Life360 Review 2025: A Smarter Take on Family Location Tracking

After testing Life360, we found it ran smoothly and felt easy to use. On top of that, setup was quick, and everything worked the way it should. In our opinion, it’s a practical option for families or small groups who want to stay connected without the complexity of complicated settings or extra controls.

Life360 doesn’t deal with web filters or text monitoring at all — its primary focus is to help people keep track of each other. In testing, alerts came through quickly, and the interface felt smooth, whether we used iOS or Android.

There are limits, though. Life360 isn’t built for monitoring messages, screen time, or online activity, so it won’t suit parents looking for detailed oversight. The app can also draw extra battery during long drives, though accuracy remains solid.

We explore the pros and cons of Life360 and take a look at who this tracking app is best suited for in our complete Life360 review.

Life360 review at a glance

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We last tested Life360 on October 19, 2025.

Learn More

On Life360's website

Parental Controls

Life360

• Features accurate, real-time location alerts
• Easy to setup and use on iOS and Android devices
• More expensive than comprehensive parental control apps

Our experience

Overall, Life360’s setup was easy enough to set up that we barely had to think about it. The app was smooth as we moved through verification and permissions, and once everything was done, we were dropped immediately into a dashboard.

We tested Life360 on both iOS and Android, and the apps on both devices worked quickly and felt stable. Alerts popped up promptly, location updates were on point, and we never ran into a lag or freezes. Our experience using Life360 felt reliable, simple, and a little more polished than we expected from an app this lightweight.

During testing and setup of both our “parent” and “child” accounts, the verification email took longer than expected to arrive, and if we needed to resend the verification codes, the emails would overlap, or the texted codes never arrived.

The app opens with a clean (and very purple) interface that prompts users to enter their phone number or email address, which is then confirmed with a code sent via text or email. Once verified, the app will request the unused information (phone or email) and will then ask for your name and optional profile picture.

Life360 then walks you through permissions for locations, critical alerts, SOS practice, and push notifications. If you’re setting this up on an Apple device, it follows a similar process to setting up parental controls on iOS.

For children under 13, parents and/or guardians must complete additional verification steps to confirm that the child's account has permission to use the app. This involved uploading your ID and taking a selfie to verify.

After setup, users can either join an existing Circle using an invite code or create a new Circle from scratch. In our test, joining worked on the first try once the code was entered. A confirmation screen immediately displayed the existing member’s profile, showing who was already connected.

Toward the end of setup, the app suggests adding Places like “Home” or “School.” This way, notifications (which arrived in seconds) can be sent when someone in the Circle arrives or leaves a saved place; in testing, we also tried Check-Ins, and those popped up just as quickly.

Life360 feels built for cooperation more than control. Circles work through invitations, and once you’re in, everyone can see each other’s general location right away. You can still choose when to share your exact location with the Bubbles feature, which hides the exact pin while keeping safety tools like SOS active. This feature is nice if you just want a bit of space.

Overall, its strongest point is how natural it feels once you start using it. The dashboard makes it easy to see where everyone in your Circle is, check who’s low on battery, and review past locations if you’re on a paid plan. Setup takes a minute or two to approve a few permissions, punch in the invite code, and that’s it. For busy families, that ease alone makes it appealing.

Its driving features add real value. Crash Detection activates automatically, and Emergency Dispatch connects users to local responders on Gold and Platinum plans. SOS alerts and roadside assistance extend coverage on the road, while identity and theft protection on higher tiers make Life360 more than just a tracker.

Compared to heavier parental control apps, Life360 keeps things simple. Using this location app is more about communication than restriction.

Who is Life360 best for?

Recommended for: Families, friend groups, and others who want real-time location awareness without the complexity of full parental control software.

Life360 fits families and friend groups who just want a simple way to stay connected. It’s less about control and more about awareness. Circles and Places make coordination easy, and one paid account covers everyone in the group. The Gold plan feels like the sweet spot, offering solid location history, emergency dispatch, and identity protection. It doesn’t track messages or screen time, but for keeping tabs on loved ones, it does the job well.

Life360 prices and subscriptions

Life360’s plans start with a limited free version and offer premium subscriptions that range from $7.99/mo-$24.99/mo. These plans offer the flexibility for different family sizes and safety needs. Every Life360 plan supports up to 99 members per Circle, making it one of the most scalable family safety apps available.

Note: Life360 recommends keeping Circles to 10 members for optimal functionality.

Life360 Free covers the essentials like real-time location sharing and crash detection, which would be perfect for a couple. Life 360 Silver adds a few quality-of-life upgrades with more location history and place alerts.

Life360 Gold is where the app becomes a complete safety companion, introducing individual driver reports, roadside assistance, and emergency dispatch. Life 360 Platinum expands even further with medical support, identity protection, and reimbursement for stolen funds and devices.

The main difference between plans is scope. Free and Silver focus on awareness, while Gold and Platinum focus on response. Gold offers the best value for most households because it delivers the features that matter most in daily use without the higher Platinum cost. It’s beneficial for families with young drivers, where crash detection, emergency dispatch, and detailed driving reports can make a measurable difference in safety.

Life360 features

Life360 focuses on location awareness and real-world safety rather than digital supervision. Its tools are designed to keep families connected, aware, and supported when something unexpected happens. While it doesn’t monitor content or limit screen time, it delivers practical protections that work in the background with minimal effort from the user.

Geo-fencing and location tracking

Location tracking worked consistently throughout testing. Places took almost no time to set up. Life360 updated our movements in real time and rarely misplaced a pin. This is a very helpful feature for families trying to coordinate pickups or friend groups on a night out.

Check-ins and messaging

Circle members can ask others to check in or send a check-in to notify others of their location. It’s a simple feature, but it feels reassuring; it also feels less intrusive than making a phone call or sending a text. The app also has a built-in chat feature that lets Circle members message each other.

Bubbles

The Bubbles feature masks a Circle member’s precise location while still showing the device's general area. We liked how it gave just enough space without cutting off communication entirely. It’s a good middle ground for families, teaching kids how to be responsible.

Circle management

Adding and managing Circle members was straightforward. Each new member needed only an invite code to join, and permissions were easy to adjust. Members of the Circle can also set their “role,” like Mom, Dad, Spouse, Friend, or the non-committal Other.

SOS alerts

Holding the SOS alert button activated a countdown, giving time to cancel if triggered accidentally. Once sent, it notifies selected contacts with the device’s location and, for paid accounts, notifies Life360’s 24/7 emergency dispatch center. During testing, the SOS promptly alerted everyone in the circle, allowing us time to cancel the dispatch request if needed.

Life360 customer support

Life360 customer support was easy enough to reach when we tried it. The chat starts with a bot, which can handle basic setup questions or send links to the help center. If you dig deeper, the guides themselves are written clearly and are short enough to skim. We didn’t need hands-on support during testing, but it’s good to know the resources are there if something breaks.

Top alternatives

Life360 isn’t built for digital supervision, so families who want content filters or screen time controls might want to look elsewhere. Bark, Aura Parental Controls, and Norton Family are some of the best parental controls we’ve tested. These monitoring tools focus more on online behavior than real-world tracking. Some also include specific features for platforms like TikTok or Discord, which can help parents address the social side of digital safety.

Service	Bark	Norton Family	Aura Parental Controls
Best for	Best parental monitoring app	Best for content filtering	Best for children's identity protection
Star rating	4.7 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	4.8 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	4.9 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
Price	Starts at $8.25/mo (billed annually)	Starts at $4.17/mo (billed annually)	Starts at $8.33/mo (billed annually)
# of people covered	Unlimited	Up to 15 kids	Unlimited
Screen time management
Content filtering
Conversation monitoring	Yes, on social media, texts, and email
Location tracking
Details	Get Bark	Get Norton Family	Get Aura

Life360 FAQs

Bottom line: Is Life360 good?

Yes, Life360 is a dependable choice for families who want to stay connected and aware of one another’s locations. It’s easy to set up, runs smoothly across devices, and sends accurate alerts without unnecessary complexity.

Its focus on real-world safety (rather than app or content restrictions) sets it apart from most parental control tools. Families who want deeper digital oversight can pair it with another option from our best parental control app guide. For us, though, Life360 is worth the cost for its simplicity, accuracy, and peace of mind it provides in daily life.

Learn More

On Life360's website

Parental Controls

Life360

• Features accurate, real-time location alerts
• Easy to setup and use on iOS and Android devices
• More expensive than comprehensive parental control apps

Author Details

Ryan L. Clancy

About the Author

Ryan Clancy is a writer and blogger. With 5+ years of mechanical engineering experience, he's passionate about all things engineering and tech. He loves bringing tech down to a level that everyone can understand.