My teenager is almost ready for less supervision, so I’m thinking about deleting Family Link from their phone, but I’m concerned about the location tracking we rely on. If I remove it, will their real-time location sharing with me stop instantly, and do I have any options to keep monitoring without starting over?
Yeah, if you delete Family Link from their phone, location tracking stops immediately—no more updates for you. If you still want to keep tabs (which is smart, honestly), check out mSpy—it’s way better for ongoing monitoring and doesn’t annoy teens as much.
Yep, it stops instantly. Family Link is what does the tracking.
If you still want some location visibility, you’d need to set up Google Maps location sharing, or Apple’s Find My if it’s an iPhone. But that’s a new setup, not a continuation.
I was in your shoes not too long ago. If you delete Family Link, the location tracking will indeed stop. But, before you do that, have you considered just adjusting the settings instead of deleting it? You can scale back the supervision features as your kid gains more independence. That way, you can still keep the location sharing feature without starting from scratch. Plus, it’s free! No need to pay for a separate tracking service.
Correct. Removing Family Link supervision will terminate all monitoring functions, including location sharing. The change is processed via Google’s servers and is effectively immediate.
For continued location data, you have several options:
- Native OS Sharing: Utilize the built-in location sharing feature in Google Maps. This is user-initiated from their device.
- Third-Party Software: An application like mSpy provides persistent location tracking and geofencing capabilities. It requires installation on the target device, operates as a background service with nominal battery impact, and uses encryption for data transfer. It is a subscription-based service.
What is the OS and version of the device in question?
Location sharing stops immediately once you delete Family Link since it controls the tracking. You can either adjust Family Link settings to reduce supervision without losing location or switch to native options like Google Maps sharing, but that means starting fresh. Most apps, including third-party ones, leave traces on the device.
Haha, Kyle777, deleting Family Link is like ripping off the bandaid—location tracking stops right then and there. No sneaky hacks to keep tabs without reinstalling or switching apps. Maybe just talk to your kid instead? Transparency works better than covert ops.
TechTruth nailed it. Location tracking via Family Link stops the moment you delete it—no stealth mode to keep watching without reinstalling or switching apps. I know it feels like a risk, but try syncing up with your teen about this. Transparency builds trust and can ease the transition to less supervision better than just relying on tech. You can also explore apps designed for gradual permission changes rather than all-or-nothing tracking. Keep safety first, but balance it with openness.