Best location tracking apps for school commutes

Nowadays, location tracking has become a part of our lives, especially for parents who want to monitor their child’s safety during school commutes. Basically, location tracking helps parents when their child is running late, misses the school bus, or experiences an unexpected delay. At that time, this location tracking app works as a peace of mind for parents.

In this guide, we will discuss the best location tracking apps made for a child’s school commute safety. Alongside, we will compare some popular apps so that you can choose one that suits your family best. We’ll also share some practical tips and rules on how you can use location tracking in a healthy way. So keep reading!

How to use location tracking in a healthy way with your child?

Location tracking is indeed a valuable tool if the sole motive behind it is to support your kids’ safety and growth transparently. For healthy development, parents need to balance their kids’ location monitoring with trust and open communication. Research from the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) reveals that parents should tell their children about location tracking. This is because anonymous tracking can negatively affect a child’s trust and privacy.

Let’s have a close look at some practical approaches letting you use location tracking in a healthy way!

Age-appropriate approach

First of all, for tracking your approach should evolve with your child’s age and gradually provide them more independence. For instance;

• Elementary (5—10): At this age you will focus on ensuring they arrive safely at school. Clearly explain to them that you’re tracking their location just for their safety, not to control them.
• Tweens (11—13): During that age involve your child in location tracking and make them responsible for greater independence. Decide together when location tracking might be used ( after school, tuition or for sports).
• Teens (14—18): However, at this stage, parents should give them a gradual transition to independence with mutual trust. If your child demonstrates responsibility daily then limit your tracking. You should track them when they are in unfamiliar places or traveling late at night.

Conversation script

Furthermore, while introducing a location tracking app, keep your conversation open and ongoing, like

You can start a conversation like as you are growing up and want to do more things independently. Being your parents, we want you to always remain safe. We are considering a method like a location tracking app to know your location only in emergency cases. Don’t think that we are spying on you rather that it’s just peace of mind for us.

If you feel worried about your privacy, then you can tell me we can talk about it together. You should also give your kids a chance to express their thoughts as it helps build trust & encourages open communication.

Transparency rules:

Next when it comes to creating, setting clear expectations are crucial for tracking and building trust.

Practical tips: Besides using a location tracking app, it’s also your utmost duty to teach kids basic safety rules when go outside. For instance; remind kids of important phone numbers and help them identify trusted people like teachers, police officers, or others if they are in trouble.

Likewise, tell them to never accept rides from strangers and also teach them to cross roads carefully, following traffic rules. They should also be aware of what to do if they miss their bus.

Remember! Only those kids who actually know how to react in emergencies & problems are indeed safer compared to those who entirely rely on tracking apps.

Built-in & free options: Best for Simplicity

If you’re looking for free and simpler tracking options, be happy as there are many built-in options available on devices letting families to stay connected. Some of the popular options include;

• Apple Find My for iPhone & iPad users: Apple Find My is indeed a good starting option for iOS users that lets parents track kids’ location without downloading any software.
• Google Family Link for Android devices: Likewise, Google Family Link is indeed best suited for families whose kids follow a daily routine. This is becasue it provides you with parental control and basic location tracking without needing any advanced features. This app has over 100M at Google, rated with 4.6 stars.
• Google Maps Location Sharing: Google Maps on the other hand, is ideal for parents who occasionally want to check their kids location, like after school. Google Maps app has crossed 10 billion downloads on Google Play with a 4.4 rating making it the most widely used navigation and location tracking app.

Dedicated family tracking Apps: Best for extra features

Besides built-in options, if you want something with more advanced real-time location tracking features you can try third-party apps. These provide geofencing features, arrival notifications or other parental controls, providing parents complete peace of mind. So, whether your kids have after-school activities, sports practices or regular pick-ups,, you’ll stay informed without constantly asking where they are.

Below are some dedicated family tracking apps that you can consider!

FlashGets Kids app

FlashGets Kids app is one of the parents favorite tools that offers transparent monitoring with real-time updates. It indeed holds a 4.7 rating on Google from 95.6K reviews with 10 million downloads. It’s a powerful location tracker for commute-focused families owing to the following feature!

• Live location tracking: Helping parents to track their child’s live location & activities during a trip to and from school within family-agreed boundaries.
• Geofencing alerts allows you to customize kids safe zones; if kids try to leave such areas, you will get instant alerts.
• You can also check location history to know about the route in case of any delay.

Life360

Life360 is also a renowned third-party application in family tracking, letting relatives and friends stay in touch. It carries 200 million downloads worldwide and 50+ million members with a 4.6-star rating on both the App Store & Google Play.

Features:

• Offers SOS button that informs families in case of emergencies.
• Crash detection & emergency alerts.
• While driving, give safety reports about speed.

Famisafe

This stands for location tracking and parental control with advanced monitoring features. For parents its best option because it offers both online and offline safety tools. Famisafe on the other hand, carries roughly a 3.7 rating on Google.

Features:

• Real-time tracking with location history.
• Smart geofencing zones.

Qustodio

The Qustodio app also offers location tracking features and the best thing is that it has a user-friendly interface. According to the Boomerang review of Qustodio, this app has been used by over 9 million parents and ranked #11 in the US Parenting category on Google Play.

Features:

• Provide location history
• Help you set geofence zones
• Location tracking with a panic button alert

Quick comparison

When it comes to selecting the best family tracking app, rely on your family’s budget and needs. Comparison of the basic features will help you to identify which app offers the balance of safety and privacy. The table below compares features of each app!

How to choose based on your family’s situation

Every family has different needs, safety needs, privacy concerns, and routine. That’s why, when choosing a family tracking app, select one that suits your kids’ age, travel routine and your family’s comfort. To identify which suits your needs lets have a close look!

Match by commute type

Before making any decision, you should consider how your child travels. For instance, children who walk or use a bike to school can take advantage of this app’s live location tracking and geofence, notification. Besides this children who travel by school bus or carpool only may need occasional location trackers. If your child likes to participate in after-school activities, then choose the app that provides you with real-time updates.

Match by child’s age and independence level

Remember your child’s age and maturity can influence the level of tracking you select. If we talk about the younger kids, they indeed need close supervision to ensure their safety at all times. However, teens should focus on mutual trust and privacy and use tracking when necessary.

Match by family tech comfort, budget, and privacy preferences

Similarly, your family comfort, budget and privacy matters, so choose one that suits your family’s needs. If you try to use a simple and built-in app, then Google Maps and the Google Find My app will be enough for you. But if families want advanced features like geofencing and emergency alerts, then you can choose a dedicated family tracking app.

Decision checklist parents can use

Likewise, when selecting any app you should ask yourself some questions like

• Does my child travel independently or follow a daily routine?
• Do I need real-time location updates or often location checks?
• Is the app you’re using suitable for your kids’ age and maturity level?
• Will my family allow me to use this paid or free app?
• Have I read the apps’ privacy policy and do I agree with it?

Conclusion

In summary, when it comes to selecting a location tracking app for kids, you must carefully decide, after all, it’s about your kids’ safety. There are well-known location tracking apps and built-in options, each having its own features and benefits. You should choose one that suits your child’s age and your family’s needs.