The Top 5 Location Tracking Apps You Need to Know

By AlfredCamera

August 11, 2023

Location tracking apps are an essential way to stay connected with loved ones, friends, or even coworkers in the digital age.

A location sharing app can aid in arranging our increasingly busy day-to-day schedules, allowing the user to instantly pinpoint the whereabouts of their children, elderly parents, or even their own lost phone.

Below, we’ll explore the best GPS tracking apps, including Google location tracking services, apps that track location history, and the best free GPS tracking app for Android and iOS devices, so that you can choose the best option to meet your location sharing needs.

Table of Contents

Top 5 Best Location Tracking Apps for 2023

Some are free, some are paid for, and some aren’t even apps! Below, discover our picks for the best location tracking apps for Android as well as the best location tracking apps for iPhone.

AlfredCircle

Available to download for Android and iOS. Free.

AlfredCircle is the latest contender for best free location tracking app on Android and iOS, developed by the team that brought AlfredCamera to phones around the world.

AlfredCircle finesses the essential GPS tracking features, housing them in a simple, user-friendly app. Easily locate someone by adding them to your Circle, where you’ll get real-time location updates on a private map.

Enhance the experience by choosing allocating different Places to monitor, and Circle members get immediate notifications upon arrival and departure from the established geolocations.

✅ Completely free to use.
✅ Streamlined design gives users easy access to the most essential location tracking features.
❎ Currently doesn’t support advanced features, like car crash detection.

Google Family Link

Available to download for Android and iOS. Free.

Google’s family management app also works as a location tracking app for Android and iPhone.

The robust content filter and screen time controls make it one of the best location tracking apps for parents, but the integration of real-time location tracking with Google Maps is what makes it excel as a location tracker.

Because of this, it’s a potential choice for anyone seeking Google location tracking, even if you don’t have children or need it to track family members.

✅ The only real-time location tracking app that syncs to Google Maps.
✅ Digital life management is useful for parents looking to protect kids online using Google location tracking apps.
❎ The child monitoring features won’t be useful for those simply looking for Google location tracking apps.

Can you track someone without them knowing legally?

To legally track someone’s location, they must have consented to it. However, there are exceptions to this in many jurisdictions. Namely, when monitoring an employee’s devices provided by the workplace, or when tracking the location of your own child who is under 18 and living with you.

Waze

Available to download for Android and iOS. Free.

Originally founded back in 2006 before being acquired by Google in 2013, Waze is one of the most popular Google location tracking apps. Using GPS, it provides accurate satellite navigation for drivers.

While it’s built for drivers, it could also be useful as a location tracking app for those that prefer to walk around. User submitted information keeps you up to date with regards to traffic information, the best routes, and even finding the cheapest gas stations.

Thanks to these unique community-driven features, it’s no doubt the best free GPS tracking app for Android and iPhone if you’re a driver.

✅ Superior location tracking for drivers.
✅ Community-driven, meaning information is always up to date.
❎ Hard to create directions from somewhere other than your live location.

Glympse

Available to download for Android and iOS. Free.

Image via Glympse.

Glympse is a free GPS tracker app for Android and iOS that’s key selling point is the lack of commitment required of its users. There’s no sign up required, and you can even share your location with people that don’t have the app.

Aside from the location tracking app itself, it can be used from any web device to let friends, family, and others know exactly where you are.

There’s also a navigation system that can provide others with estimated arrival times, making it useful for those that commute a lot.

✅ Great navigation system.
✅ You can share locations with people that don’t have the app.
❎ Minor bugs.

Snap Maps from Snapchat

Available to download for Android and iOS. Free.

Image via Google Play.

Long before other social media apps effectively utilized location sharing, Snapchat emerged as one of the first apps that track location history.

While it might be somewhat phased out by now, Snap Maps remain an excellent way to track the location of potentially dozens of friends at once all around the world.

Dedicated location tracking apps usually have a cap on how many people’s location can be viewed at once, which is helpful for reducing privacy and security concerns, but for those looking for much more casual location tracking (like seeing if friends are about at a regular meetup spot), Snapchat remains a solid option for free location tracking.

✅ Can view the locations of potentially hundreds of people.
✅ Blend of friends locations and other location-based content.
❎ No arrival/departure notifications.

Find My iPhone – The Best iPhone Location Tracking App?

There’s plenty of iPhone location tracking apps, but if you’re just looking for a way to keep tabs on your own device, Apple’s own ‘Find My iPhone’ service may be one of the better options. While it isn’t an app, users can enable it to track their device via iCloud. If the device is mislaid—or a person goes missing with their device on them—it can be tracked accurately online.

FAQ

How do I track a live location?

Track live locations with GPS apps like AlfredCircle, where you can view the locations of loved ones in real time and get arrival and departure notifications for specific places.

Is there an app to track someone’s location?

AlfredCircle is a free app that can be used to track someone’s location by adding them to a Circle. Circle members can view a private live map which displays all members’ locations in real time.

Is there a free app to track someone’s phone?

To track an iPhone for free, you can use the ‘Find My iPhone’ service from Apple. To track an Android phone for free, you can use Google’s ‘Find My Device’ service.

Can you track someone without them knowing legally?

To legally track someone’s location, they must have consented to it. However, there are exceptions to this in many jurisdictions. Namely, when monitoring an employee’s devices provided by the workplace, or when tracking the location of your own child who is under 18 and living with you.

How can I track the live location of a family member?

Track the live location of a family member by adding them to your Circle in the AlfredCircle location tracking app. Once they’re a member, you’ll be able to see their live location on a private map.

Conclusion

There’s a wealth of options when it comes to location tracking apps—there’s free location tracking apps, location tracking apps for parents, GPS navigation specifically for driving, and much more.

For those looking for a simple solution that can be used in different circumstances, AlfredCircle stands out as one of the best new free location tracking apps.

Foster deeper connections with loved ones through the real-time location sharing and seamless navigation that make it the perfect companion to the AlfredCamera home security app.