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Before enabling location tracking, agree on the specific safety need and choose the least intrusive option that meets it. Talk with your child about who can see their location, when sharing is active, what information a service collects, and how sharing can be paused or stopped. A phone’s GPS capability does not mean every app needs continuous access.
Start with the safety need, not the tracking feature
Define the situation you want to address: for example, coordinating a pickup or confirming that a child arrived. Then consider whether a check-in, an arrival message, or temporary location sharing would work instead of continuous monitoring. Location visibility is not a guarantee of safety and does not replace communication.
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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that location sharing can create personal reputation and safety risks. Its guidance on kids and cell phones recommends discussing which phone features and apps need location access, turning sharing off when it is unnecessary, and limiting sharing to people the child knows and trusts.
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Who can see the location?
Check the complete sharing list, not just the setting on the child’s device. Consider which family members have access and whether new members or guardians added later can see the location. Ask the child to review the arrangement with you and make sure they know how to raise concerns.
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Can sharing be limited or stopped?
Find out whether location is shared continuously or only when needed, and what controls the child can use to pause or stop it. Available controls depend on the platform, account age, account type, and supervision settings; do not assume parent and child accounts display or control the same options. Review the current settings on the accounts and devices you actually use.
What does the provider do with location data?
Family sharing and a company’s collection or processing of location data are separate questions. Read the service’s privacy notice and account controls to learn what it collects, who it discloses information to, how long it retains it, and whether deletion is available.
For US readers, FTC guidance on protecting a child’s privacy online explains that physical location is personal information under COPPA for covered online services collecting information from children under 13. Under that framework, parents have rights that include notice, consent, review of collected information, withdrawal of consent, and requests for deletion. COPPA applies to covered operators and children under 13; it is not a rule for every device, family location-sharing arrangement, or country.
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Settings and policies can change, so check the platform’s current documentation and your family’s actual account configuration before relying on a particular control.
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Apple family sharing
Apple says a child’s precise location may be shared with all family members, including guardians added later, if sharing is set up during Apple Account creation or Apple Watch for Your Kids setup, or if the child enables automatic sharing in family settings. A child can change location-sharing settings unless Screen Time or Family Sharing restrictions prevent it. See Apple’s Family Privacy Disclosure for Children, and check family membership and restrictions as well as the device toggle.
Google supervised accounts
Google’s Maps guidance for a child’s Google Account says supervised children under 13, or the applicable local age, can share real-time Maps location only with their parents. For children over the applicable age whose existing accounts have supervision added, sharing may extend to parents and others; whether a child can stop sharing depends on supervision settings. Google also says Family Link lets parents manage some location settings and see the location of a child’s Android devices. Its supervision and consent guidance describes those controls. These are account-specific Google descriptions, not universal rules for all Google accounts or platforms.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Compare device approaches by the job they need to do
| Approach | What to check | When it may fit |
|---|---|---|
| Existing smartphone | Review app permissions and account-level sharing. GPS capability alone does not require every app to have continuous location access. | When the child already carries a compatible phone and limited sharing meets the need. |
| Family-configured smartwatch | Confirm that the model and family setup support the intended sharing, who receives location, what else is shared, and how the child can change settings. | When a wearable’s functions suit the child and family; a specific brand or model is not required. |
| Basic phone | Check whether calls or texts are enough without web browsing, apps, or location sharing. | When the priority is contact rather than app-based tracking. The FTC names a basic phone without those features as an option. |
Across any approach, compare the safety task served, location precision and update frequency, access, the child’s understanding and control, data collection and retention, deletion options, device and connectivity compatibility, and whether a less intrusive alternative will do.
Quick Recap
Use a family checklist before turning tracking on
- Define the need: What specific situation are you trying to address?
- Consider a lighter option: Could a check-in, scheduled arrival message, or temporary sharing meet that need?
- Verify access: Who exactly can see the location, including other family members or guardians added later?
- Test the controls: Is sharing continuous, and can it be paused or stopped?
- Read the privacy terms: What does the provider collect, share, retain, and delete?
- Talk it through: Does the child understand the arrangement and have a way to raise concerns as their independence grows?
- Confirm fit: Does the feature work with your devices and accounts, and do the relevant age and supervision rules apply?
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