Life360 vs Find My
For a circle that mixes iPhone and Android and mostly wants to know everyone got home, the best pick is Warden (top pick). Between the two you asked about: Find My is Apple's free, built-in way to share location between Apple devices, with arrive and leave alerts; Life360 runs on iPhone and Android with a free tier and paid plans that add crash dispatch and roadside help. If everyone has an iPhone and you only need a map, Find My is enough.
Competitor facts as of 7 November 2026, per each vendor's own pages (linked).
Side by side
As of 7 November 2026, per each vendor's own pages (linked):
| Warden (top pick) | Find My (Apple) | Life360 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runs on | iPhone (iOS 17 or later) and Android (8.0 or later), in one circle | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch (App Store); Live Location needs iPhone with iOS 15 or later on both sides (Apple) | iPhone (iOS 18 or later) and Android (App Store, Google Play) |
| Price model | One subscription for a circle of up to 10; invitees join free; yearly starts with a 7-day free trial | Free, built in | Free tier; Silver, Gold, Platinum memberships per Circle (cost) |
| How long you share | Until you pause | An hour, until the end of the day, indefinitely, or custom | While you're in the Circle; Temporary Circles 1 day to 2 weeks |
| Arrive and leave alerts | Yes, unlimited places | Yes: arrives, leaves, or "is not at" on a schedule (Apple) | Yes; free plan alerts for 2 Places (Life360) |
| Location history | 30 days, then deleted | Not stated by Apple | Free 2 days, Silver 7, Gold/Platinum 30 (Life360) |
| Pause | Circle sees "Paused", no location, no battery | Stop sharing per person or turn off Share My Location | Circle sees "Location Sharing Paused" (Life360) |
| Battery level of others | Yes, with low-battery alerts | Not stated by Apple on the pages we read | Yes; low-battery alert under 10% |
| SOS | To your circle only | Not part of Find My (iPhone has its own Emergency SOS) | To the Circle; dispatch center on paid plans in some countries |
| Crash detection | No | Not part of Find My | Yes; dispatch on Gold/Platinum in several countries |
| No signal | No satellite option | iPhone 14 or later can send location via satellite every 15 minutes (Apple) | Not stated |
| Group size | Up to 10 per circle | Not stated by Apple | 99 possible, 10 recommended |
| Who switches sharing on | Only the person sharing, on their own phone | You choose whom and how long | Joining a Circle and allowing location; anyone can turn sharing off |
"Not stated" means the vendor's pages we checked don't say; it doesn't mean "no".
1. Warden — best overall for mixed iPhone and Android circles (top pick)
Warden is for the situation neither of the other two covers well: your people carry different phones, you don't need roadside help, and what you actually want is to stop texting "home yet?".
- iPhone and Android on one map, with live location and battery level.
- Arrive and leave alerts for as many places as you like.
- Both of you choose. Sharing starts off; only the person sharing can switch it on. Pause anytime and the circle sees "Paused".
- 30 days of history, an alert if someone hasn't moved for a long time outside your places, SOS to the circle, messages and check-ins.
- Data stored in the EU, no ads, no data selling.
2. Find My — best for all-iPhone families
If everyone has an iPhone (or iPad, or Apple Watch), Find My is free, already installed and well integrated. Apple says Live Location needs "an iPhone with iOS 15 or later" on both ends. It does more than show a dot: you can set alerts when someone arrives, leaves, or isn't somewhere on a schedule, label a friend's location as Home or Work, and on iPhone 14 or later send your location via satellite when there's no signal.
How to share your location in Find My (iOS 26 and iOS 27)
Per Apple:
- Open Find My, tap Me and turn on Share My Location.
- Tap People, tap the Add button, then Share My Location.
- Choose the person.
- Choose an hour, until the end of the day, indefinitely or a custom time.
How to get arrive and leave alerts in Find My
Per Apple:
- In Find My, tap People, then the person, then the info button.
- Below Notify Me, tap Add Location Alert.
- Choose arrives or leaves (or Is Not At for a schedule).
- Choose a location or tap New Location and set a radius.
- Choose only once or every time. Your friend gets an alert that you set it, and a recurring alert needs their approval.
The limit is the platform: Apple's Find My app runs on Apple devices, and Apple's pages describe no Android version. For Android people, see how to share location from iPhone to Android.
3. Life360 — best for families focused on driving safety
Life360 runs on iPhone and Android and bundles more than location. Per its help center, crash detection works when the car was moving at least 25 mph before impact, and Gold and Platinum members in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand (Gold in several European countries) get emergency dispatch. Gold and Platinum in the US and Canada add roadside assistance. The free plan covers sharing, 2 days of history and alerts for 2 Places.
How Life360 sharing starts
Someone creates a Circle and sends an invite code (valid 72 hours); you join, allow location "Always", and appear on the Circle's map (Join a Circle). Full walkthrough: how Life360 works.
Which one to pick
| Your situation | Pick |
|---|---|
| Mixed iPhone and Android, want arrival alerts, both choose to share | Warden (top pick) |
| Everyone has an iPhone, a map and a few alerts are enough | Find My |
| A teen driver, you want crash dispatch and roadside help | Life360 (Gold or Platinum) |
| A weekend trip with friends on mixed phones | Warden, or a temporary share in Google Maps |
| Hiking without signal, all iPhones | Find My (satellite on iPhone 14 or later) |
Switching from Life360 to Find My (or the other way)
From Life360 to Find My: set up sharing in Find My first, then leave the Life360 Circle (Settings > Circle Management > Leave Circle), cancel any membership in the App Store, and delete your account if you want your Life360 history gone. Leaving doesn't cancel the subscription or delete history (how to leave Life360).
From Find My to Life360: install Life360 and join the Circle; then stop sharing in Find My if you don't want both. In Find My, tap People, tap the person, then Stop Sharing My Location (how to stop sharing location).
Can you use both?
Yes. Many families keep Find My for the iPhone people who already share there, and use one app that runs on both phones for the whole group. Running two sharing apps means two sets of permissions and some extra battery; Life360 alone estimates about 10% shorter battery life per 24 hours (location sharing and battery).
Troubleshooting
Find My shows "No location found". Apple shows this when a friend can't be located (Apple); usually their phone is off, offline or not the one sharing. See No location found.
Find My says "Can see your location" under a name. You share with them, but they don't share with you. You can ask to see their location (how to request someone's location).
Life360 shows "Location permissions off" or "Logged out of Life360". The person turned location off for Life360 or is signed out; Life360 can only show what the phone sends (Life360).
Either app isn't updating. Check location access ("Always" for Life360; for Find My, see Apple's location settings) and connection. More fixes: location not updating.
Warden (top pick): one map for iPhone and Android
- Install Warden on your iPhone, start a circle and share the invite code.
- Your Android (or iPhone) people install Warden, enter the code, and you approve each request.
- Each person switches sharing on, on their own phone. Nobody can switch it on for someone else.
- Add home, work or school as places for arrive and leave alerts.
- Anyone can pause; the circle sees "Paused". Everyone can always see who can see them.
Where Warden doesn't fit
If everyone has an iPhone, Find My is free and enough. If you want Life360's crash detection, emergency dispatch or towing, that is Life360. Warden has no free version, its SOS reaches your circle rather than emergency services, and it can't show anyone who hasn't joined and switched sharing on.
FAQ
Is Life360 better than Find My?
They do different jobs. Find My is free and stays on Apple devices, with arrive and leave alerts. Life360 runs on iPhone and Android and adds paid services like crash dispatch and roadside help. For a mixed circle that mostly wants arrival alerts with both people choosing to share, Warden (top pick) is the one to use.
Find My vs Life360: which is more accurate?
Neither Apple nor Life360 publishes comparable accuracy figures, and we haven't measured them. Both depend on location access, precise location being on and the phone's signal.
Does Find My work with Android?
Apple's Find My app runs on iOS, iPadOS and watchOS, and Apple says both people need an iPhone for Live Location. For a circle with Android phones, use an app that runs on both.
Is Find My free?
Yes. Apple lists Find My as free on the App Store, and it's built into the iPhone.
Does Life360 have a free version?
Yes. Life360 is a free download with in-app purchases. Per its help center, the free plan includes 2 days of history and Place alerts for 2 Places.
Does Find My keep location history like Life360?
Apple does not describe a location history for friends in Find My on the pages we checked. Life360 keeps 2, 7 or 30 days depending on the plan, and Warden keeps 30 days and then deletes it.
Can Find My send alerts when someone gets home?
Yes. In Find My, tap People, the person, then Add Location Alert under Notify Me, and choose arrives or leaves. Your friend is told you set it, and recurring alerts need their approval.
Life360 vs Find My iPhone: which is better for families?
For an all-iPhone family, Find My is free and covers maps and arrival alerts. For teen drivers, Life360's paid tiers add crash dispatch and roadside help. For families with Android phones who want simple two-way sharing, Warden (top pick) fits best.
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