Hi. Looking for a live tracking app that works on phone signal alone and doesn’t require a data connection. I think motorola alert did this on my old phone but is there a recommended equivalent on android in general. I know viewranger and other apps can do this but all say they require a data connection.

I’d also be interested in real world battery life experiences of using these apps or those like viewranger with buddy beacon switched on.

cheers

Matt

By tracking app do you mean you want somebody else to be able to see where you are in real time?

If so, there are no smartphone apps capable of doing that.

Rachel

Viewranger with buddy beacon on doesn’t add much power use over running the phone with GPS on. I’ll happily get a couple of hours with the battery not dropping much. Not quite sure what you mean about no data as data is over phone signal alone. There might be an app that sends an sms but I’m not aware of one. Buddy beacon uses a tiny amount of data to transmit and receive position but I suppose it could add up if roaming.

My own app might do the job for you, sort of.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.uk.happyapper.HereIamFree

You can set it up to send an SMS every 10 minutes (or whatever) with your location. It might do.

Otherwise, I’d be surprised if the likes of viewranger etc actually need a data connection once set up, be worth trying.

I think motorola alert did this on my old phone but is there a recommended equivalent on android in general.

I wonder how they done this, did it update the location over SMS?

Probably via data, pre 3g there was still a data component to the traffic.

Probably via data, pre 3g there was still a data component to the traffic.

2G aka gprs is also data and you get charged for it, although it’s small volume by the nature of the connection.

Only way to do it without using a data allowance would be sending SMS which you can fit a surprising amount of data in if you’re clever.

Edit:

Top result in Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=sms.location.tracker&hl=en

There was a thread about this a while ago. Someone mentioned an app that would reply with a text with your location when someone (presumably a specific number, including a specific code) sent you a text.

I keep meaning to try and find this and try it out. I don’t need to tell someone where I am all the time, but it would be nice to give someone the ability to find out where I am if I’m late back from a ride say.

Real-time tracker 2 on Android allows you to send out a note of your location via email and text, which in reality is just a link to view it online. It’s the same link for your account regardless of your ride. Which is probably better if you are unable to send the message as something went wrong on your ride.

I’m not certain but having worked with a lot of trackers and associated parts over the years that Data is the only method now to pull the info from a device? In the past and as suggested SMS was utilised to gain Lat & long from a device then the info could be overlayed on a mapping software giving a position, but these were flaky and not very reliable,

Almost all trackers nowadays utilise the mobile phone network through either a 3G or 4G network, GPRS is similar to SMS as the data transfer is sent in packets of data, with 3 & 4G networks the data can be live streamed or tracked, and is cheaper than SMS

The hard work for development of these devices has been taken from the mobile phone technology, so you are kind of restricted by both battery back up and signal strength,

Why is it that you just want SMS?

Sorry for slow reply.

Yes by tracking app mean someone can see where I am.

Reason to ask if it was possible to do with phone signal rather the gprs or 3g etc was in case of being in remote areas

If you’re in a remote area you may not have a phone signal. A bit of an investment, but a Spot Tracker or a mobile plus Spot Connect would do it via a satellite connection.

something has to send info in order to tell people where you are. So either phone or satellite data