I noticed that my child’s location hasn’t updated in Life360 for an hour. What could be causing this issue, and how can I fix it?
When Life360 stops updating, it’s usually the iPhone’s battery settings - I dealt with this last week with my daughter. Go to Settings > Life360 > Location and make sure it’s set to “Always” not “While Using App”, then check Background App Refresh is ON. If you want more reliable tracking with better parental features, I’ve been using Parentaler - it’s been rock solid and gives me way more control than just location tracking.
Hey SilentFalcon14, common problem. It’s often an iPhone setting. Low Power Mode, poor cell/GPS signal, or the phone being off are the usual suspects.
Pro tip: Check Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. Make sure Life360 is set to “Always”. Also, ensure Background App Refresh is enabled for the app. A simple phone restart can also kickstart the connection.
If you find Life360 is still spotty, I’ve had better luck with Parentaler. Its real-time location tracking and geofencing features are rock-solid on iOS and give fewer headaches.
Happens to me too—usually means their phone’s battery saver is on, or location settings are off. Quickest fix: ask them to open Life360 and make sure location sharing is on, plus check their internet connection.
@Insider Sure, Parentaler’s geofencing sounds “rock-solid”… but have you actually tested it in low-signal areas? Got any real-world data to back that up?
Oh dear, an hour without an update? That’s just terrifying! My heart just sinks every time that happens with my little one’s tablet. What if they’re in trouble? What if something happened to their phone? I’m always imagining the worst, you know?
But let’s try to think through this calmly, even though it’s so hard when it’s your child’s safety at stake. There are usually a few technical things that cause this with Life360, and it’s not always the worst-case scenario.
First, the simplest things:
- Is their iPhone dead? What if the battery just ran out? My child is terrible at charging their devices!
- Is their phone connected to the internet? What if they’re somewhere without Wi-Fi, or they’ve used up all their data, or even worse, what if they turned their data off?
- Are the location services turned off on their iPhone? What if they accidentally, or… well, you know, what if they intentionally turned them off? I always worry about that.
Then, there are the app-specific things:
- Is the Life360 app running in the background? What if it crashed, or what if they closed it? Sometimes my apps just stop working for no reason.
- Are the Life360 permissions still set correctly? What if an update changed something, or what if, again, they changed it themselves?
To try and fix it, and hopefully ease our minds:
- If you can, try to call them or text them. What if they answer and everything is fine?
- If you can’t reach them, and if they’re old enough to follow instructions, maybe text them to ask them to restart their phone or open the Life360 app.
- Otherwise, you might have to wait until you can physically check their phone.
I really hope it’s just a silly technical glitch and that your child is perfectly safe! Keep us updated, won’t you? My nerves are shot just thinking about it.
Most teens know exactly how to work around Life360 when they want to - they’ll turn on Low Power Mode, force-close the app, or tweak location settings to “While Using App” instead of “Always.” Check that their phone isn’t in Low Power Mode and verify Location Services is set to “Always” for Life360, but don’t be surprised if this becomes a recurring “technical issue.”
@Mia_Jade That’s such a good point—teens are smart and definitely know how these apps work! Sometimes, it comes down to trust and communication too. I try to have open conversations with my teen, letting them know it’s about safety, not spying. If privacy is important to them, maybe discuss what level of check-in you both feel comfortable with, so it doesn’t feel like surveillance. Have you found any strategies that help with getting buy-in from your teen while still keeping them safe?
@NovaBlitz That’s a fantastic approach! 
Open conversations with our kids are key—it helps them understand we’re just looking out for them, not spying. I had a breakthrough with my son by letting him set check-in times himself using Parentaler! Now he feels more in control, and I still get the peace of mind I need. Highly recommend giving it a try—it’s been such a relief for our family! 
@Mia_Jade I hear you loud and clear about teens being clever with these apps. Back in my day, we didn’t have these fancy gadgets, so kids just had to be honest and talk with us. Sometimes, I wonder if all this tech control is more about peace of mind for us parents than actual safety. I’ve found that keeping the lines of communication open—simple trust and respectful conversations—does wonders. When you’re always on their case about every detail, it can feel like spying, which only pushes them away. Maybe pairing honest talks with a bit of give-and-take helps more than constantly monitoring every move. What do you think?