Location sharing with teenagers that they actually agree to
Teenagers want independence, and parents want to know they got home. Orbily is built for both: your teenager chooses how they share in the family orbit, a check-in can stand in for a constant dot on a map, and a safety boundary only exists once they have agreed to it.
Join the betaHow it plays out
- Sunday evening
The Hendersons talk it through over dinner. Sam, who is 14, would rather not be a dot on a map all week, so he settles on a timer for the walk home from football and updates only the rest of the time.
- Monday
His mum asks for a safety boundary around school and the park, for school hours only. Sam sees the exact area and the times on his phone, and accepts. He knows he can switch it off whenever he likes, and that she would learn it was off, never why.
- Saturday, 5.40pm
Football finishes. Sam starts a one-hour timer as he leaves the pitch, and his pin appears on the family map with his phone's battery beside it.
- 6.15pm
The family is told Sam is home. A few minutes later the timer runs out and his sharing stops by itself.
- 9.30pm
Sam is at a friend's with nothing shared. His dad asks him to check in, with half an hour to answer. Sam checks in from the friend's house, and the answer goes to his dad alone.
What helps
Should I track my teenager's location?
A better question is how to share in a way they agree to. Orbily never lets anyone share for someone else: your teenager chooses how they take part, everyone can see who can see them, and every safety boundary is something they said yes to. Location sharing that is agreed tends to stay switched on.
What if my teenager won't share their location?
They can still take part. Status updates like “at Jo's” and check-ins are full ways to be in the orbit, and they still see the family calendar and can send an SOS. You can ask them to check in whenever you need to hear from them.
More questions about teenagers
No. A teenager only appears on the map in the way they chose for that orbit, they can always see who can see them, and there are no hidden modes.
No. Nobody in your orbit can look back through where anyone has been. You see a live position only while they share it with you, plus any drives and walks they shared.