Also read: Best Personal Safety Apps on iOS and Android
Best Alternatives for the Trusted Contacts
1. Google Maps
The first alternative to Google Trusted contacts is Google Maps. Before anyone can share their location on Google Maps, both people need to have a Google account and be on one another’s contact list Next, all you need to do, open the Google Maps app, click on the blue dot which represents where you are. A popup will appear at the bottom of the screen, you can see an option called Share your location, just click on it. Now select the time and the contact to which you want to share your location. Just like on Trusted Contacts, they will receive a notification to open Google Maps. If you are on iPhone, you’ll need to give the Google Maps app location access Always and turn on Background App Refresh. You can find these settings under Settings > Privacy > Location Services. The best advantage is that interface is completely safe as Trusted Contacts also uses Google Maps. And just like before, you also have access to their battery percent and also checkout directions to them instantly. The only caveat is that you cannot request the location of others until you shared your location first. Pros:-
The Same UI which you get with Trusted Contacts Ability to checkout directions instantly Check out other details like battery percent
Cons
Requesting location data isn’t an option until you share the location
2. Life 360
Among all the location-sharing apps, Life 360 is the feature packet and the closest replica of all the features from the Trusted Contacts app. Just like on the Trusted Contacts, you even have the option to check out others’ battery percent. Apart from that, Life 360 has additional features like you can create multiple circles, so you can share your location for one circle and stop for another at any time you need, check-in alerts, SOS, message to complete circle instantly, checking out 30 days history, crash detection, etc. The biggest feature it lacks is the ability to check out directions and even grabbing the address details. Pros:-
Feature Packed with features like location history, circles, bubbles, etc. Features like SOS can be handy in situations Automatic alert for crash detection. Messaging to complete circles right from the app. shows details such as top speed, total miles, etc.
Cons:-
Unlike Trusted Contacts, you cannot check out directions to a shared location Not accurate in sharing exact location like Google Maps Few features like crash detection, top speed, etc are behind the paywall of $11.99/month
Download Life 360
3. Find My Kids
Find My Kids is an app that helps you to track your kids who are below 18 years. Unlike other apps on the list, this app only allows parents to check their kid’s location but not the other way around. As it’s a tool to check out the safety of your kids, you have additional options like listening to your child’s phone surroundings, getting notifications if the child left the specified location like a school or playground or if their phone battery is below 10%, their mobile app usage & statistics, etc. You need to install the “Pingo: Chat with parents” app on your kid’s phone for this to work properly. As an added bonus, this provides the option to chat with your kids and your kid can also send an SOS signal easily from the app. Pros:-
Notifications while kids are leaving a specific area Accurate location and history
Cons:-
pingo, the app to install on kids phone consumes a lot of battery than other location-sharing apps The UX of Pingo app is a bit buggy and closes the app randomly.
Download Find My Kids
4. Spotline
Spotline has minimal UI just like the Trusted Contacts app. All you do is add contacts you trust to share your location and then you can just share or request the location data of contacts. Anyhow, unlike Trusted Contacts, you can only add 3 people to your contacts list and later you need to get a premium to add more members. The location data is accurate and it also shows your directions to the contact address which is a rare feature for location-sharing apps. The only caveat is that you need to get a premium for basic things like adding members and the premium costs $34.99/week. Considering the price, this app is good for up to 3 people. Pros:-
Most Similar app to Trusted Contacts Accurate Location Data comparing to other apps on the list. 2 days of location history in the free plan
Cons:-
Premium costs $34.99/week, which is definitely more than what you are getting for it. Basic features like adding members are also included in the premium plan.
Download Spotline Also, checkout Be Closer App, it’s similar to Spotline from pricing, features, etc. The only differentiating factor is UI and UX.
5. Google Family Link
Google Family Link is not just a location-sharing app, instead of its all-rounder app for family. Along with location sharing, it also provides features for parents to set screen time for kids and checkout apps they are using, dashboard, remotely locking their device, etc. Unlike other apps on the list, this also blocks kids’ phones from adding other accounts on their phones making it more restrictive. Coming to the location sharing part, you can see a card where it shows the location with the image of maps and also the name of the place. You can click on the card to switch to Google Maps instantly for more controls and accurate location data. Among all the apps in the list, Family Link is completely different from Trusted Contacts as it is not just a location-sharing app. It also doesn’t provide any kind of features like location history. Anyhow, you will be using Google Maps just like Trusted Contacts.
Wrapping Up
As the Trusted Contacts app itself uses Google Maps as a base, I am happy to switch to Google Maps for any location sharing feature as I getting the same interface. If not for that, using Life 360 is a no-brainer. But if you want an app that looks and works so similar to Trusted Contacts, then Spotline is something you need to consider. Also Read: How to Remove Location and EXIF data from your Photos
