My Eldest has got an iPhone, a 5S and he’s basically destroyed it, 2 home buttons, 3 screens and it appears to be on its last legs…. he got it in October.

He’s also starting to venture out and about with his mates and walk home from school solo, years later than I did – but that’s modern life for you.

I’ve tried the ‘teaching responsibility’ thing, he breaks it, he has to find the money to repair it, but that’s a double edged sword because if it’s not working, he’s not allowed to roam, which means I’ve got a moody 11 year old on my hands all day glued to Minecraft and smelling up the place, he basically vegetates between breakfast and bed time and causes friction between him and his sister, she’s only 2 and wants to play with him but he gets all angry because he won’t’ because he’s mine crafting so he sulks off to his room on his phone – frankly, I could do without any of it.

Anyway, Mrs Jay doesn’t want him roaming unless he can call us and we can track him via GPS, I know compared to a short few years ago, that would seem terribly 1984 and that, but it’s also practical as the sod never actually answers his phone and tends to ‘go to ground’ in the short window I’ve got between the time I’ve collect him and his sister’s bedtime.

Anyway, the point – I saw a PSA from STW world the other day about some Chinese no-brand Android phone, that toughened and rubberised and most importantly £60, roughly what I’m paying for screens now. I need an App that works on iOS and Android so I can track his phone breaking arse about the place.

Just let him play out why the need to spy on him?

I use it occasionally for my eldest but it’s an exception rather than a must. She’s off to Newcastle on Saturday for the first time with her friends so we will use it then to see if she got there and on her way back, confirmed with phonecalls though.

Trusted Contacts does what you want, I think
But he has to have GPS turned on

I use it for solo night riding so the wife can locate the ditch I’m lying in if I crash

kimbers – Member

Trusted Contacts does what you want, I think
But he has to have GPS turned on

I use it for solo night riding so the wife can locate the ditch I’m lying in if I crash

Yeah that’s what I use Find Friends for, I share it with my Wife and two of my riding mates – they’d have a better idea of where I’d be.

Sadly ‘Trusted Contacts’ doesn’t appear to be avilable on iOS yet. I don’t mind if I have to log into it online.

Can you not just make yourself an iCloud account and use Find My Friends via the web interface?

EDIT: unless you’re saying you’re not going to fix/replace his iPhone, but get him a rugged Android device instead. In which case, as an alternative, what about a Lifeproof case for his iPhone. I’ve got one & it basically makes the phone indestructible. Also, £60 for a screen for a 5S?! I take it that’s paying someone to do it for you! Just buy a cheap one off eBay & fit it yourself, it’s dead easy.

With Android, the latest Google Maps version has a ‘share my location’ option and you can choose who are shared on that.

You can set it for a certain amount of time or ‘until I turn it off’.

I assume he won’t just go in and turn it off when he gets 5 mins down the road?
I use it when I go on bike rides, so my Wife can see roughly where I am….

he’s not allowed to roam

At 11?!
My boys have old iphones for their convenience but never turn them on. I love the idea that they’re out building dens and on their bikes with no-one watching.

zilog6128 – Member

Can you not just make yourself an iCloud account and use Find My Friends via the web interface?

EDIT: unless you’re saying you’re not going to fix/replace his iPhone, but get him a rugged Android device instead. In which case, as an alternative, what about a Lifeproof case for his iPhone. I’ve got one & it basically makes the phone indestructible. Also, £60 for a screen for a 5S?! I take it that’s paying someone to do it for you! Just buy a cheap one off eBay & fit it yourself, it’s dead easy.

Yeah, sorry I tend to ramble.

We (Wife, Son and I) all have iPhones, his is knackered again… so I’m thinking of getting him a toughened Andriod.

I want an app that will show the location of his andriod on my iPhone.

I’m not against the idea of a better case – I was shown, but until now forgot about one that needs hex keys to remove which would be better.

He’s not a bad kid, but just like his Dad he has impluse control issues. He wouldn’t turn it off, he could now, he doesn’t want to, but equally if a friend asked him to stay out till 10pm he wouldn’t think twice, he’d just do it and I’d have to try and find him.

Yes I’m aware he’s 11 and not 4 (like when I used to go roaming) but it’s worth remembering here, it’s easy to say / type “just let him be” IT’S NOT ME, IT’S MY WIFE AND SHE WON’T LISTEN TO ME ON THE SUBJECT LET ALONE STRANGERS ON THE INTERNET, IN FACT “STRANGERS ON THE INTERNET ARE HER BIGGEST FEAR IN LIFE”.

Chamomile Tea?

It appears your only option is to kill your wife (says a stranger on the internet – well I wouldn’t want to disappoint her 😉 )

With Android, the latest Google Maps version has a ‘share my location’ option and you can choose who are shared on that.

Yep, I noticed that that popped up as a feature in the latest iOS Google Maps update so would be a cross-platform option.

I’ve used Life360 which is like Find Friends but works accross platforms (iOS and Android in my case). Its fine, not as slick as find friends but works.

As above. Life 360 works pretty well.

If you want him to just check in with you, rather than the spying-always-on route, you can just use Whatsapp to share your location with someone and it’ll send through their location on a map.

Don’t worry, game over, he’ll be on lock down for the next 12 months…

Nonse Watch

Not his school, but a few miles down the road and these stories tend to be a bit, well fanciful – but it’s all over now. he’ll never be allowed out again…