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Original poster

Has phone tracking ever seriously helped you?

53 replies

inso · 13/08/2018 12:00

I have been reading through the phone tracking threads and, although I'm aware of it, I haven't ever used it. My children are too young for a phone currently and my DH is either with me or at work pretty much!

For anyone who has tracked someone through their phone has it ever been an emergency or the person has been in trouble/difficulty?

I've heard a lot of people say they use it to make sure the other person is safe so interested to know how often the other person hasn't been safe and the tracking has been beneficial in that sense?

I once had SOS on my phone but I kept pressing the button in error which sent photos, audio and my location to my parents, husband and friend. This happened a few times and my Dad nearly had a heart attack the first time. I had to cancel it!

OP posts:
HollowTalk · 13/08/2018 13:43

I haven't heard of SOS - is that an app? And it sends video footage and voice etc to someone else? You really wouldn't want to press that by mistake, would you?!

Omgineedanamechange · 13/08/2018 13:48

Not me, but a friend checked her DSs location when he was as late, and saw he was at hospital. The police had been trying to find her. The only reason she’d added it to their phones was because my adult DD had an accident years before and the police couldn’t find me for 8 hours.

Very useful for DH finding his way back to our tent after a late night toilet trip the first (and last) time we ever went camping.

hesbeeneatingapotato · 13/08/2018 13:52

We use it for dinner time tracking too! But both DH and I work in fields where we can't have our phones on us, can be delayed in emergencies. If DH's clinic is running behind, he can't turn around to a patient and say 'oh hang on, just need to text the wife.' Same for me before mat leave if I was called into an urgent meeting.

However, it did save my brothers life. A few years back, he'd driven up to quite a notorious suicide point. He'd cut off all contact with everyone, and was ready to take his life. If we hadn't been able to see where he was, he'd be dead.

Original poster
inso · 13/08/2018 17:29

@HollowTalk it comes with my Samsung S8. Yes it took a front camera photo of me, a back camera photo and an audio recording at the same time. Could have been VERY embarrassing Blush

OP posts:
LanguageAsAFlower · 13/08/2018 17:34

Years ago and ex "d"p had my Find my IPhone on his phone. I was staying at a friends and called him to say goodnight as we had got back from a couple of drinks and we're going to bed. He then tracked me on the app, for whatever reason the app was wrong and said I was in the next town!

So much trouble ensued from this. It was very close to being the straw that broke the camel's back in terms of us breaking up. I've never used it since.

LanguageAsAFlower · 13/08/2018 17:36

*were (bloody autocorrect)

handmademitlove · 13/08/2018 17:41

I use it to find a friend who regularly has seizures and goes missing..

Stupomax · 13/08/2018 17:59

We're rural US so we keep it switched on so we can find each other if we had to. I've come very close to either getting lost or running out of gas in some very out of the way places and it's reassuring to know I could be found if I didn't come home when expected.

I've never actually used it to track anyone without them knowing.

We've used it a couple of times to find iPhones that have been dropped by accident.

EastMidsGPs · 13/08/2018 18:05

We have it but don't use it.
DH insisted after I put myself in a serious and potentially work related situation (so stupidly risky it became a H&S case study Blush). I hadn't said where i was going and my phone was turned off, no one would have had any idea where I was if I hadn't returned.

In his concern DH got angry with me and so now I have the potential to be tracked 😃.
He is a keen cyclist so it could be useful.

EastMidsGPs · 13/08/2018 18:07

Potentially dangerous

Upsy1981 · 13/08/2018 18:31

Can I do this on mine and Dds android phones? Can anyone advise please?

Stupomax · 13/08/2018 19:31

Potentially dangerous

Nope.

EastMidsGPs · 13/08/2018 19:39

Stupomax

Sorry didn't mean potentially dangerous re tracking, I had missed the word dangerous out of my post and was just adding it

Trialsmum · 13/08/2018 19:43

We use it when we lose our phones but would never track each other. It might be useful to track ds when he’s old enough to go out alone, but I wouldn’t do it without his knowledge.

PandaG · 13/08/2018 19:50

DS did a solo 140 mile cycle over 2 days, using phone tracking (which he set up) meant I knew where he was, and was much happier about his trip.

SciFiFan2015 · 13/08/2018 20:22

Yes. Has helped us find a lost phone. Also has helped us plan rendezvous with family when on holiday. On an apple you send an invite which can be accepted or not. We also date location with our son. He had ours and we have his.
I share my activity on the iWatch with family and friends too.

Stupomax · 13/08/2018 23:07

Sorry didn't mean potentially dangerous re tracking, I had missed the word dangerous out of my post and was just adding it

Ah - now I get you. No more nope :-)

hellsbells99 · 13/08/2018 23:26

It helped me find DD (then 18) when she phoned and told me she'd had a car accident. It was 2am and she was shocked and didn't know where she was - down country lanes.

NoLogicInThis · 14/08/2018 08:36

Upsy I use an app called Life360 on android which is pretty basic to use and free.

WilburIsSomePig · 14/08/2018 08:45

My sister uses GPS phone tracker but I don't know what it's like @Upsy1981, I think it's one of the older ones but I might be wrong.

Leliana · 14/08/2018 09:08

DH, MIL and I all share our locations. We have an agreement that we can turn it off for short periods if we want to, no questions asked - so we can do gift shopping, or otherwise have a bit of privacy. It's very useful - MIL does a lot of childcare for us and it means she can see where we are, and we can check she's collected the DSCs from holiday club at the appointed time etc.

WilburIsSomePig · 14/08/2018 09:24

I have to be honest, I absolutely hate the idea of being 'tracked'. DH suggested it a couple of months ago and I said absolutely not. I don't see why he needs to know where I am every minute of the day.

wonkylegs · 14/08/2018 10:03

Nope nope nope - hate this
I hate the idea of it and our cars also both come with apps that track them as well - which I guess is useful if the car is stolen ( the apps are so glitchy I'm sure that would be when they don't work) but most of the time they just tell me the car is parked on the driveway. You can't turn this feature off on my car and we both need to have the app to be able to sort the electric charging. Good think we both are quite relaxed and not at all paranoid and therefore just happily ignore that we have the capability to track each other's movements.
I do know too rather obsessive partners in couples we know who just seem to use it to feed their paranoia.
I can see the usefulness of tracking for lost stuff but also the more sinister side of it.

ladygracie · 14/08/2018 10:09

My teenage son is RUBBISH at replying to texts asking where he is so this way I can usually see where he is. Then I am not hassling him and he doesn’t need to think about letting me know where he is. Never been needed for an emergency but it’s just handy.

puttyandslime · 14/08/2018 10:29

I like it. DW and I use it all the time to see when the other is on the way home etc.

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