Does Life360 Work When Your Phone is Off (2024 Latest)

by J. Robertson Macaulay D. Young Updated On Jan 2, 2024 Published On Mar 14, 2022 Tips

Life360 is a popular location-sharing app that allows family members and friends to keep track of each other's whereabouts. However, one common question that arises is whether Life360 works if your phone is turned off.

To understand this, let's break down how location-sharing services like Life360 work and how they are affected when your phone is powered off.

Read on to learn more.

Does Life360 Work When Your Phone is Off

Does Life360 Work When Your Phone is Off

Components of Location-Sharing Services

Most location-sharing services, including Life360, rely on multiple elements to accurately track and share your position. These elements typically include:

  • GPS: Global Positioning System (GPS) is the primary technology to pinpoint your exact location.
  • Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi signals can also determine your location, especially in urban areas with many Wi-Fi hotspots.
  • Cellular Network: Location-sharing apps often use data from the cellular network to enhance location accuracy.

Can Life360 Track You When Your Phone is off?

NO, Life360 won't track a turned-off phone. When your phone is turned off, it essentially disconnects from all networks, including cellular, Wi-Fi, and GPS. As a result, it becomes impossible for any location-tracking app, including Life360, to access or track your phone's location in real time.

So, if you want to prevent location tracking temporarily, turning off your phone is an effective measure, but it's essential to be aware that some residual location data may still exist, as your service provider or internet provider may retain records of your last known location before the phone was turned off.

What Happens to Life360 When Your Phone Is Off?

When you turn off your phone, you effectively disconnect it from Wi-Fi and the cellular network. This action has several implications for Life360:

  • No Real-Time Tracking: Turning off your phone prevents it from sending signals to cell towers and accessing Wi-Fi networks. As a result, your location cannot be tracked in real time when your phone is off.
  • Last-Known Location: While your phone is off, your service provider or internet provider may still have records of your last known location before the phone was powered down.
  • Update Upon Restart: When you turn your phone back on, it will reconnect to the cellular network and possibly Wi-Fi if available. Your device's current location can be determined and shared with authorized users on services like Life360.

Does Life360 Notify When Your Phone is Off

YES.

People in your circle will get notified that your device is turned off, or there is no network from your side with a "No network or phone off" status next to your name.

get notified

Situations Where Life360 Also Fails to Track

Airplane mode is turned on

Putting your phone on Airplane mode instantly turns off your phone's wireless systems, such as GPS and Wi-Fi. In this way, you won't be able to connect to the Life360 app and your location won't be displayed to other Circle members.

Location services are turned off on you device

Even if you're still logged in to the Life360 app, your location won't be seen by other members if your GPS tracking services are turned off.

This is a quick way to hide your location while still being online. This is also applicable to other social media apps that track your location. Try turning off location services for both individual apps and on your phone's settings.

You are not logged in Life360

When logged in, you can be contacted by your Circle members. Even if you hide your location, they will still see that you're online and connected to the Life360 app.

By not logging in, you're deemed invisible and won't be bothered by notifications from the app itself.

Your phone's battery is died

A phone with a dead battery is similar to turning off your phone. Although you can't use your phone, you'll be logged out from the app and your current location won't be tracked in any way.

Though it's important to take note that your last known location will still be recorded by the app.  

There is no network connection

For the Life360 app to accurately track your location, both Wi-Fi and GPS services should be turned on.

If your phone has a poor network connection, however, it will not give out precise location data. This also means that the app will not track your location in real-time.

If this happens, members of your circle will just be able to see your last known location or no location at all, similar to turning off your phone's location features.

How to Trick Life360 without Anyone Knowing

Switching your phone off for a long time just to stop Life360 from tracking you is not a practical option, but when it's on, the Life360 app will keep tracking your device's location and battery.

So, how can you stop being tracked while your phone is active and other circle members won't get notified? One of the available solutions for this is by using MockGo iPhone location changer.

It is an iOS GPS changer that can fake your current location by changing it to a different area. This way, you'll remain active on the app while hiding your real location.

MockGo is compatible with all iPhone devices and iOS versions. Here are the steps on installing and using MockGo:

Step 1. Download and install MockGo on your computer.

Step 2. Then connect your device to the computer.

connect your iOS device to the computer

Step 3. Select the place you like, and click the Search button.

 search for a location

Step 5. Click Move Here, and you'll be teleported to the location you specified.

click Move Here to teleport the GPS

location teleported

You can also choose between a one-stop mode and a multi-stop mode to simulate a movement.

Pick a mode of transport between cycling, walking, or driving. The app will simulate the speed of these movements. Then click Move Here.

After going through these steps, your device should be moving according to the planned routes.

pick the spots along a real path

FAQs

1. Why do Teenagers Want to Turn off Life360?

As much as Life360 is a great way to keep track of your family and friends, for most teenagers, it is intimidating to have someone tracking your every move.

Teens may therefore want to turn off Life360 is they don't want their parents to track them. The following are some of the main reasons a teenager may feel the need to turn off Life360:

  • Teens often feel it is an invasion of their privacy to be constantly tracked. They may even feel like their parents have little or no trust in them.
  • They don't want their parents to track their location so they can hang out with friends without worrying about their friends.
  • If they have secret plans with friends, such as surprise birthday party, they may choose to turn off Life360 to keep their parents or even a close friend from knowing the location of the party.

2. How to Know if Someone's Phone is Off

A quick way to know if someone has turned off their phone is by calling them. If you're redirected to voicemail or encounter a busy dial tone, then their phone is likely turned off or the battery has died.

But you can also know their status through the Life360 app. When you open the app, you'll see your Circle or private group on your home screen.

Swiping down on your screen, you'll see the members of your Circle. A status will be displayed under their names depending on their current location.

If they're on your Geofence locations or specific locations that you have set up, it will be displayed there as well.

You can also see if someone has their location services disabled, or if their phone is turned off. If you have your location on, the Life360 app will also display your phone's battery percentage under the profile icon.

So if someone in your Circle is low on battery, you can all be notified.

Final Thoughts

Life360 is a great app overall for family location tracking. It gives an assurance that everyone in your family or personal Circle is safe.

It does this by tracking their real-time location to confirm where they're headed, along with details such as battery percentage.

But privacy is important in an individual's lifestyle, and having someone to keep an eye on your phone's location data the whole day can feel invasive.

By considering these tips, you'll be able to use your phone freely without anyone stalking your routes.

J. Robertson Macaulay D. Young

Mako is a technical writer with a passion for all things tech. Whether you're wondering about how to fix your iPhone or Android device or trying to get something to work in your settings, Mako is your go-to for professional help. He loves writing, testing solutions, and most of all, making sure his research is factually accurate.

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