Tracking apps - can your partner see where you are?

[Nocturness]

Sorry inspired by another thread!

Everyone seemed to think it weird they could track their partner. We use Apples find a friend app to see where each other is. It’s not stalking, just for info so for example if DH is coming to pick me up I might see if he has left. If I’m at the gym and running late DH might check to see if I’ve popped to the supermarket and message me to grab something.

I don’t know why everyone thought is was strange to use this. I might only use it once a month, never really to check randomly where he was. If he said he was going to a friends house and would be back at midnight I wouldn’t even think to look to check he was where he said he was. But the app is live and on both our phones.

This isn’t abnormal right?

The only tracking app we have is for our car but its just a feature that comes with being able to remotely control the car, the location isn't the sole purpose of the app IYSWIM. It tracks the car only and not our phones.
I've used it a few times (DH knows this) as I get anxious when he's on long car journeys and I like to see that the vehicle is moving and not standstill. Hes used it when he's wanted to check what supermarket I was at as he wanted something specific from M&S.
I wouldn't really care if he tracked my location, we disclose everything and I live a v boring life (although if he saw how often I visit the local cafe which sells overpriced coffee he'd be in for a shock).
I can understand if others wouldn't like it and I don't agree with someone being tracked without permission but as long as its known and agreed then each to their own.

We use it same as you and don’t see the problem..

Dh and I wouldn't begin to know how to do this, however ds2 keeps careful track of us both, and always manages to make it look like he's busy doing something helpful when we come back into the house (and is probably gaming the entire time we are gone).

my late husband used to do voluntary motorcycling training for RoSPA. He had a tracking app on his phone. It was occasionally useful as he didn't have to contact me if he was delayed. If his location was moving I'd know he was ok, if it stayed in one place for any length of time, I'd text him to check if he was ok. I had the same app on my phone. I sdon't think either of us thought much of it.

But why would you go on an app and not text. I can see a point in running an app so you, or your phone, could be found in an emergency. But not to track someone to find out exactly where they are through the day. When does tracking flip over into stalking and spying?

This. I don't track my boyfriend but I do track my best mate, in fact I stalk her to death, she knows and has no issues with it 🤷‍♂️

I only use this when I’m doing something potentially risky, e.g water sports or hiking alone, then my DH can see where I am, and when I’m back to safety. I guess if I get into trouble then they will know where to start the search

We use the Google maps version. It doesn't feel weird but I understand those that do find it odd.

I wouldn't say I 'track' DH though. I just use it as a way of answering my own questions. Instead of messaging 'when will you be back for dinner?' I just check. Or 'tell me when you leave' or 'are you on your way yet?' I just check. The other day DH was meant to be coming straight home after picking the DC's up as I had to go out. When he didn't get home at the time expected, instead of phoning or texting 'where the hell are you?' I checked. He was in Lidl.... 🙄

We all use the find my phone function (and AirTags to find my keys!).

Has saved us from having to replace a lost phone (x3).

Allows my husband and daughter to see, yes, mum is STILL at work, when I am yet again hours late home from work (nhs).

Whilst we are all happy using the app, we will continue.

my dh is chronically unreliable/forgetful, and I had got into the habit of ringing him up to check that he'd remembered to collect DC/go somewhere etc. So of course he got worse - no need to remember if I was going to remind him.

Tracking app is amazing! I can just look and see if he's left home/work, and I only call him if he hasn't. Better for him (less nagging) and for me (also less nagging).

I find it really useful for the reasons you’ve mentioned above. I also have my best friend on Find Friends because sometimes her child will be using her phone and I can see when she’s left her house/is close to meeting me.

funny story - I met a friend for the first time for an afternoon tea in a hotel. It was some sort of Groupon deal. I didn’t have great signal so my Find Friends kept cutting out. I got home later and my husband had been acting weird - he had checked Find Friends and thought I was in a hotel cheating, especially when it looked like I had turned it off due to no signal. I was very sorry to disappoint him and tell him that I just got lost in a good natter and stuffing my face with cake.

Schools have regular calls from parents raging that their teenagers have switched their phones off so can't be tracked around the site - and some where they want the police called because it's 7 minutes past the time they usually get in and their phone is still off - as per school rules on the premises.

It's unhealthy to have the expectation of knowing where somebody is all the time to that extent.

I dont specifically have a tracking app...but I know where the car is.....

I go out running on country roads and if I were to fall and have an accident it would be a long time before anyone found me so added the tracker on so that if I’m not back at roughly the expected time then I could be found. Also really useful when doing long distance training and getting water drop offs.

We are an iphone family and have find my phone enabled on all of them. Me and dh car share more than not so it is helpful to be ready to be collected at an accurate time. No wasted time. Dd can see what time we will be home from work. I can track dd on her way home from school and collect her from the point i collect her without hanging around.

When dh works from home i walk in the door to a freshly made brew.

when i wfh dh walks in the door to me asking if he can make me a brew.

I added mine originally when i gof my dog and was walking him alone in woods.

I have absolutely nothing to hide but I would never agree to a tracker. I’d find it horribly intrusive and suffocating.

We both have it on. Handy for if one of us is giving the other a lift or if we're meeting in the city somewhere.

Or if one of us is driving somewhere and the other wants to check how the journey is.

Have no reason to suspect anything or check on DH. Same with him and me.

Can be turned off at any point which I do if I'm shopping for something for him somewhere specific etc and don't want to ruin the surprise.

No negatives for us. I like people knowing where I am. Have my mum and some friends on it too.

People I trust.

We have Life360. All female household, often travelling or out with the dogs. We never really check it but it's there if ever needed. No issues for us.

My daughter and I use the share my location feature on iPhone. My son won't (though I could still track him if I wanted to).
I find it useful to see if she's left school (it's a one hour walk and tube journey) or once she was lost and panicked and I found her (rural location that time).
My husband isn't alive anymore but I don't think it would have occurred to me to have it with him.
I did use find my iPhone to locate my sons phone when he dropped it in town and someone had handed it in to M&S (you need the Apple ID and password). I pinged it with my number and requested them to call and he got it back next day.

It's normal in our house. Except one son doesn't he thinks it's weird so we do not have his details. X

me and DH use it because he does cycling tours and I’m his ‘back up’ vehicle. We will agree a general spot to meet but I can see where he is and when so I can head to the location. Don’t really use it any other time except when his hands free wasn’t working in his car and I couldn’t call him to find out when he would be home from work. Then it was quite handy.

Same here, we normalised it from day 1 but never forced the kids to join. DD was happy to (she is very nosey) and DS not. Fine.

I made the youngest get it when she was 11; she is autistic and if she found herself alone would absolutely panic and break down. I would be able to see her location and get to her quickly. I hope it never happens and it's unlikely as she never goes anywhere alone but as a bit of back up for safety it has to be on her phone.

We don’t, but if I thought it had a practical use it wouldn’t bother me. I never go anywhere interesting.

I love ours. We use it for the children, it removes the whole 'where shall I pick you up?' and the long descriptions that follow.

It was great when they were walking home from school or off exploring on their own on holiday.

My mum now is on our group too - she lives a couple of hours away but she likes dipping in and seeing where the grand hildren are.

We also do long distance sports and the hanging around on the finishing line for an hour - now isn't needed. We can nip over just 5 mins beforehand.

It's also extremely handy so I can check if dh is in the pub on a sat - so I can text him to go via the takeaway curry for me on his way home 😁