I'll admit I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from Life360. Safety tracking apps can feel a little intrusive in theory. But in practice, Life360 turned out to be a lot more useful than I gave it credit for—and more versatile than most people probably realize.
Life360 takes safety seriously by tracking loved ones' locations, detecting car accidents, offering roadside assistance, protecting against theft, and even watching over your pets.
That's a lot of coverage in a single app. Plus, Life360 keeps your most adventurous family members safe when miles away from home. So much so that we included it in our roundup of the best travel apps as a travel must-have.
Download Life360:
What is Life360?
Life360 is a family safety app built around real-time location sharing. It also includes accident alerts and roadside assistance. You start by creating a Circle with the people (and pets) closest to you, and the app shows you where everyone is and where they've been.
That may seem a little Big Brother-esque, but I would sleep a lot more soundly knowing my kids were safe on a Friday night, my aging mother driving home accident-free, and my dog not becoming a coyote snack on her midnight pee.
Plus, everyone in your circle has to agree to participate. Life360 supports consent before tracking.
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Prevention is the key to staying safe
Life360's history feature is useful in ways you might not expect. It's less about surveillance and more about context. You can see how long someone was at a particular location, which matters a lot more than people admit when something goes wrong.
My brother was in two car accidents within a four-month stretch. Neither was serious, fortunately, but knowing exactly where he was and whether an accident alert had fired would have made a significant difference in those moments. That's what Life360 is actually built for.
Life360's most useful features
Besides sharing the location of your family, Life360 also tracks pets and objects. There are plenty of coyotes in Southern California, and we have small dogs in the family. I can't always find them in the backyard, let alone if one were to escape. Adding pets to your circle is a feature I hadn't considered before, and I'll think twice before dismissing it now.
Image: Jessica Santero | WhistleOut
You can also add tracking tags for valuables, which would have been nice before losing my house keys. Seeing everything in one circle, people, pets, and important objects, makes the app feel more practical than a simple location-share.
I tested it as a passenger in a car and found it satisfying to watch myself move along the map in real time. It sounds like a small thing, but it shows how the location data is accurate and trustworthy rather than just approximate.
Keeping tabs on your circle while traveling? Get cheaper data.
Life360 runs on data, which adds up fast if your plan doesn't include enough. AT&T network MVNOs offer the same nationwide coverage for significantly less per month.
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US Mobile
Unlimited Premium Plan
$39.00/mo
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Cricket
Supreme Unlimited Plan
$55.00/mo
with AutoPay; $60 for the first month.
+ $9.99 Upfront
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Consumer Cellular
Unlimited for Ages 50+ Plan
$35.00/mo
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Is Life360 worth paying for?
Life360's free trial lasts 7 days, which is perfect if you're using it for a short trip. Take a week-long vacation, keep tabs on your group, and decide afterward whether you want to keep it. There's no pressure to commit upfront.
If you decide to upgrade, Premium starts at $7.99/month. There are three premium versions you can choose from, and the main differences are the length of location history, the level of roadside assistance included, and stolen phone protection. The basic tier covers most everyday needs, but the higher tiers are worth considering if someone in your family drives frequently or has had their phone stolen before.
Life360 is worth the trial regardless of whether you end up subscribing. It's the kind of app you don't think you need until something happens, and at that point you'll wish you'd had it set up already.
How WhistleOut reviews apps
Our mobile experts scour the app stores, looking for the best new apps for Android and iPhone. Before recommending an app, we put it to the test to evaluate whether it delivers on its promises.
- Easy to use
Great apps simplify your phone. We select tools that don't require a complicated instructional manual to figure out. - Affordability
We lean into quality apps that don't cost a fortune. Extra points if they're free. - Hands-on testing
We tested Life360 using the location tracking, circle setup, and history features during both daily use and while traveling.
Life360: FAQ
Can you use Life360 for free?
You can use Life360's seven-day free trial for free. But if you want to continue using it, you'll need to upgrade to Premium, which starts at $7.99/month.
Does Life360 track pets?
Yes! You can add pets to your Life360 circle alongside family members and friends. You'll need a physical tracker attached to your pet's collar for it to show up on the map.
Can the people in your circle see that you're tracking them?
Yes, and that's by design. Life360 is a mutual location-sharing app. Everyone in your circle can see everyone else's location. All members need to accept an invitation to join a circle. Nobody is added without agreeing to it first.
Jessica Santero
Staff Writer
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