Family Location Sharing

The "is my kid home from school yet" question, solved. Mostly an OS-native conversation in 2026: Apple Find My for iPhone families, Google Family Link for Android, Life360 as the cross-OS subscription pick. For broader item-tracking (keys, luggage, bags) see Lost & Found Trackers; for the calendar / "where they're supposed to be" overlap see Family Calendars; for kid-device parental controls see Kids Chores & Allowance.

OS-native (free)

• ★ ★ Apple Find My — free with iCloud; share location with family; geofence notifications ("notify me when Sarah arrives at school"); battery + network status; works through Apple's offline mesh network. The 2026 default for Apple-house families. Six-person family limit (Family Sharing).
• ★ Google Family Link + Google Maps location sharing — free; Android-first but cross-platform via Google Maps share. Family Link adds kid-account device controls (screen time, app approval).
• Microsoft Family Safety — free in Microsoft 365; location for kids' devices on iOS / Android / Windows; less popular.

Cross-platform paid services

• ★ Life360 — paid + free; the cross-OS default when one parent is iPhone and another Android. Free tier covers location + 2-day history; paid Plus / Gold ($9-25/mo) adds crash detection, roadside assistance, ID-theft monitoring, longer history. The teen-tracking default at many schools.
• Glympse — free; temporary location sharing; "I'm 10 minutes away."
• GeoZilla — paid + free; Life360 alternative.
• Find My Friends apps (various) — most are now consolidated into Find My or Life360.

Sunset / dead

• Zenly — sunset February 2023 (Snap shut it down). Many users migrated to Life360 or Find My.
• Swarm / Foursquare check-ins — for a different era.

Self-host / privacy-first

• ★ Home Assistant + companion app — the HA Companion app on iOS / Android shares phone location to your HA server locally, with zone (home / work / school) automations. The "I don't want my family's location in any cloud" answer. See Smart Home Hubs.
• OwnTracks — free OSS; MQTT-based location publisher for iOS / Android; plug into your own MQTT broker. The geek's pick. See MQTT for Home.
• Traccar — free OSS; GPS-tracking server; works with phone apps + dedicated GPS units (cars, fleet).

Teen / kid-specific considerations

• Consent, transparency, and trust matter. Tools that hide tracking from the kid often backfire. Most modern tools default to mutual visibility.
• Geofence alerts > constant peeking. "Notify me when she arrives at school" beats checking a map every 20 minutes.
• Battery cost. Life360 has been criticized for battery drain; Find My is far gentler on iOS.
• Driving features (speed, hard-brake) are Life360 / Bouncie / Truebill-style upsells; useful for new drivers, optional for adults.

License / pricing

• Apple Find My, Google Family Link, Microsoft Family Safety: free.
• Life360: paid + free; freemium with paid Plus / Gold tiers.
• GeoZilla: paid + free.
• HA Companion + OwnTracks + Traccar: OSS, free, self-host.

Pick this if…

• All-iPhone family: Apple Find My; stop reading.
• All-Android family: Google Maps location sharing + Family Link.
• Mixed OS, want polish, OK with subscription: Life360.
• Privacy-first, already run HA: HA Companion app + zones.
• MQTT geek: OwnTracks.
• Tracking a vehicle / fleet: Traccar with a hardware GPS module.