Phone Trackers for Android: Our Top Recommendations
GPS tracker apps are fast becoming a staple of modern life – something anyone concerned with the safety of their children or of elderly family members will consider giving a try at some point. And when that time comes, it’s up to us Android users to find the best Android phone tracker available out there.
Think about it: on the one hand, our busy phones constantly scream for attention and fill in the precious gaps of our free time. You could make that phone call during your lunch break, but your Instagram feed is so tempting… just one more scroll. And then one more. And then your time is gone.
On the other, the very illusion of connectedness – no one is more than a WhatsApp message away – can make us pay less attention to our loved ones in the «real» world, as opposed to the virtual one.
How do we address this issue?
Contents:
- The Benefits of Android Phone Trackers
- Best Android Phone Trackers: 2021 Edition
- Where do we go from here?
The Benefits of Android Phone Trackers
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If the demands of the virtual world mean we’re spending less time with our children or other family members, can phone trackers help? You’d think that technology is a poor solution to a problem it created in the first place. But our view is that, if you use it wisely, an app that shows you the GPS location of your kids can help bring you closer to them.
The point isn’t using tracker apps to spy on your kids’ every movement. Although some people might employ it only for that, this is hardly the way for parents and children to connect. What you should be aiming for is not just to feel safer as to where your child is and what they’re doing, but also to show them you care both for their safety and their privacy.
As you can explain to your child, if they carry a tracking app on their phone and you know where they are at all times, you won’t have to interrupt their play with annoying «where are you» calls or messages. On the contrary, you’ll be able to give them freer rein to go around without too much control.
And although you’ll be able to see what they’re doing on their phone, you won’t have to – not very often, anyway. Transparency generates trust, and now you’ll be able to give your child space to exercise their own good judgment while staying safe. You’ll be the cool mom (or dad) whose child is freer and behaves more responsibly than all their schoolmates.
Best Android Phone Trackers: 2021 Edition
OK, you’re convinced that tracking your child’s cell phone is the way to go. But what about selecting the best choice out there for you? Well, worry not: we’re here to help you with an overview of the best apps in the market. Read on and you’re sure to find the one that best suits your needs.
Find My Kids
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With over 10 million downloads on the Google Play Store alone, our top pick is Find My Kids, an Android phone tracker that not only stands the test of time, but has been improving non-stop since it was first launched.
Why is Find My Kids so popular? Part of the answer is that it doesn’t just offer all of the essential features that parents look for in tracker apps, but does so in style. The app is easy to use and works smoothly, while having none of the technical difficulties that plague similar, but less thought-out applications.
And when you add to that a stellar 24/7 customer assistance service and pocket-friendly membership fees, you begin to see why the app is a favorite for Android users.
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Main features
- GPS tracker: the main feature of any self-respecting tracker app, this allows you to see where in the map your child is at the moment while also giving you the option to check the history of recent locations.
- Listen-in function: a popular and unique feature that allows you to listen in to the sounds in the child’s surroundings at any time for 20 seconds at a time.
- Loud signal: for when you really need your child to pick up the phone, this loud signal will be heard even if the phone’s set to silent mode. Just don’t overuse it.
- Application control: allows you to see how your child is using different apps on their phone, and for how long.
- Geo-fencing: establish security areas in the map and you’ll be warned every time your kid enters or leaves one.
- SOS: if your child is in trouble, sending an SOS signal is so much easier and quicker than calling or messaging. But again, be sure you agree on when this should be used. You don’t want to rush all the way from work to find they’ve run out of candy bar!
Use Find My Kids app to check your child’s locations and be sure that everything is fine with your child! Download it right now from AppStore or GooglePlay
You can’t go wrong with an app like this. However, everyone is different and perhaps you want something a bit different, so here are our next favorite picks.
Life360
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The interesting thing about Life360 is that it’s not so much a mobile tracking app as a tool for connecting you and your loved ones. With it, you can create «circles» or groups of people that can see each other’s location on a live map – as long, that is, as each chooses to share his or her whereabouts.
Although the app is targeted at families, it can, of course, be used to create circles of friends, schoolmates, teammates, and so on. Its only disadvantage as a phone tracker is that it leaves the location sharing up to each of its members. If the circle in question is just you and your children, they’ll be able to activate and deactivate location tracking whenever they want, which for some may defeat the purpose of a phone tracker.
Family Locator
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Similar to Life360, Family Locator is a classic family-connectedness app. Again, it offers much the same range of features, including location sharing, setting up safe zones, getting movement alerts, and so on. Besides, it also offers a few nifty options to boot, such as its very own flight radar.
Family Locator works well with any kind of smart Android cellular device and any brand: phones or tablets, Huawei, or Samsung.
ZoeMob
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ZoeMob may be a relative newcomer to the world of cell-tracking devices, but it’s clearly come to stay. Working well both for connecting entire families and for tracking just one or two children, ZoeMob provides all of the usual features for real-time location, allowing you to find your family members at all times.
Google Family Link
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Who doesn’t like free software? Google’s very own parental control app, Family Link, also doubles as a phone tracker. Its GPS location system provides an accurate view of the target device’s location. And if you’re looking to track and restrict your child’s internet use, Family Link also offers a slew of options such as remote app management and restriction.
FamiSafe
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The catchy name says it all: this is an app designed for your family’s safety. As such, it offers a range of features to help you control your child’s activity on their cell phone and make sure they stay safe – safe against adult content online, safe when walking home from the bus stop and… safe from spending too much time on their phones!
Among its features: find the location of your child at any time, restrict apps they use too much and get alerts when any kind of inappropriate content is detected on their phones.
Spyzie
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Spyzie is a famous all-terrain spy app that prides itself in offering more tracking functions than you can keep in your short-term memory. That includes live audio listening, camera access, remote Wi-Fi and GPS enabling, and extensive monitoring of activity on the target device, including several popular social media and messaging platforms.
All of that should put Spyzie at the top of our list, but it does have its drawbacks, chief among them its invasive nature (which will be sure to alienate your child should they find out about the app) and steep fees. Other issues are the security risks presented by the fact that the app cannot be downloaded from the App Store and that the user must create a separate Spyzie account in order to use it.
Where do we go from here?
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By now you’ve hopefully found a good choice for you – the perfect app for your needs and budget. Still, we encourage you to read on and stay informed on the subject of monitoring and tracker apps. On our blog, you’ll find lots more useful info and advice on parenting and parental control tech.
Let us know in the comments below what app you decided to go with, and for what reasons. And while you’re at it, why not share this post with a like-minded friend? Good information always helps.
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