can't be something they have to have running and truthfully, I would rather they not even know the app is on their phone.

This comes up because I have a neighbor whose daughter came up missing for several hours after school. Since we spend so much money on these fancy phones, I would think that something like this could be done.

Thank You so much,
Tina
Click to expand...


I would never give out parenting advice, so I will merely convey what I did with my two kids.

Hands down without a doubt Life 360 is the best app for this purpose. I added it to my phone, and then invited the two of them to join. If they removed the app or turned off the GPS then they lost their phones for a specified amount of time (to a teen, that's certain death lol). Of course, some schools force them to disable their phones.

What life 360 does; Shows you on the map the location of convicted child predators and where they live, shows you the police stations, fire stations, and hospitals. Allows family members to "Check In" with each other... you can get emails from the check-ins that give coordinates to where they checked in from with a note that says "I'm ok!". There is also a panic button in case they get into trouble. You can also send messages to each other through the apps interface.

Right now in beta testing they have addresses you can add. For example, you can add the schools address and as soon as they get to the school you will be automatically notified. When they leave, you will be automatically notified.

What makes this interesting is as a parent you can check in with them too (they'll like this trust me). If you go to the grocery store or whatever, you can "check in" and let them know you're ok.

Best of all. It's free.
 
BigRedGonzo said:
I guess using the locator apps to help your family out is a bad thing. I just got a private message from some jerk that slammed me up one side and down the other about my previous post.

BigRedGonzo
Click to expand...

I wouldn't worry about. Probably done punk or tool with no kids or just a kid with no clue. Everyone has to do what is right for them and their kids. You offered an opinion and if the person didn't like it they should ignore it. And you should do the same to their message!
 
Methos1979 said:
I wouldn't worry about. Probably done punk or tool with no kids or just a kid with no clue. Everyone has to do what is right for them and their kids. You offered an opinion and if the person didn't like it they should ignore it. And you should do the same to their message!
Click to expand...


No one here has to take being abused. If you see or notice someone being bullied, please report it to a forum Admin, Mod, or a Guide (Guides will report it to the Mods/Admins). We don't take to kindly to those hurting anyone in our Android Forum Family. :)
 
BigRedGonzo said:
I guess using the locator apps to help your family out is a bad thing. I just got a private message from some jerk that slammed me up one side and down the other about my previous post.

BigRedGonzo
Click to expand...

Ignore them Big Red this person obviously doesn't have the guts to post there opinion for everyone else to see.

and Cerberus app is more than a locator. It can remote lock, clear SD card and data and protect your information. Great app.

I had a windows phone and the find my phone feature was built into the OS. Not sure why it isn't a part of android?
 
ruscicap said:
see.

and Cerberus app is more than a locator. It can remote lock, clear SD card and data and protect your information. Great app.
Click to expand...


Agreed. The Cerberus app would work amazingly well in conjunction with Life 360. Both different apps to do two different things... security and safety.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom