How to track a child by phone: the best mobile applications

Locator 24

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Family locator GPS Locator 24

Developer: Mobile Software House

Price: Free

The purpose of this application is to set the location of a child or other family members based on GPS and mobile network. It's very easy to start using it: register, add a child or adult and create a unique code for him. Then install the application on another phone and register using the code.

Among the application's features:

• View the location history of family members for the last 7 days.
• Notification that a child or adult has arrived (left) a specified place.
• Assigning a route for a family member.
• Sending an emergency alert.
• Notification that one of the family members has lost the Internet, has less than 15% battery charge left, or that they have disabled access to their location.
• Communication between family members.

By default, your phone receives location data using GPS. If it cannot receive a signal from the satellite, then it takes information from cellular networks, but in this case the information will be less accurate. The application has high ratings on Google Play and over 500,000 downloads. It is distributed completely free of charge, but advertisements regularly appear on the screen.

Tracking the location of a child (elderly adult) using mobile operators

There are several ways to find out a person's location using his phone. The most obvious one is to use the location relative to network base stations, as well as Wi-Fi access points. This approach is called LBS, from Location-based service.

The electronic map of the LBS system of the cellular network operator contains landmarks, linking to which allows you to determine the location of the cell phone. But this method is not accurate enough, as mobile operators directly state. Object location using LBS can only provide an accuracy of 120 meters to 1 kilometer. In dense urban environments, such information may be of little use.

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Family location. Where are my children? Where is my family

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My Family Location

Developer: Friendzy Limited

Price: Free

This application has over 5,000,000 installations from Google Play and high ratings. Using GPS technology, it performs the following tasks:

• Determining the location of children and adults on the map.
• Alerts you when family members are nearby.
• Movement history for the last 30 days.
• Notification of the arrival of a child or adult at a specified point.
• Information about the activity of children and parents.
• Notification that a child has come to or left school.
• Low battery warning.
• Analysis of driving style (information about time spent in traffic jams and speeding during the trip, sudden braking and acceleration, etc.).

The application cannot be installed secretly; it can only be used with the consent of the other person. A notification on the screen indicates that it is functioning. You can only share your own location within the utility. The program is distributed free of charge, but you can buy a paid version that expands its functionality.

MamaBear

This application for tracking a child by phone is capable of not only monitoring location, but also remotely tracking children's activity on social networks. MamaBear will notify parents about new tags on their child's photos, obscene language or rude messages. In addition, the application can recognize the speed at which a person moves; if it is too fast, most likely he is being carried by car.

There are free and paid versions of MamaBear. The second has advanced functions for monitoring children's behavior on social networks and the absence of advertising. Operating systems for which the application is made:

• Android;
• iOS.

Where are my children

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Where are my children parental controls gps watch 0

Developer: GEO TRACK TECHNOLOGIES INC

Price: Free

Where are my children program takes control not only of the child’s location, but also the battery level of his smartphone - as soon as the battery charge is low, the parent will receive an alert about this.

What else can the “ Where are my kids ” app do?

• Wiretap. This is a unique feature that no other similar program can boast of. The app allows a parent to listen to and record the sound around a child's phone without the child's knowledge. The function is especially important for those users whose children are in troubled adolescence.
• Setting up movement zones. This feature is not unique, but that doesn't diminish its value. The parent defines an area within which the child can move freely. As soon as the baby leaves the area, the parent will be notified.
• Saving movement history. The program stores information about where the baby has been in the last 2 days and provides it to parents upon request. After analyzing this information, an adult can conclude where the child prefers to be and with whom he spends most of his time.

The “ Where are my kids ” application has two modes – “Parent” and “Child”, so the user should not have any questions about how to set up the program.
The first mode allows you to monitor your baby via your phone; the “Child” mode is only necessary to confirm monitoring.

Why control your child through his phone?

If a student always has a smartphone, then the device will allow him to find out almost everything about his child, and in an absolutely legal way. The device is useful in the following situations:

1. Most children go home on their own after school, attend sections or clubs, so keeping track of where the child is will be useful for parents. This way you can make sure that the student has reached the place or home.
2. Using a smartphone, you can remotely turn off the Internet and block unwanted applications.
3. The parent will apparently cease to control the offspring, annoying questions will disappear - “Where are you?”, “Have you done your homework?”, “What are you doing now?” and others. All this can be found out in an absolutely legal way through your smartphone, free of charge and without restrictions.

If you are concerned about the ethical and moral side of the question - “Is it nice to act this way?”, then you should think that there are more advantages than disadvantages in such a position. It is better to foresee unpleasant situations in advance and prevent them in time than to deal with the consequences later. You are simply fulfilling your parental duty - watch your children.

Kid security

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Parental Control Locator

Developer: Kid security LLP

Price: Free

Kid security is a fairly young application with high ratings from users. Thanks to it, parents will be able to track the whereabouts of the child and find out when he left school, kindergarten or section. Among the possibilities are monitoring the state of the baby’s phone battery, the ability to send a loud call if he did not hear the call, and monitoring the time spent in games or social networks.

Other useful features:

• Listening and recording your surroundings.
• Creation of geofences.
• Sending an SOS signal. In this case, a message asking for help and the child’s coordinates will immediately be displayed on the parent’s device.

Users note that the utility works accurately: there are no serious deviations in the location.

There is also a minus - at the end of the trial period, only tracking and chat remain available. All other options only work if you have a subscription. Recording the environment is not included in the subscription - minutes will need to be paid separately.

Smart tags

They have been working successfully for a long time. Even Apple and Samsung presented their smart tags to control things. They are shaped like a keychain and can easily be attached to a bag, keys, or even a pet's collar. What, then, is stopping you from attaching a tag to your child’s backpack or to his house keys? Yes, the technology is still imperfect, but this is only the first stage of its development. This method has its pros and cons, but choice is always good.

Tracking by phone number

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Tracking by phone number

Developer: Family Locator Inc.

Price: Free

This application is not entirely designed for the “parent-child” format, but it is perfect for these purposes. The main advantage is free distribution. To use the program, just install it on your smartphone, register by number and send an invitation to another phone. Next, all you have to do is follow the link and install the utility on the second device. Knowing that such an application is installed on his smartphone, the child will understand that his parents are aware of his location and can track his movements. The utility is not spyware, and if you explain its necessity to your child, he will not have any offense.

Wide functionality is not provided here - you see the position of the child or other users connected to the account, their movements and can control the battery charge level. The application works with any operators, and the number of synchronized devices within one account is unlimited.

"Mom knows"

This program for tracking a child by phone is free, and, moreover, consumes minimal bandwidth. In addition, it has the following advantages:

• Cross-platform. There is a version not only for Android and Apple OS, but also for Windows smartphones.
• Convenience of the interface. Setting up “Mom Knows” is very simple; even a novice user can understand the application. In addition, the interface is Russian.

Keep in mind that the “Mom Knows” service is presented in two applications: the first (of the same name) is installed on the parent’s smartphone, the second, “GPS beacon,” on the child’s gadget. Both software form a bundle, transmitting monitoring information in real time.

Family Locator

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Family Tracker GPS Locator

Developer: FAMILY LOCATOR LLC

Price: Free

It is easy to understand the purpose of the program by its name. This is a locator for the whole family, allowing you to organize a group chat with a list of common tasks or purchases. For example, someone on the way home did not find the product they needed and marked it as out of stock. After seeing this, other family members can look for it in stores nearby. The application displays the position of all family members on the map, allows you to set geofences, and indicates the charge level of smartphones. The capabilities of all users here are equal - you can temporarily disable your position and the permission of other group members is not required for this.

The application is completely free, but has a premium subscription. In it, you will not be bothered by advertising, the storage time of your movement history will increase, and you will be able to add more items to your shopping and to-do list. To understand whether you need a premium account, you can use a free period of 7 days.

"Lighthouse"

The functionality of this utility is standard, but it has a nice and user-friendly interface. The most minimalistic of all the programs presented on this list. The developers have provided Mayak with the following functions:

• Battery charge level monitoring;
• movement detection and monitoring;
• analysis of the child’s actions using reports on his location over several days;
• The “Alarm” option means that when danger appears, the baby needs to press just one button so that the mother immediately receives an alert with a warning and the coordinates of her daughter/son’s location.

You can install this application for tracking a child by phone for free from Google Play or Apple Store, but use the demo version only for two weeks. Then you need to buy a subscription (169-229 rubles, depending on the operating system of the device).

Life360 – Family Locator

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Life360 Family locator GPS tracker

Developer: Life360

Price: Free

Life360 creator Chris Hulls doesn't like it when his brainchild is called a tracking app and insists that he developed a social network for communication within families. Family members using Life360 can share each other's location, but only with mutual approval.

In terms of functionality, the Life360 is ahead of many competitors and continues to improve. Here's what the program can do now:

• With its Already Home feature, Life360 alerts you when a family member approaches your home. A user who is waiting for his wife to come home from work will have a few minutes to do a little cleaning and prepare a light dinner.
• The built-in group chat Family Channel allows family members to communicate with each other completely free of charge and successfully replaces the SMS service and popular instant messengers.
• Life360 app includes a Panic function, which is similar to a panic button. If you use this function, the entire family will be notified within a few seconds that one of its members is having problems. It is important that the functionality of the “Panic” function does not depend on the state of the mobile balance - you can “raise the alarm” even with zero in your account.
• The program is able to quickly inform users about the nearest places where they can get help in emergency situations - hospitals, police stations. Actually, it was this function that the developers intended as the main one - they wanted to provide victims of Hurricane Katrina with a more effective platform for communication than the US Government offered.

Life360 application is shareware - the full version can be purchased for a small amount. However, there is no need for domestic users to do this: most of the paid functions of Life360 only work in the USA.

MobileKids

This program owes its success to very strict control over the child’s smartphone. In addition to the built-in radar, which allows you to determine where your son or daughter is, the application has functions for tracking the addition of new contacts, time of use of the gadget (for example, if the child decided to play in the middle of the night), and installation of new software. Parents can set a limit on the number of messages, the amount of transmitted traffic, etc. There is also a general family chat and an urgent call button.

The MobileKids parental control system runs on Android and iOS OS and is presented in the form of two applications, one of which is installed on the smartphone of mom or dad, and the other - on the daughter or son. Access from the parent side can also be obtained from the official website of the application (although it does not always work correctly). Interestingly, the phones of mother/father and the child do not have to be on the same OS for there to be communication between them: a “children’s” version, for example, is even available for Symbian.

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KidControl

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Family GPS tracker KidsControl

Developer: KidControl Dev.

Price: Free

The name of this application well describes the essence of its work. With this program you can monitor the whereabouts of your child. He stayed late visiting his friends, is still at the section - you will definitely know about this even before your son or daughter calls. In a special section you can create geofences. If your child goes beyond their limits, a Push notification will be sent to your smartphone. The developers also have a bot in Telegram, which also notifies about such events - you just need to remember to subscribe to it.

With KidControl, you can use not only the GPS chip built into your child’s smartphone. This application even allows you to monitor your battery status. If a child declares that his smartphone is good for nothing, because... discharges in three hours, you can always check his words remotely. Another important function is the SOS signal. If you click on the appropriate button, all parents and relatives connected to the service will receive a signal for help. At the same time, it immediately becomes clear where exactly the person who gave the alarm is located, because his location is displayed on the map.

The program can be downloaded on both Android and iOS. It is very convenient, because with its help you can monitor not only children, but also all other family members, for example, elderly relatives. The main thing is that the person has a smartphone on which the application is installed.

How to find out the location of a child for free using a smartphone?

Another way to track a child using a phone is based on obtaining the device’s coordinates using the built-in GPS module. This tool itself is free, but it gives the exact location of the gadget. Satellites help determine the coordinates of an object; the time it takes to receive a synchronized signal from several objects in space to a consumer device is measured. This method has its obvious advantages. First of all, you don’t have to pay for it, and the accuracy of determining coordinates is much higher – only up to 1-5 meters.

And to obtain information about the whereabouts of the child, you will need a smartphone equipped with a GPS module. If the child does not have such a device, then a GPS tracker or tag can replace it. These are simple devices that can be implemented in the form of a wrist bracelet, keychain or pendant. The required GPS module will be placed inside them; optionally there may also be a GSM module with a slot for a SIM card. This module will also track location, but using cell towers.

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Google Family Link

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Google Family Link

Developer: Google LLC

Price: Free

A free utility from Google allows you not only to see where your child is, but also to completely control his smartphone - allow or deny the installation of applications, see which programs he uses most often and set restrictions on them. You can also temporarily block the gadget.

Family Link is a parental control app. The developer recommends using it on devices of children under 13 years of age; after this age, the company advises agreeing with the child on the level of control.

Search through Google or Apple accounts

How to track a child using a mobile phone on Android or iOS? This can be done online using special features of Google and iCloud. One drawback: all these features only work if geolocation and remote control are enabled on the phone. However, in the case of a child, to whose accounts parents have access by default, it makes sense to use these services - it is indeed very convenient.

Here's how, for example, this happens using Google services. You only need to take 4 steps :

• go to the search engine on any browser;
• select the menu and click on “My Account”;
• scroll down the page;
• select “search for phone”.

The system will request access to your Google account - enter your password. After this, the service will determine where the gadget is located. However, as always, there are certain conditions. Firstly, the phone number must be associated with the account, and secondly, GPS must be turned on on the device, otherwise, unfortunately, it will not be possible to find it.

Parental controls and GPS: Kaspersky SafeKids

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Parental controls and GPS Kaspersky SafeKids

Developer: Kaspersky Lab Switzerland

Price: Free

The utility from Kaspersky Lab offers users ample opportunities, but the free version does not have very many of them. For free, you can control the installation of applications, block dangerous sites and unwanted content, set time limits for using the device, and receive advice from a professional psychologist.

To get advanced functionality, you will need to pay for a subscription (there is a trial version for 7 days). Using it, you can set geofences and receive coordinates of your child’s location online, set a schedule for using a smartphone, see the battery level, and receive a report on activities on the Internet, social networks VK and Facebook.

It is worth noting that the subscription price here is quite affordable, and the application’s capabilities fully justify the cost.

Choosing the best application

Let's compare all the above applications in Table 1.

Table 1 - TOP tracking applications

Choosing the best app depends on what exactly you want to track and limit. Where Are My Children has the best user rating, but the app does not allow you to control activity on social networks, limit prohibited content, and does not show information about parental location.

Apps like Kaspersky Safe Kids and Safe Lagoon will appeal to those who need to keep track of the younger generation's routine.

To include the whole family in tracking and make it mutual, use applications with the function of tracking all family members, for example, Sygic Family or Zoemob.

If you are afraid for the life and safety of your loved ones, then BSafe will even allow you to transmit all the information about the emergency using a voice command.

How to monitor children on the phone using operator services?

If a parent does not have a smartphone and cannot install one of the applications described above, he should resort to an alternative - connect the mobile option for remote child care . Top 4 operators offer the following options:

• "Mobile employees" (MTS). The service is designed for personnel management, but can also be useful for tracking a child. Useful functions include setting geofences, requesting position and movement, chat, etc. Cost - from 3 rubles per day.
• "Parental Control" (Megafon). The option allows parents to track the child’s movement and also notifies that the child leaves the specified geofence. The cost of “Parental Control” is 5 rubles per day.
• "Beeline-Coordinates" (Beeline). The Beeline service gives the user the opportunity to find out the location of another subscriber who has previously agreed to be controlled. The “Beeline Coordinates” option is quite cheap, and in the first week it’s completely free. After the test period, the subscriber will have to pay 1.7 rubles per day.
• "Geosearch" (Tele2). The option allows you to monitor the location and movements of another subscriber around the clock - of course, if he approves the “surveillance”. Connecting to Geosearch is free, the subscription fee for using the service is 3 rubles per day.

Locator services are offered by all operators, but smartphone users are still advised to forgo these options in favor of third-party mobile applications. There are a number of reasons for this: firstly , the data provided by operators is very, very approximate (because it depends on network coverage), secondly , the providers’ services are paid (while, for example, many applications do not require money), in thirdly , for tracking to be feasible, both phones (parent and child) must be connected to the same operator - and this is not always convenient.

MegaFon service: Radar

This service works on a similar principle to previous services - cellular communications are used to determine location. It does not matter which operator the subscriber is connected to. You can find out about its location both in the application itself and on the website. The user is able to see the routes of movement of an object of interest for any day, create geofences and receive notifications about entry or exit from them.

To get acquainted with the capabilities of the service, it is proposed to use its basic version, “Radar-light”. With its help, you can request the location of one subscriber for free, but do this no more than once a day. If you need to receive such information more often, you can connect an already expanded one. Its use will cost 3 rubles daily, but you can track the location of 5 subscribers without any limits on requests.

Connect Megafon: Radar

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Summary

So, in this article we discussed the intricacies of parental control over a child’s online activities. Don't forget that if necessary, you can monitor your child's phone without his knowledge. Using the Cocospy app, you can find out where your child is and read his correspondence on social networks.

I hope this article helped you answer the question “how to quietly spy on my child’s smartphone?” Leave a comment on the article if you want to discuss this topic in more detail!

This post is also available in other languages: Português (Portuguese, Brazil) 日本語 (Japanese) Español (Spanish)

Via telecom operators

In addition to applications from third-party sources, child tracking is offered directly by cellular operators. The advantage of such locators is reliability, high quality and reasonable prices.

MTS Search

Geolocation occurs by phone number, with the Internet and GPS working correctly. An interesting feature is displaying the balance of any member of the locator.

Functions:

• Setting up geofences.
• History of the child's (or other participant's) movement.
• Establishing your location so that your child and other participants can see you.
• Adding GPS collars for pets.
• Balance information.
• Battery charge.
• Device status (no sound, air, off, etc.);

Advantages:

• A good map, you can use it as a navigator if you get lost.
• Can show the location of any contact from the phone book list (upon contact's consent).
• Stable work.

Flaws:

• Difficult setup.
• Errors in the locator.
• Works with glitches on weak phones.

Radar from Megafon

The application will show the location of the child connected to Megafon, Beeline, MTS and Tele 2.

The application allows you to monitor the route of your child’s movements, set areas and receive notifications about entering/exiting them.

The program is simple, without unnecessary functions and bells and whistles.

Functional:

• Map locator.
• Routes for movement of the child and other participants.
• Entry/exit from specified geofences.

Advantages:

• Simplicity and conciseness.
• Minor error.
• Real time mode.

Flaws:

• Errors often pop up and the application freezes.
• Paid functionality.
• Technical support is not in touch.

Tele 2 Geosearch

At the moment, the application is still raw and is constantly being improved. To use the program, you need to be a client of the Tele 2 operator.

Functions:

• Location tracking.
• Moving to a specific time range.
• Creation of zones on the map with notification of their visit/leaving.

Advantages: new product from the mobile operator.

Flaws:

• After updates the program became worse.
• Lots of errors and inaccuracies.
• They still ask for payment for unstable work.
• There are many negative reviews indicating that the first versions were better.

Beeline Locator

It is considered the best locator from cellular providers. It works stably and shows the location of children and loved ones. Available for Beeline subscribers, the location can show all people from the phone book (MTS, Megafon, Tele 2), but only after their consent.

Functional:

• Two modes in one application (locator and routes).
• Indication of places (radius).
• Monitoring the status of the child’s phone (charging, online, modes).
• “Bug” function (call me, top up your balance, I’m here).

Advantages:

• Works better than competitors.
• Technical support is always in touch.
• Regular updates and bug fixes.
• No advertising.
• The application rarely freezes and hardly slows down even on weak smartphones.

Flaws:

• The program is paid, the free version is very limited.
• There is an error (does not depend on the program).

Beeline Locator has the highest rating among all other applications for tracking a child's phone.