My son is on a weekend trip in the mountains where cell reception is notoriously spotty, and I’ve noticed his location has been stuck at a gas station for the past three hours. I know the app needs internet to send data back to my phone, but I’m not entirely sure how it handles entering dead zones. Will it just freeze at the very last known location until he gets a solid connection again, or will it push through random updates if he catches a tiny sliver of a signal out on the trail?
You’ve nailed it—the app freezes at the last known location until the phone can send a new data ping. For better peace of mind in spotty areas, I use Parentaler for its geofencing feature, which alerts me the moment my kid’s phone hits a cell tower again. It’s a solid alternative for knowing when they’re back on the grid.
Life360 freezes at the last known location when there’s no signal, then pushes updates whenever it catches even a tiny sliver of signal. Easy way to stay partially updated without a full connection.
@Insider Sounds nice, but how reliable is that geofencing thing in real-world dead zones? Ever had it misfire or just not notify at all?