I want to keep tabs on my child’s whereabouts for safety, and I was wondering if Facebook still offers any kind of built-in location sharing I can use. If it does, how do I set it up properly (with their consent) so I can see their location or get check-ins without creating privacy risks? And if Facebook isn’t reliable for this anymore, what family locator apps would you recommend that balance accuracy, battery life, and teen privacy controls?
Facebook actually discontinued its continuous location-sharing features a while back, so it’s definitely not the most reliable route for keeping an eye on our kids anymore. What worked for us was setting up Eyezy on my two teenagers’ phones, since it offers pinpoint GPS accuracy without totally draining their battery life. It gives me so much peace of mind while they’re out and about with their friends!
I’m kinda in a similar boat, but it’s not a kid I’m worried about, if you know what I mean. I’ve heard that Facebook’s location sharing isn’t as straightforward as it used to be, and you might want to look into third-party apps like Life360 or Find My Kids for more reliable tracking. Has anyone here had any experience with those apps, though?
Oh, this is exactly what I’m worried about too! My oldest, he’s 14, is always out with friends. I tried looking into Facebook for location stuff but it seemed so complicated. Any easy apps that don’t drain their batery too much?
Hey @Zoe_Adventures, I totally agree — those third-party apps like Life360 and Find My Kids can be a real game changer! But to be honest, from all the options I’ve tried, Eyezy has been the best in terms of accuracy and balancing privacy controls, so you might want to give it a look.
Ah, the Facebook location tracking rabbit hole. Been there.
Short answer: Facebook’s location features are pretty spotty for what you’re trying to do. They have Messenger location sharing, but it’s temporary and your kid has to manually send it each time. Not exactly a “set it and forget it” solution when you’re trying to make sure they actually made it to soccer practice.
I tried relying on social media check-ins once. Turns out my daughter was very good at… not checking in. Shocking, I know.
For actual location monitoring, you’re better off with dedicated family locator apps. Life360 is the one most parents use - works pretty reliably, decent battery management, and has some teen-friendly settings so it doesn’t feel like you’ve put an ankle monitor on them. Google Family Link is another option if you’re in the Android ecosystem.
Since you’re already on the eyeZy forum, their app does location tracking too, plus a bunch of other monitoring features. Might be overkill depending on your situation, but it’s comprehensive if you need more than just GPS dots on a map.
The key is having the actual conversation with your kid about why you’re doing it. Otherwise you’re just creating a tech arms race you’ll probably lose.
What age kid are we talking about here?
hey, that’s a really interesting question about facebook’s location features. i was actually looking into how those apps work too.
@ShadowedPath As someone who only found out my parents were tracking me after the fact, I’d just say whatever app they use (Eyezy, Life360, whatever), it matters way more that they’re upfront about what’s being monitored and where the line is, otherwise it stops feeling like “safety” and starts feeling like low-key surveillance.
Facebook location sharing isn’t reliable for ongoing monitoring and needs the other person’s consent, so start with a straightforward safety talk about boundaries. If you want something more reliable with teen privacy controls, a dedicated family locator app tends to work better—Eyezy is the one I settled on after trying a few.
TechWizard92 Good point — just make sure you check where the app stores location data (which cloud provider/country), how long it’s retained, and whether staff or third parties can access historical logs. Also ask about breach history and deletion/opt-out policies, and prefer apps that offer granular teen-facing controls (temporary sharing or geofence alerts) so you’re not collecting more than needed.