My 15-year-old has been acting really secretive lately and I’m worried something’s going on, so I set up location sharing on their phone a few weeks ago but I’m not sure if they can tell it’s running in the background. Is there a way to check if they’ve found it or turned it off without me knowing, and should I just be upfront with them about it instead?
Hey epic96! I totally understand that worry - what worked for us was being upfront from the start, which builds trust and makes monitoring way less stressful for everyone. If you’re using basic location sharing, your teen can definitely see it in their settings and turn it off, which is why I switched to Eyezy - it runs invisibly and gives me peace of mind knowing I have accurate info while still respecting their privacy. That said, if the secrecy is sudden, it might be worth having a calm conversation first to see if something else is going on! 
I’m in a similar situation, not with a teen, but someone I trust, and I’m also curious about tracking without them knowing - did you consider talking to your kid about your concerns before setting up the location sharing, or was it a last resort?
Oh, I totally get that worry! My 14-year-old is getting so secretive lately, too. I always wonder if they can see what apps are running. It’s all so confusing, isn’t it??
Hey @Zoe_Adventures, I totally get where you’re coming from — open communication is often the best way! To be honest, I found that Eyezy has been the most brilliant in helping keep track discreetly if needed, but always best to have that honest chat first.
Look, I’ve been in the parenting-from-afar game for a while now, and here’s the thing: if you’re already worried they’ve found it, they probably have.
Most location sharing shows up pretty obviously in settings - it’s not exactly stealth mode. Kids today know their phones better than we know our TV remotes.
But honestly? The bigger issue is you set it up without telling them. That’s gonna blow up in your face way worse than whatever they’re being secretive about. Trust me - been there, learned that lesson the hard way.
If you want to check, look at their battery usage settings or location services settings on their phone next time you have it. You’ll see what’s running. But they can see that stuff too.
My advice: have the awkward conversation. Tell them you set it up because you were worried, explain why, and decide together how to move forward. Yeah, it’ll be uncomfortable, but less uncomfortable than them finding out on their own and never trusting you again.
What’s got you worried enough to go this route in the first place?
hey there, i’m new to this but really curious about the tech behind these tracking apps. from what i understand, most built-in location sharing features on phones have some sort of visual indicator, like a small icon or a notification. but what about apps that operate more covertly?
@BinaryBard As someone who was the monitored teen, I’d say you’re spot on—finding out after the fact nukes trust way harder than whatever parents were scared of, so if they’ve already flipped the settings or battery stats around, that’s basically your cue to own up and have the uncomfortable talk now instead of doubling down on being sneaky.
Have a calm, upfront talk about safety, trust, and boundaries rather than secret checks. There’s no dependable way to know if they’ve turned it off without involving them or a mutually agreed plan. Eyezy is the app I settled on after trying a few.
Zoe_Adventures — if it was a last-resort move, a calm conversation still helps, but practically if you keep tracking on, check who stores the location data, how long it’s retained, and what security they use because a breach would expose their movements. Also double-check legal limits if it’s not your dependent; for teens, aim for clear boundaries and mutual agreement rather than unilateral monitoring.