Family circle

[Jim K..]

What do you use it for exactly?

[Bill]

I've just been invited by a younger family member to join their Life360 Circle. I have responded by declining citing security worries.

The concept seems to be that you can download their app and see where all the family members are at any given time.

To save battery, it uses a mix of GPS and cell positioning, if I understand correctly. 2 family members use non-smart phones, and not sure it would work with them.

Reviews look fairly negative, but many seem to be from those accused of cheating by spouses.

There seems little info on what data is collected and whether it is sold on.

After my "No thanks", he has backed away from persuasion, but I wondered whether anyone here has tried or uses this app.

[tabbypurr]

A stalking app eh

[Jim GM4DHJ ...]

is that not a biscuit ? .....

[Tim+]

I use it. Does what it says on the tin without draining your battery too much. Of course it means giving up your privacy but that?s inevitable with any location sharing up.

Handily (or not depending on your POV) mine seems to disable itself regularly if my android phone battery gets low so it?s ?normal? for me to be untraceable at times. This doesn?t seem to happen with my wife?s iPhone which always seems to relay her position.

As to selling on of data, who knows. The tin foil hat brigade will no doubt say that they do.

Tim

[Pamela]

Google Maps on a smartphone already offers location sharing without needing another app.

[Brian Gaff]

I don't think you need an app. My I phone has a find my friends item. It only works if everyone else and yourself have locations features on. I don't see the point unless you have a person prone to wander who always has their phone with them. Brian

[Brian Gaff]

I got accused of this simply because I put her details into a search engine to see what she was doing now and wished her well at Christmas. People are very touchy about this stuff. I think they have heard and seen to many horror stories. If you want to use the facilities of the internet etc for free you have to acknowledge that the system uses your data. Some of the more subtle ones are the streaming services through the phone which if you have the stamina to read through the legal stuff basically says we track you we know your email address and know what you listen and watch and will pass all of this on so you can use the free service. Sadly, even if yu pay you seem to still be tracked and I think that is where this stuff is morally wrong. Brian

[Andy Burns]

I would hope it only works if the "allow my friends to find my location" feature has been enabled.

[Tim+]

Well yes, but why would you install a location sharing app unless you intend to share your location?

Tim

[Andy Burns]

Brian makes it sound like a standard feature ...

[charles]

I suspect it is on Apple phones

[Reentrant]

This. Even iPhone deviants can use Google Maps and shared locations. You get regular reminders of who you're sharing with too.