Life360 is a popular app that parents, in particular, find very useful when tracking their children's location.
It is one of the best ways to keep track of your friends and family members, but most people don't really know how it works, much less how it goes about tracking the actual location of their devices.
In this article, we will lift the veil that surrounds Life360 and share with you how this app works and the resources it uses on your device to facilitate its functionality.
To use the Life360 app, you will need to install it on all devices that you intend to track. Once installed, the app will then track the location of the devices in the "circle" using the GPS or Location Services.
All connected devices, often known as devices in the same "circle" will be able to see each other's location at all times, whether the Life360 app is open or not.
You can also see the actual real-time location of the devices in the "circle" on a private map and there are automated alerts indicating that the person you are tracking has arrived at their destination, although you can choose to opt-out of these.
Unless you choose to opt-out, the app will notify you when a member of your circle arrives and leaves a specified destination, how long it took them to get there, or even how fast they were driving.
You can also see the route they took by simply tapping on their avatar.
Life360 is able to accurately determine the location in much the same way that Google Maps does.
But you can also provide the location of any device in the circle and Life360 will provide you with directions to that device's current location.
You can also pre-add locations and customize them in various ways such as "Home" or "Work" to make location configuration easier.
Location tracking apps like Life360 use the global position system (GPS) technology to find the exact location of any device.
GPS is a navigation system made up of interconnected satellites. Each Satellite in the network sends a signal to earth and GPS receivers, such as your device can connect to the signal, comparing the send-and-receive time.
This comparison allows the device to know the distance between the device and the satellite and therefore calculate the exact location of the device.
This system is highly accurate, allowing for it to accurately track, record, and share location data around the world in real-time.
Any device with a GPS receiver can do this including your car, smartphone, tablet, and even some pet trackers.
The following are the prerequisites of Life360 function and how a connection to the internet and cellular data may affect the function of the app:
The accuracy of the location that Life360 and other location-tracking apps have may vary due to a number of factors.
If you are using GPS, the location you see will be accurate to within 3 meters. But it is important to note that the accuracy can be affected by things like bad weather, nearby mountains, or even the presence of trees.
To get a more accurate reading, it is recommended to turn on Wi-Fi in addition to GPS.
Life360 will update the location of the device every 15 minutes. But you can choose to update the location at any time by manually tapping on the User icon on the map.
As useful as Life360 can be, sometimes you just don't want members of your circle to know where you are.
You could try to fake the location of Life360 of your device in numerous ways, but most of them will also hinder your ability to use your device effectively.
If you want to continue using your device and still hide your location from members of your circle, your best option is to spoof your location.
While most other solutions will only do that for jailbroken devices, MockGo will help you do that on any device, without needing to jailbreak it first.
This is because it is a desktop tool and you only need to connect the iOS device to the computer to change its location.
Here's how easy it is to do that:
Step 1: Download and install MockGo on to your computer. Open the program and use a lightning cable to connect the iOS device to the computer.
Step 2: Once the program detects the connected device, you will see a map on the screen with the actual location of the device highlighted.
Step 3: To change the location, click on "Teleport" in the upper-right corner of the screen and then enter the new location in the search box to the left.
Step 4: MockGo will show you the coordinates of the new location along with the distance to be covered.
Click "Move Here" to teleport the device to this new location instantly. This new location is what members of your circle will see, allowing you the privacy you need to go about your business.
Life360 is an app that can be tremendously beneficial in numerous ways. You can use it to track the whereabouts of the members of your circle, including your children, and may therefore be a way to keep them safe.
And now you know how it uses your device's own resources to provide this great service as well as how to spoof your location for those times when you don't want your circle to know where you are.
Mako is a technical freelance writer with a passion for all things tech. Whether you're wondering about how to fix your iPhone 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.