Android App of the Day: Life360 Family Locator

Do you have children that are old enough to wander off on their own, but still young enough to encounter the many dangers of everyday life? While it’s common for most young children now to carry cell phones with them, did you know that you could turn your cell phone into a safety device? By using the Life360 Family Locator app you can easily track members of your family, send emergency calls, and see what safety points and threats are nearby.

Pros:

• Free for Android and iOS users
• Accurately locate where your family members are
• See what safety points and threats are nearby
• Know when a family member is safe or needs help
• App is compatible with regular cell phones
• Helpful in areas prone to natural disasters
• View registered sex offenders in your area
• Use panic button to SMS loved ones even when phone lines are down

Cons:

• Have to pay to locate anyone who does not have Android or iOS

How it works:

• Download the app
• Tap to start
• Take a tour if it is your first time using the app or tap the Get Started Now to start using the app
• Log into your existing Life360 account or enter an email address to create a new one
• Select members from your contact list to add to your family network
• If a family member is not listed you can manually add them later
• Send invitations to people who are not in your address book by tapping on the Send Invitations
• To ensure you location accuracy turn on your device’s GPS, Wireless Networks, and Wi-Fi
• You will now see a map of where you are currently located
• Tap on the dashboard icon on the top right hand side to quickly access the map, messages, settings, and see your family members
• Tap on the exclamation mark icon to send an emergency phone call, email & SMS all at once
• Tap on the green check mark icon to check-in with your location
• Tap on the message icon to add a custom message

Conclusion:

Right now I mainly use the Life360 Family Locator app to stay in touch with my family members. The user interface is straight-forward and easy for both adults and children to use. Thankfully, I have not needed to use the app’s emergency call feature, but I’m happy to know it’s there if I ever need it. What’s great about this app is that it is compatible with all cell phones and the person you’re tracking does not have to have a smartphone. If you have young children that you wish to keep out of harm’s way, this app is a valuable resource by offering added peace of mind.

Life360 Family Locator is available for free in the Google Play Store. Requires Android 2.1 and higher. Play Link

This is part of our Android App of the Day series. We take our favorite app for Android for each day and post it here for you to check out. Feel free to check out all of our App of the Day posts here.