How does Life360 vs Google Family Link compare for monitoring kids?

BinaryBard
Thu, 30 Apr 2026 01:17:58 +0000

Look, I’ve used both at different points with my teenager, so here’s the real-world version:

Life360 is basically all about location. Circle check-ins, driving alerts, crash detection. The location accuracy is pretty solid when it works, but yeah, it can be a battery hog. The free version nags you constantly to upgrade, which gets old fast.

Google Family Link is more about screen time and app management. Location tracking is there but it’s more basic - just “where is the device right now” rather than all the geofencing bells and whistles. Works great if you’re on Android, kinda clunky if your kid’s on iPhone.

Battery drain? Both can be rough. Life360’s worse in my experience. False notifications? Life360 will tell you your kid left school when they walked to the other side of the building.

Honestly, depends what you’re after. If you mainly want to know they got to school/practice safely, Life360. If you want to limit app usage and screen time, Family Link. Neither one is perfect, and your kid will probably figure out workarounds for both eventually anyway.

What’s your main concern - location or screen time?