Kids are very curious. They want to wander here and there wherever they go. It might be amusement parks, homes, schools, or markets. You want to keep a watch on your children as a parent, but that may not always be possible. At least knowing where they can give a parent a sigh of relief.
According to Chan Robles, 267 cases were filed on missing people in the Philippines. Most of them are kids. Sometimes kids go too far, which can make parents very worried.
Fortunately, thanks to new technology, you can simply track your children’s movement in this digital world using a variety of techniques. One of these approaches is geofencing.
What is geofencing?
Geofencing uses GPS (Global Positioning System) or RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technologies, which help create imaginary boundaries in the real world. It relies on the Internet or mobile data to work as phone tracker apps.
You can develop your virtual perimeters to restrict your kids from going to the designated areas. You will get an alert whenever your child enters or leaves the designated area.
For instance, you have set a bar as your designated area. Whenever your kid enters that bar, you will be alerted. This way, you can know your kid’s location.
Why do parents need geofencing notifications?
There are various reasons why you should get a geofence system. Some of them are as follows:
- According to the Crimes Against Children report, 1 in 25 youth in one year receives an online solicitation from a solicitor who attempted to contact them offline. So teaching your kid about online privacy and safety is important.
- As a working parent, you can know where your child is. It will let you focus on your work.
- According to the Childhelp organization report, around 3.2 million kids are subject to child abuse every year.
- If you suspect your kid is involved in some negative addictions, you can set alerts on those places.
How does geofencing work?
To track down your kid’s location using a geofencing system, you need a smartphone that has a GPS location system. Then install an app with geofence features on both devices, the parent device and child device.
After the installation is complete, you may establish virtual boundaries that mimic real-world boundaries. You will receive a notification on your phone whenever your child enters the designated area.
Remember, your child’s phone also should have a geofence feature enabled. Only then can you get a notification or some alerts that let you know your kids’ location. You need an internet connection to get these alerts.
How does geofencing help?
Mark safe zones
With geofencing, you will be able to mark safe zones for your child. The places like school or home, from where you don’t want your child to go out without your permission.
You can create imaginary boundaries on these types of areas, and you will get an instant alert if your child leaves these designated areas. While you are busy at work, you can know if they are in the safe zones or have sneaked out.
Mark unsafe zones
If you don’t want your kids at a club, a bar, or a place where you don’t feel like they should sit there, you can mark those places as unsafe or dangerous zones. Whenever they enter these areas, you will get a notification on your phone.
As said earlier, your kid’s phone should also have a geofencing feature enabled and should be connected to the Internet.
Setting up geofencing software on Apple devices
Most of the smartphones today have GPG on them; this includes iPhones too. If your kids carry iPhone devices, you can track your kid’s location with the “Find my friends” app. This app works as a location tracker for you.
You should install this app on both your and your kid’s devices for you to track.
To start child monitoring:
Step 1: On your iPhone, open the Find My Friends app.
Step 2: Send an invitation to your kids’ device by entering their contact information.
Step 3: Accept the invitation and set the password on your kids’ phone so that they can’t change the settings.
Step 4: Launch the settings and enable notifications.
Step 5: To start tracking, click on your kids’ profile and select the Notify Me option.
Step 6: Choose whether you want to get geofence alerts when they leave or when they enter.
Setting up geofencing software on Android devices
It is not easy to use the geofence feature on Android devices like on an Apple device. Google Latitude does not support geofences, so to use this feature, you have to use third-party geofencing apps.
Best parental child control app you can use
The MobileSpy App is one of the best parental control apps that is available in the market. It is designed for you to keep track of your child’s activities or current location so that you can be assured of your kid’s safety.
The app has a geofence feature with which you can track your kid’s location easily. You can set safe zones and unsafe zones and get alerts anywhere you are.
The geofence feature and the MobileSpy app come with different features like SMS tracking, text message viewing, call tracking, social media monitoring, email monitoring, and media file viewing.
Mobilespy offers all these features for an affordable price and is compatible with Android and Apple devices. You can try this app to ensure your loved ones’ safety.
About the author: Keira Zelmanis a parent-focused writer at MobileSpy. She focuses her efforts on helping children reach their full potential academically, in social and linguistic terms and fosters and promotes the growth and development of parents and children. She aims to build a better and positive environment for children through her writings.