Posted on 5/19/2013

Written By Liz Wassmann

My mother let my younger brother have an iPhone on one condition; that he lets her follow him on Find My Friends, a location-tracking app from Apple (free, iOS, Android). Find My Friends is similar to other location-tracking apps like Google Satellite, but has some additional features that make it ideal for parents to keep track of their kids.

After installing the app, you can see your contacts (‘friends’) in a list format or spread out on a map based on their location. If you want to follow someone, simply send them an email request; they have to opt-in to share their location. Where this gets interesting is the parental controls. Find My Friends has a feature that allows parents to permanently track their child’s location; you can even set up alerts when a child enters and leaves a specific location like a school or movie theater. While this app can help you track your kids, keep in mind that your children can also share their location with friends. It’s important to have a conversation with them about only adding close friends who they can trust, or maybe even no friends at all.

Find My Friends also lets you request temporary location access. This could be really useful when everyone in a group is on vacation or to check when a visiting relative is heading out of the baggage claim. The app could also be used to see where friends are at a festival, amusement park, or out on the town.

As with any location tracking app, there is the possibility for tracking info to fall into the wrong hands, although Apple tries to minimize this using the opt-in system. To me, the app seems more like a novelty than a useful tool. It’s fun to play around with, but I’m not sure I’m comfortable with anyone knowing where I am at all times. Of course, there’s an easy solution: leave your phone at home.

What do you think: cool or creepy? Would you use Find My Friends to track your kids?

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