Every parent will go through this stage. I'm currently raising a teenager, so I know first-hand how tricky is can be to safely navigate this time. But there is a point in every parenting journey where you have to start giving them some independence, even if it's just using public transport from A to B or meeting up with friends.
This is why location sharing has become standard in families with school-age kids. A 2026 AllAboutCookies survey found 86% of parents track their children's whereabouts, and 71% do it regularly. The tools built into most phones today make it easy and free, though not every option suits every family.
Be transparent with your child when it comes to tracking tools.
When it comes to building trust, it works both ways. Do not install any parental control app until you've had a chat with your kid first. Parents who miss out on this step often regret it later, especially when their kids find out about it by themselves.
Kids at that age pick up on everything and might look at every house rule differently if they learn about tracking in hindsight. It's best to get them talking first so they see how it fits into your family routine.
The conversation doesn't have to be long. Telling the child that tracking means a parent worries less, so solo trips become more frequent rather than fewer, is usually enough to make the case. Most kids that age follow that logic. Revisiting it every six months keeps things honest as they get older.
5 GPS-Based Tracking Tools That Cost Nothing
Choosing an app comes down to two factors. First, what phones do the family members use. Second, how much control parents actually want. Here are the options that hold up.
1. Apple’s Find My
Apple Find My works entirely within the Apple ecosystem. Once a child is added to the family's Sharing group, their location shows up on the parent's device in real time. The app also shows battery percentage, which turns out to be more useful than it sounds, as you can be alerted right before their battery runs out. The main limitation is that it only works on Apple devices, and a determined teenager can turn off location sharing from their end.
2. Google’s Family Link
Google Family Link is the standard choice for Android households. It covers location sharing but also app controls, screen time schedules, and content filters, all from one dashboard. Google pushed a meaningful update in 2025 that added school hours and downtime modes. Once a child turns 13, Google automatically scales back the supervision features, so families with kids approaching that age should plan for it.
3. Google Maps Location Sharing
Google Maps location sharing is the overlooked option. No additional app needed, it works on both iPhone and Android, and the setup takes about two minutes. The child opens Maps, taps their profile photo, selects Location sharing, and chooses a parent's account. For older kids who've earned some trust, a simple dot on a map is sometimes all a parent actually needs.
4. Life360
Life360 gives a bird's-eye view of everyone in the family at once. The free tier includes real-time locations, saved place alerts, and an SOS button that the child can press in an emergency. Crash detection and extended location history require a paid plan. Battery drain is slightly higher than the native options, though not dramatically so.
5. Findmykids
Findmykids is aimed at younger children, particularly those just getting their first phone or a GPS watch. The app can push a loud audio alert to the child's device even if it's on silent, which is genuinely helpful when a nine-year-old buries their phone in a coat pocket and stops responding. The free tier handles basic tracking. Some parents use this one alongside Family Link during the transition years.
What the Tools Cannot Do
GPS-based tracking requires a phone that is on, charged, and connected to mobile data or wifi. If any one of those three are turned off, the location freezes at the last known point. Indoor accuracy also tends to drop, especially in shopping centres and multi-story buildings where signals bounce.
These apps only show a location, not whether the child is safe, scared, hurt, or just ignoring calls because a friend is talking. A child still needs to know a parent's phone number by memory, understand how to ask a stranger for help if needed, and know what to do if the phone dies. GPS trackers don't replace basic survival skills. A map on a parent's screen should only be treated as a backup or aid.
When the Free Version Stops Being Enough
Some parents go through years on the built-in tools. Others hit a situation where they want more than a location pin. Maybe the child isn't answering, and there's no way to tell if something is wrong or they're just distracted. Or perhaps the family needs location history longer than a few hours.
AirDroid Parental Control fills that gap. It works on both Android and iPhone, and it adds capabilities that the free tools don't offer. A parent can view through the child's phone camera, use one-way audio monitoring, set custom geofence zones, check route history spanning multiple days, and monitor content across social apps.
You can always give it a free trial. Paid plans are usually a fairly low-cost monthly amount and often cheaper if you pay annually. A full breakdown of how the tracking features work is on the free location tracking tools page.
For a child's first solo bike ride to the corner store, any of the five free tools above is almost certainly enough. Most families don't need AirDroid until the outings get further away or the child gets older.
Building the Habit Around the Tool
The families that report the least anxiety about solo outings share a few habits. The child texts when they arrive. There's an agreed window for checking in. The parent doesn't pull up the map every ten minutes unless something feels off.
None of that requires a subscription. It requires a kid who knows what's expected and a parent who resists the urge to use the app as a surveillance feed. When those two things are in place, the tool mostly sits in the background doing its job, and the child gets a little more room to grow.
FAQs
At what age can children go out alone?
This is quite a personal question as every child is different and parents usually have a good idea of when its appropriate or not as well as factoring in things like familiar routes, with longer distances becoming appropriate as they get older. More relevant than age is whether the said child can stay calm when something unexpected happens and knows how to get help.
Does location tracking use a lot of battery?
Not much. Expect somewhere between 5 and 10 percent additional drain per day. Apple's Find My and Google Family Link are easier on the battery than third-party apps because they're built into the operating system.
This is why location sharing has become standard in families with school-age kids. A 2026 AllAboutCookies survey found 86% of parents track their children's whereabouts, and 71% do it regularly. The tools built into most phones today make it easy and free, though not every option suits every family.
Be transparent with your child when it comes to tracking tools.
When it comes to building trust, it works both ways. Do not install any parental control app until you've had a chat with your kid first. Parents who miss out on this step often regret it later, especially when their kids find out about it by themselves.
Kids at that age pick up on everything and might look at every house rule differently if they learn about tracking in hindsight. It's best to get them talking first so they see how it fits into your family routine.
The conversation doesn't have to be long. Telling the child that tracking means a parent worries less, so solo trips become more frequent rather than fewer, is usually enough to make the case. Most kids that age follow that logic. Revisiting it every six months keeps things honest as they get older.
5 GPS-Based Tracking Tools That Cost Nothing
Choosing an app comes down to two factors. First, what phones do the family members use. Second, how much control parents actually want. Here are the options that hold up.
1. Apple’s Find My
Apple Find My works entirely within the Apple ecosystem. Once a child is added to the family's Sharing group, their location shows up on the parent's device in real time. The app also shows battery percentage, which turns out to be more useful than it sounds, as you can be alerted right before their battery runs out. The main limitation is that it only works on Apple devices, and a determined teenager can turn off location sharing from their end.
2. Google’s Family Link
Google Family Link is the standard choice for Android households. It covers location sharing but also app controls, screen time schedules, and content filters, all from one dashboard. Google pushed a meaningful update in 2025 that added school hours and downtime modes. Once a child turns 13, Google automatically scales back the supervision features, so families with kids approaching that age should plan for it.
3. Google Maps Location Sharing
Google Maps location sharing is the overlooked option. No additional app needed, it works on both iPhone and Android, and the setup takes about two minutes. The child opens Maps, taps their profile photo, selects Location sharing, and chooses a parent's account. For older kids who've earned some trust, a simple dot on a map is sometimes all a parent actually needs.
4. Life360
Life360 gives a bird's-eye view of everyone in the family at once. The free tier includes real-time locations, saved place alerts, and an SOS button that the child can press in an emergency. Crash detection and extended location history require a paid plan. Battery drain is slightly higher than the native options, though not dramatically so.
5. Findmykids
Findmykids is aimed at younger children, particularly those just getting their first phone or a GPS watch. The app can push a loud audio alert to the child's device even if it's on silent, which is genuinely helpful when a nine-year-old buries their phone in a coat pocket and stops responding. The free tier handles basic tracking. Some parents use this one alongside Family Link during the transition years.
What the Tools Cannot Do
GPS-based tracking requires a phone that is on, charged, and connected to mobile data or wifi. If any one of those three are turned off, the location freezes at the last known point. Indoor accuracy also tends to drop, especially in shopping centres and multi-story buildings where signals bounce.
These apps only show a location, not whether the child is safe, scared, hurt, or just ignoring calls because a friend is talking. A child still needs to know a parent's phone number by memory, understand how to ask a stranger for help if needed, and know what to do if the phone dies. GPS trackers don't replace basic survival skills. A map on a parent's screen should only be treated as a backup or aid.
When the Free Version Stops Being Enough
Some parents go through years on the built-in tools. Others hit a situation where they want more than a location pin. Maybe the child isn't answering, and there's no way to tell if something is wrong or they're just distracted. Or perhaps the family needs location history longer than a few hours.
AirDroid Parental Control fills that gap. It works on both Android and iPhone, and it adds capabilities that the free tools don't offer. A parent can view through the child's phone camera, use one-way audio monitoring, set custom geofence zones, check route history spanning multiple days, and monitor content across social apps.
You can always give it a free trial. Paid plans are usually a fairly low-cost monthly amount and often cheaper if you pay annually. A full breakdown of how the tracking features work is on the free location tracking tools page.
For a child's first solo bike ride to the corner store, any of the five free tools above is almost certainly enough. Most families don't need AirDroid until the outings get further away or the child gets older.
Building the Habit Around the Tool
The families that report the least anxiety about solo outings share a few habits. The child texts when they arrive. There's an agreed window for checking in. The parent doesn't pull up the map every ten minutes unless something feels off.
None of that requires a subscription. It requires a kid who knows what's expected and a parent who resists the urge to use the app as a surveillance feed. When those two things are in place, the tool mostly sits in the background doing its job, and the child gets a little more room to grow.
FAQs
At what age can children go out alone?
This is quite a personal question as every child is different and parents usually have a good idea of when its appropriate or not as well as factoring in things like familiar routes, with longer distances becoming appropriate as they get older. More relevant than age is whether the said child can stay calm when something unexpected happens and knows how to get help.
What if a child disables location sharing?
Free tools show the last known position, but don't notify parents when location sharing is turned off. A child who regularly disables tracking is telling a parent something worth discussing, but more controls usually aren't the answer.
Free tools show the last known position, but don't notify parents when location sharing is turned off. A child who regularly disables tracking is telling a parent something worth discussing, but more controls usually aren't the answer.
Does location tracking use a lot of battery?
Not much. Expect somewhere between 5 and 10 percent additional drain per day. Apple's Find My and Google Family Link are easier on the battery than third-party apps because they're built into the operating system.
