The question of allowing smartphones in schools has sparked heated debates the world over. However, the reality is that, as discovered from a recent Common Sense Media study, 97% of school-going children aged between 11 and 17 use their phones during the school day. Due to their tendency to distract the attention of children, teachers and school administrators have been at the forefront of prohibiting cell phone use in school.

However, the recent COVID-19 pandemic brought with it a wave of remote learning and, consequently, widespread use of smartphones and other digital devices. Parents also raised concerns over cell phone bans, citing that they prevented their children from reaching them during potential emergencies, such as school shootings, which have been rampant in the US.

Why Track Kids?

There are several reasons why parents and educators may feel the need to track school-going children’s phones. Here are some of the leading causes for surveillance:

  • To monitor their safety – A GPS tracker by phone number provides real-time information about the child’s whereabouts, which can help ensure their safety, especially in risky and unfamiliar locations.
  • To track their social circles – Parents and guardians can use phone tracker apps to monitor their children’s communications, which could shed light on who they interact with. This helps point out potential concerns so they can address issues early on.
  • To instill a sense of digital responsibility – By monitoring kids’ behavior online, parents and educators can help guide them on the responsible use of technology and how to stay safe in the digital realm.
  • To maintain focus on education – Surveillance can help parents monitor how much time their kids spend studying versus engaging in leisurely internet scrolls, ensuring they maintain a healthy balance between the two.
  • To enforce curfews – Some parents have restricted their children’s movements past certain curfews. Using a GPS tracker app can help enforce adherence to these curfews even when the parents are away.

Pros and Cons of Using Phone Tracker Apps

There are several benefits to tracking your kid’s phone. These include:

  • Brings about an unparalleled peace of mind, especially when your child is away from home, because you can track their whereabouts and activities.
  • Comes in handy in emergency situations, as you can easily pull up the child’s location, helping expedite the process of reaching and assisting them.
  • Helps enforce boundaries and curfews, guiding the child towards responsible behavior.
  • It can help identify when the child engages in unsafe behavior or is exposed to inappropriate content.
  • When done transparently, tracking can help build trust between parents and their kids, with the understanding that it stems from a shared commitment to safety.

Using phone tracker apps comes with several concerns as well:

  • Tracking without communication can create an atmosphere of suspicion, consequently straining the parent-child relationship.
  • Constant monitoring may come across as a breach of the child’s privacy, leading to feelings of resentment and rebellion.

GPS Tracker Apps by Phone Number

Here are our editor’s top choices for the best GPS Tracker apps in the market:

GEOfinder.mobi

GEOfinder is a versatile tracking app that allows you to determine the exact location of any phone number on a map. It is capable of working on any phone model and supports all mobile network carriers, meaning nobody is beyond your reach. Interestingly, it doesn’t require you to install any software to enjoy its service, and the cherry on top – it works completely anonymously.

To use it, you need only follow the following simple steps:

  1. Visit the GEOfinder website and enter the phone number you wish to track.
  2. Proceed to purchase a subscription that suits you.
  3. Draft an enticing message to send to your recipient. GEOfinder will embed a special tracking link with your message.
  4. When your target receives the message and clicks on the link, you’ll see their location in your user space.

LocationTracker.mobi

This is a robust cell monitoring app with which you can explore the whereabouts of your loved ones, colleagues, or friends, armed only with their phone number. It guarantees unparalleled privacy in phone number tracking and can find any phone regardless of the distance that separates you from your target.

To enhance its location tracking accuracy, LocationTracker.mobi utilizes a blend of GPS tracking, IP logging, and WiFi tracking to pinpoint your target’s exact location. What’s more, it can also accurately track those who attempt to obfuscate their location using VPNs.

To use this service, head on to the LocationTracker.mobi website, log in, and upload an interesting image from your device. The app will generate a special tracking link to be sent along with your message. Once your target receives the message and clicks on the embedded link, they’ll start sharing their location data. You’ll receive their geolocation feedback in the user space in your account.

uMobix

uMobix is a comprehensive cell phone monitoring app that works on both iPhone and Android devices. With it, you can monitor much more than just your target’s location information. Some of its notable features include:

  • Call monitoring – Surveils all incoming and outgoing calls, including deleted ones. For each, it shows caller info, timestamps, and duration.
  • Social media monitoring – Grants access to all messages sent via popular apps such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
  • Multimedia access – With uMobix, you can access all photos and videos stored on your target’s device and even download them onto your device.
  • Keylogger – uMobix boasts a dedicated keylogger that logs all keyboard inputs on the target phone, including passwords.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic served to increase our reliance on mobile phones and other digital devices, and this reverberated down to the school setting. Numerous studies have shown cell phone use to be prevalent among school-going children. For all their shortcomings, these devices can prove instrumental in ensuring the safety and well-being of kids in school. Utilizing monitoring apps can help parents stay abreast of the exact whereabouts of their children, ensuring they’re where they say they are. Some other apps like uMobix go a step further by allowing access to their activity across social media and other apps, facilitating even more comprehensive parental surveillance.