How to Track Your Child in Real Time on Google Maps

How to Track Your Child in Real Time on Google Maps

Want to know where your child is and if they are safe on their way? Google Maps has a little-known but helpful feature to share real-time location, making it easier to stay connected and ensure loved ones are safe.

Keeping track of loved ones' locations can be invaluable in certain situations, like ensuring a child has made it home, guiding an older parent, coordinating with friends, or assisting a neighbor. Apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, and Google Maps all support real-time location sharing without continuous tracking. Now, Google has made this process even simpler by integrating a location-sharing feature directly into Android devices, which makes accessing this functionality quick and easy.

  • To activate this feature, open the Contacts app on your Android device, locate the person you'd like to share your location with, and view their profile.
  • From there, tap the "Share Location" button in the row of icons below their name, and then select how long you'd like to share your location.
  • You can set the duration using the + and - buttons to customize the time frame or choose to share it indefinitely until you turn it off.

Once activated, this feature becomes very practical: when someone shares their location with you, their exact position shows up on a Google Maps map, allowing you to follow their movements in real-time with high accuracy. It's important to remember that certain conditions must be met for everything to work smoothly.

  1. First, your device must be running Android 14 and have the latest system update, with the Contacts app updated to version 4.22.37.586680692 or later.
  2. Additionally, the email address linked to your contact's Google account must be saved in their contact file because Google Maps requires this to access location data. Both mobile data and GPS should also be activated on your contact's device for real-time sharing to function as expected.

This feature is highly useful but requires responsible use. Remember to use it thoughtfully, only for specific purposes, and always with respect for privacy. It's intended as a tool to enhance trusted connections rather than a means of constant surveillance. This way, you can keep track of loved ones and ensure everyone's safety without intruding on their privacy.