A family locator app built on consent

Quick comparison

As of 7 November 2026, per each vendor's own App Store listing, website or help page, linked in the table. "Not stated" means the page we checked doesn't say; it doesn't mean the feature is missing.

A family location sharing app for adults

Most family tracker apps are built for parents watching young kids. Warden is built for a different family: adults who care about each other. Parents and grown children, siblings in different cities, the aunt across the country, a stepdad who drives long distances for work. Everyone is an equal member, and everyone decides for themselves.

Think of the moments where a family map actually helps:

• The drive home after the holidays. Your sister has four hours on the motorway with two kids in the back. You get "Arrived at Home" instead of calling twice.
• Your dad's evening walk. He goes alone since your mum died. If he hasn't moved for a long time away from his usual places, the family hears about it.
• Your daughter's first flat in a new city. No daily calls needed; you see she got back from her night shift.
• Airport pickups. You see your parents left the house and can time the drive.
• A phone that went quiet. Battery level on the map tells you it died, before you start to worry.

1. Warden — best overall for grown-up families (top pick)

Warden is a location-sharing app for iPhone and Android where everyone in the family chooses to share:

• Sharing starts off. Each person switches it on, on their own phone, for each circle. Nobody can switch it on for someone else, and the circle's owner sees no extra location data.
• Everyone sees who sees them, and the family is told who joins and who leaves.
• Pause anytime. The family sees "Paused", with no location and no battery, instead of a guess.

Warden's SOS alerts your circle only; it doesn't contact emergency services, and Warden has no crash or fall detection. Warden is not a parental-control app and doesn't try to be one.

How to set up a family circle in Warden

1. Start a circle called "Family" and share the invite code in your family chat. Codes stay valid for 7 days, then renew on their own.
2. Each family member installs Warden (iPhone with iOS 17 or later, or Android 8.0 or later) and enters the code on their own phone.
3. Approve each join request. The circle owner approves or declines every request.
4. Each person reads the consent screen that lists what the family will see, then switches sharing on.
5. Add places: everyone's home, work, the grandparents' house, the station or airport you always use.
6. Pick a battery mode. Balanced suits most people; Battery saver for an older phone.

You can be in several circles, for example "Family" and "Siblings", and choose separately in each whether you share.

One plan for the whole family

One subscription covers a circle of up to 10 people, and everyone you invite joins free. Monthly, yearly or a one-time lifetime purchase; the yearly plan starts with a 7-day free trial. There are no per-person seats to count, and Warden has no free version.

2. Find My with Family Sharing — best for all-iPhone families

If everyone has an iPhone, Apple's Find My is free and built in. With Family Sharing, Apple says the organizer's location is shared with everyone in the family once location sharing is set up, and each member then chooses whether to share theirs (Apple).

On iPhone (iOS 27, per Apple's current guide):

1. Go to Settings > Family > Location Sharing.
2. Turn on Location Sharing for each family member you want to share with. Each one gets a message and can share back.
3. To include people who join later, turn on Automatically Share Location.

Apple notes that you must have Location Services on, and that children and teens with Screen Time controls may not be able to change their own sharing settings. Arrival alerts work through Find My > People > the person > Add Location Alert, and a recurring alert needs the other person's approval (Apple). Step-by-step for every phone: share location with family.

3. Google Maps and Find Hub — best for Android families and trips

On Android, including Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy phones, Google Maps location sharing works for families. Google's steps (Google):

1. Open Google Maps and make sure you're signed in to your Google Account.
2. Tap your profile picture or initial > Location sharing > New share.
3. Choose how long, for example Until you turn this off.
4. Choose the family member and tap Share. Google says the recipient must have a Gmail account.

Google's Find Hub app shows the same people shares on Android: tap Start share, choose a duration (one hour, until the end of the day, until you stop, or custom) and pick people (Google). Google also shares battery level with the people you share with, and they can add up to 5 arrive/depart notifications per person. More: Google Find Hub and share location on Android.

4. Life360 — best for driving and assistance features

Life360's US App Store listing lists crash detection on Silver, emergency dispatch on Gold, and 2 days of location history on Silver versus 30 days on Gold. Its help center says free memberships include place notifications for 2 places, and a circle has a system limit of 99 members, with 10 recommended. If driving and assistance services are what your family wants, Life360 lists them. Details: how Life360 works, what Life360 costs and Life360 alternatives.

5. iSharing and GeoZilla

iSharing's App Store listing offers free features plus paid plans, a "365-Day Location History", and says sharing "requires mutual consent from all family members and friends" (App Store). GeoZilla says it "works on both Android phones and iPhones" (GeoZilla), and its listing says "location tracking requires explicit consent from all circle members" (App Store).

How to "track" family members the right way

Searches for "how to track family members" usually mean "how do we all see each other". The honest answer: every family location app, Warden included, only shows people who have installed it on their own phone and switched sharing on. There's no fair way to locate an adult relative who hasn't agreed, and Warden can't locate anyone by phone number. What works:

• Ask, don't install. Each person sets it up on their own phone.
• Agree on places, not on watching. "Tell me when you're home" is easier to say yes to than "let me see you all the time".
• Make pausing normal. Grown children especially need a way to step out for a weekend.
• Keep it equal. Parents share too.

For older parents who want a daily sign of life rather than a map, see the check-in app for elderly parents.

When a family member isn't showing up

If someone's dot is missing, stale or shows the wrong place, check their phone, not yours:

iPhone (iOS 26 and iOS 27):

1. Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services is on, and the app (Find My, Warden or another) is set to Always with Precise Location on (Apple).
2. In Find My, "No location found" under a name means they can't be located right now; "Can see your location" means they see you but you don't follow them yet (Apple).
3. If a name appears but no location, Apple suggests checking that the person shares and that Location Services is on for Find My (Apple).

Android 14, 15 and 16:

1. Touch and hold the app icon > App info > Permissions > Location > Allow all the time, with Use precise location on (Google).
2. Google Pixel: Settings > Apps > See all apps > the app > App battery usage, and keep Allow background usage on (Google).
3. Samsung Galaxy (One UI): Settings > Battery and device care > Battery > Background usage limits; take the app out of Sleeping apps and Deep sleeping apps, or add it to Never sleeping apps (Samsung).

In Warden, a member who paused shows as "Paused", so you know it's a choice, not a fault. More fixes: location not updating, "No location found" and "Location not available".

Private by design

Your family's data is stored in the EU and encrypted in transit and at rest. No ads, no third-party tracking, no data selling, and no listening feature. Location history is deleted after 30 days, alerts after 90 days, and anyone can delete their account and data in the app. Everything is explained on privacy and consent.

Where Warden doesn't fit

If everyone in the family has an iPhone and is happy with Find My, you don't need another app. Warden has no free version, no crash detection and no roadside services; if those matter most, look at Life360. And Warden isn't a parental-control app for young children: Google says accounts managed by a parent can have location sharing managed through Family Link, and Apple points parents who want a Child Account or parental controls to its Apple Devices for Kids and Families page.

FAQ

What is the best family locator app for iPhone and Android?

Warden (top pick), for adults and grown-up families who want everyone to choose for themselves, with arrival alerts and one map across iPhone and Android. If everyone has an iPhone, Apple's Find My with Family Sharing is free and built in.

What is the best family tracker app?

For grown-up families who want consent and arrival alerts across iPhone and Android, Warden (top pick). For all-iPhone families, Find My. If you want crash detection and roadside services, Life360 lists them on its paid plans.

How do I share my location with my family?

On iPhone, go to Settings > Family > Location Sharing and turn it on for each member. On Android, use Google Maps > Location sharing > New share. For a mixed family on one map with place alerts, start a Warden circle and have each person switch sharing on.

How can I track my family members' location?

Each family member has to share from their own phone; no app can fairly locate an adult who hasn't agreed. Set up a family circle in Warden or Find My, and each person switches sharing on themselves.

Is there a GPS family tracker that works on iPhone and Android together?

Yes. Warden puts iPhones and Android phones in one circle on one map. Google Maps, Life360, iSharing and GeoZilla also list both platforms on their own pages.

Is Warden a family tracker for young children?

No. Warden is built for people who choose to share on their own phone. It isn't a parental-control or child-monitoring app.

How many family members can share in one plan?

Up to 10 people in a circle, all covered by one subscription. People you invite join free.

Can the family organizer see more than everyone else?

No. The circle's owner approves and removes members and renews the invite code, but sees no extra location data.