Whether it's for safety reasons, or maybe you just want to know if your kids are telling you the truth about where they are, there's an app for that.
LIFE360 - FREE
Life360 enables families to see where their loved ones are located, when they need help and what the threats might be around them. It creates a private family "channel" that allows real-time "Check Ins" with the tap of a button from any family member. (Available on IPhone, Blackberry, Android & Windows Phone)
GLYMPSE - FREE
Glympse is the easy way to safely share your location in real-time. No Signup. Just send a Glympse to anyone via email, Text, Twitter, or Facebook. Your friends will be able to see your exact location in real-time, but only for the period of time you say. After that, it automatically shuts off, plus you can shut if off immediately at anytime if you want. (Availabe on IPhone, Android, Blackberry & Windows Phone)
PMONITOR - $1.99
The app provides location notifications and alerts. Worried about your kids reaching school safely? Set the app to notify you when their gps location reaches the school's address. The app also comes equipped with a panic alert system - if you feel like you're in danger or a very uncomfortable situation, simply hit the panic button and the app notifies your preset contacts that you're in trouble and provides then with your location. (Available on Android)
LOOKOUT - FREE
Worried parents can use Lookout, which was intended to find a lost phone or secure data on a stolen device, for tracking their children instead. After downloading the app onto your child's phone, you can log in online, click on the "missing device" tab and see where the phone - and your child - is on a map. (Available on Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone 7, iPhone and iPad)
GOOGLE LATITUDE - FREE
Offered as both a separate app and as an opt-in feature that's part of the free Google Maps app, Latitude enables users to share their location with friends or family members. After downloading the Maps app, you can choose to "Join Latitude" and invite your children, who must also enable that feature on their own phone, to share their location with you. Once someone accepts, they appear as an icon on Google Maps.
But inviting someone means they will be able to view your location. Anyone who has received what is called a "sharing request" can also accept it but choose to hide their own location. That means if you're not careful, your children will end up tracking you instead of the other way around (possibly leading to lots of awkward inquisitions). (Available on Android, Blackberry, Apple and many other devices)
GPS PHONE TRACKER - FREE
The "GPS Phone Tracker" transforms your iPhone into a premium GPS tracking device. Use your phone to see where your friends and family are in your city or across the globe. (Available on Iphone/Ipod/Ipad)
