5 Best Family Locator Apps for iPhone and Android in: I’ve tested dozens of parental control apps to find the best family locator for both Android and iOS. Every app I recommend offers accurate real-time location tracking, supports cross-platform use, includes geo-fencing for monitoring specific areas, and is optimized to preserve battery life on both your and your child’s devices.
These apps are also built with privacy in mind. They only collect essential data needed to function and never share your information with third parties.
My top pick is Qustodio. Its real-time tracking on Android and iOS is impressively precise, and it stores your child’s location history for up to 30 days. You can easily set up geofenced areas, and the app is intuitive for both parents and children to use. As a bonus, it also includes helpful features like a Panic Button for emergencies.
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1. Qustodio — Best Family Locator App for iPhone and Android in 2025
Qustodio stands out as the top family locator app for parents looking to monitor their children’s whereabouts with accuracy and ease. It offers continuous location tracking and updates your child’s location every 5–10 minutes. If you’re ever concerned, you can manually check their current location on demand.
During my tests, Qustodio consistently delivered precise location data. The activity timeline on the home screen makes it easy to track movements in real time, and you can even get step-by-step directions to your child’s location through your phone’s native Maps app on both Android and iOS.
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One standout feature is the 30-day location history. This allows you to review every place your child has visited, when they were there, and how often — a great way to spot patterns or catch anything out of the ordinary. Many competing apps don’t offer this kind of long-term tracking.
Qustodio also includes an excellent geofencing tool called Your Places. It lets you define specific zones on the map — up to 0.12 miles (200 meters) in size — and sends you automatic alerts when your child enters or leaves those zones. This is perfect for monitoring school departures or unexpected visits to a friend’s house. You can also save key locations like school or home, so Qustodio keeps tabs on them without needing constant checks.
Another feature I really appreciate is the Panic Button (currently Android-only). In case of emergency, your child can send an alert via text or email that includes their precise location, street address, coordinates, time, and date — even if they’re in timeout mode.
Qustodio is affordably priced, starting at just INR400/month. I recommend going with the Complete plan, which supports unlimited devices — a great option for larger families. All plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out risk-free.
2. Norton Family — Reliable 24/7 Location Tracking With Great Customization Options
Norton Family’s Location Supervision feature delivers accurate real-time tracking on both Android and iOS. During my testing, it consistently showed the correct location of the test device. While it updates location data every 20–30 minutes (a bit less frequently than Qustodio), you can manually refresh to get the latest location instantly.
One feature I found especially useful is Alert Me, which lets you schedule updates during specific times — like when your child should be arriving at school or heading to football practice. It’s a great way to get peace of mind without constantly checking the app.
Norton Family also offers a more privacy-friendly option, which is perfect for older kids or teens. Instead of always tracking their location, you can request that they share it manually with just a couple of taps.
I also appreciated how Norton Family displays all your tracked devices on a single map, along with a detailed timeline of where each child has been. You can even filter this location history by date for easier monitoring.
Its geofencing feature allows you to set larger virtual boundaries than most — up to 2 miles (3,200 meters). During my tests, I received instant alerts when the device crossed in or out of these zones. You can also tailor your notifications so you’re only alerted when your child enters or exits specific places, like a friend’s house, and not for routine visits like the grocery store.
Norton Family is available for INR4,320 per year and comes with a generous 60-day money-back guarantee. It’s also bundled with the Norton 360 Deluxe antivirus suite, which adds even more value if you’re also looking for device security.
3. Bark — A Great Choice for Non-Invasive Location Tracking
Bark offers a more trust-based approach to location tracking, ideal for older kids or younger ones who are ready for a bit more independence. Instead of constantly monitoring their location, you can send a request, and they can respond with a simple “Check-In” to share where they are in real time.
That said, Bark also supports continuous real-time tracking if you need it, with updates every 5–6 minutes. The app was spot-on during my tests, and I liked how you can get directions to your child’s current location using Google Maps or Apple Maps.
Its Family Map view makes it easy to see the live locations of all your kids at once, helping you stay organized without juggling multiple apps or screens.
Bark’s geofencing works reliably, too. You can create zones around familiar places like school or a friend’s home and get real-time alerts when your child enters or leaves. It’s a simple yet effective way to keep tabs on their schedule and movements.
Bark also includes a location history feature, showing where your child has been and when — helpful for checking if they made an unplanned stop or visited somewhere unexpected. While the reports aren’t as detailed as Qustodio’s, they still offer valuable insights.
Pricing starts at INR720/month. If your child doesn’t have a phone yet, you can get the Bark Watch for $129 plus INR1,300/month for cellular service — this includes location tracking as well. Bark offers a 7-day free trial, though there’s no money-back guarantee.
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4. FamiSafe — Ideal for Monitoring Your Child’s Driving Habits
FamiSafe offers robust location tracking along with unique driving behavior insights, making it a great choice for parents of teen drivers. You can view your child’s exact route on a map and use an interactive slider to scroll through their trips, complete with timestamps for each stop or movement. What really stands out is that it highlights risky behaviors like speeding or hard braking, pinpointing exactly where these events occurred.
Its real-time tracking is impressively fast and accurate, with updates every 2–3 minutes — one of the quickest refresh rates among parental control apps I’ve tested.
FamiSafe also includes an SOS feature that allows your child to send their location in an emergency. However, it’s not quite as detailed as Qustodio’s Panic Button. A nice bonus is the option for parents to share their own location with their child, which is super helpful in crowded places like malls or amusement parks where kids may get separated.
5. Mobicip — Solid Family Locator With an Intuitive Map Interface
Mobicip delivers reliable and fast location tracking, and in my experience, it provided instant updates on my test device’s whereabouts. One standout feature is the ability to get directions directly to your child’s location — perfect if you’re navigating unfamiliar areas.
I also really liked Mobicip’s family map, which displays all your kids’ locations using custom avatars. It gives you a timeline of each child’s movements, so if you’ve got multiple children at different activities, you can easily check who’s at soccer practice, who’s at a friend’s house, and who’s headed home — all from one screen.
Another useful feature is two-way location sharing. You can choose to share either your current location or your live movement, so your child knows exactly where you are. For instance, if you’re stuck in traffic, they can track your progress and see when you’ll arrive — no constant texting required.
Bonus. Kaspersky Safe Kids — Simple & Accurate Real-Time GPS Tracking for Beginners
Kaspersky Safe Kids offers a straightforward yet reliable GPS tracking feature that’s great for parents new to location monitoring. The app updates your child’s location every few minutes — quicker than many competitors — and you can also manually refresh it at any time to see exactly where they are. This is especially useful when you’re picking them up from school or an activity and want real-time updates.
That said, one area for improvement is location history — unlike Qustodio and Norton Family, Kaspersky doesn’t show you where your child was previously, which limits your ability to spot patterns or check past movements.
One feature I found particularly helpful is the ability to set a specific time when your child should be in a designated area — ideal for making sure they’re at school during class hours. You can create geofenced zones up to a massive 62.1 miles (99.9 kilometers) and receive alerts whenever your child leaves the set area.
Testing Methodology: How I Chose and Ranked the Best Family Locator Apps
To identify the top family locator apps for Android and iOS, I used a thorough, hands-on testing process based on a set of key criteria. Each app was tested in real-world situations to ensure they deliver on performance, ease of use, and value. Here’s a breakdown of the factors I considered:
1. Location Accuracy: I tested how precisely each app could track a device’s location in real time. All the apps on this list provide highly accurate tracking, frequent location updates, and most allow manual refreshes for instant updates. On Android, each one also lets you get turn-by-turn directions to your child’s location via the map.
2. Geofencing Capabilities: I looked at each app’s geofencing tools — all of them let you create virtual zones around frequently visited places like home, school, or a friend’s house. You’ll get automatic alerts whenever your child enters or leaves these areas.
3. Battery Efficiency: I ran every app continuously for several hours to assess its impact on battery life. Qustodio performed especially well, offering real-time monitoring with minimal drain on the device’s battery.
4. Ease of Use: Every app I included is easy to navigate, with simple setup processes and clean interfaces that anyone — regardless of tech experience — can use confidently.
5. Privacy Protection: I reviewed the privacy policies of each app to ensure they only collect the data necessary for tracking purposes and don’t store or share any extra personal information. All the apps recommended here respect your family’s privacy.
6. Cross-Platform Compatibility: Each app was tested on both Android and iOS to confirm full cross-platform support. Whether you’re on an iPhone and your child uses Android (or vice versa), these apps work seamlessly across devices.
7. Overall Value: Finally, I only included apps that provide strong value for money. Each one allows monitoring of multiple devices and offers either a free trial or a money-back guarantee, so you can test them without committing upfront.
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Show our expert takeFrequently Asked Questions
How can I track my child on iPhone and Android?
The most effective way to monitor your child’s location is by using a parental control app like the ones I’ve recommended. These apps provide 24/7 real-time GPS tracking, let you create geofenced zones around frequently visited places, and send you alerts when your child enters or exits those areas.
What’s the best family locator app for iPhones and Android?
In my opinion, Qustodio is the top choice. Its Family Locator feature delivers accurate, real-time updates, comes with a powerful geofencing tool, and includes a panic button for emergencies. I also appreciate that it stores 30 days of location history and that its apps for both iOS and Android are extremely user-friendly.
Is there a good free family locator app for iOS and Android?
I generally don’t recommend free family locator apps. Many lack essential features like 24/7 tracking and geofencing, and some may even compromise your privacy by selling user data.
Instead, I suggest opting for a budget-friendly, reliable option like Qustodio. It offers accurate real-time tracking, robust safety features like a panic button, and solid value with a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans.
How do I set up a family locator app on iPhone and Android?
Setup is simple. First, download the app on your phone and create an account. Then, install the corresponding app on your child’s device — many services, like Qustodio, have separate apps for parents and kids.
Once both apps are installed, enable GPS location services on both devices, and activate the tracking feature. After that, you’ll be able to view your child’s live location directly from the app.
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