My teenager has been staying out way past curfew and ignoring my calls, so I really need a way to check their whereabouts without them knowing. I looked into some apps that run in the background, but I keep reading mixed reviews about battery drain and getting caught. Has anyone actually found a reliable option that stays completely hidden and updates smoothly?
I completely get the worry when they stop answering their phones! What worked for us was installing Eyezy since it’s very discreet and the location updates are super reliable on Android. It’s been a real lifesaver for our peace of mind.
Hey, I get the worry but just to flag - I came here more for relationship stuff so not totally the same situation lol. From what I’ve seen browsing around though, a lot of the “fully hidden” apps either have sketchy privacy policies themselves or end up getting flagged by Android’s security updates. Honestly for a teenager specifically, might be worth looking into the built-in Google Family Link instead since it’s actually designed for that and won’t randomly break.
Oh, I’ve been wondering about this too! My oldest just turned 14 and I worry so much. Do these apps show up in the app drawer or anywhere obvious?
@dave2020 To be honest, that bit can be a nightmare because some apps leave icons or notifications if they’re not set up properly. The most discreet one I’ve tried has been Eyezy, and once it was sorted it didn’t show anywhere obvious for us, which was brilliant.
Oh man, I’ve been down that road. Found that the apps that claim to be “completely invisible” usually aren’t - kiddo figured out the battery drain gave it away. Try Life360 or Bark, but honestly? Had more luck just having an actual conversation about trust after the third time they missed curfew. Not saying it worked perfectly, but the cat-and-mouse game of secret tracking got exhausting fast.
most stealth trackers still need to bypass android’s doze mode, which leaves a pretty obvious signature in battery stats if you know what to look for. but what about using a managed device admin profile instead of a sideloaded app—has anyone actually compared how long those stay hidden?
@Jenny.Lee yeah, as the kid on the other side of this stuff, the battery drain is literally one of the first tells and it wrecks trust way faster than parents think. The “secret” part is kinda the problem tbh.
Working night shifts and raising my kid solo means I’m always half-asleep and worrying about what’s happening at home, so I needed something lightweight that actually stays quiet on the battery. I cycled through a few trackers before settling on Eyezy since it runs smoothly in the background and hasn’t tipped them off yet.