Let’s face it, in today’s world, it is getting tougher and tougher to keep track of where the members of your family are, when and where you need to pick them up, or keep in touch. The GeoZilla Family Locator app allows busy families to stay in touch conveniently and safely, via a free iPhone app.
Overview
GeoZilla allows families to setup a family “circle,” containing family members, allowing everyone to stay in touch, view where other members are, and even get time or location based reminders for such things as picking up the kids at soccer practice.
The app’s features include:
- Battery-friendly location tracking for your family & friends
- Knowing when they leave or arrive a place you would like to be notified about
- Private messaging and sharing images & video
- User-friendly location history for the entire family
- Family reminders via location and time-based tasks
Battery friendly is a welcome first feature for those of us who have enough of a time keeping our iPhone’s battery charged through a long day of use. GeoZilla is designed to use a smart-tracking feature that optimizes battery use. The company says the app only updates a circle member’s location when there has been a meaningful change in their location. All I know is that I didn’t notice my iPhone’s battery depleting any faster than usual.
I particularly like the feature that allowed me to set up geo-fenced alerts that would let me know when a circle member left or arrived at home, or another location. The feature was easy to use, and worked well.
While it’s easy enough to switch back and forth between my iPhone’s Messages app to message a family member, or send them a quick photo, the integrated private messaging feature in the GeoZilla app made it quite handy to send quick notes to each other.
I didn’t make much use of the location history feature, but I can see where it would come in handy with large families when trying to make sure everyone ran the errands they were supposed to. (And let’s be honest, it also makes it easier to make sure Johnny isn’t hasn’t been hanging out playing PS4 at the Johnson boy’s house instead of being at home doing his homework.)
Finally, the family reminders feature certainly makes it easy to assign reminders and tasks to myself and other family members. Especially nice is the location based reminders that prompt you when you near a location. (I always forget to pick up milk when I’m near the Kroger.)
I also like the Check In feature that allows users to check wherever they are, and leave a little message or comment when they do. It makes it all a little more fun and personal, and bit less like “Big Brother is Watching YOU!”
Setting up the family group was easy, and inviting members to the circle was as easy as sending a message from inside the app, which includes a link for the member to download and install the app on their iPhone.
GeoZilla is free to download, and does offer in-app purchases for premium features such as an unlimited number of family members, unlimited location history, and an unlimited number of location alerts. However, many families will find the free version to be adequate, as it allows tracking of up to 15 family members, 10 location alerts, and 3 days of location history.
Verdict
If you have a large, or very busy family, and find it hard to keep track of where everyone is, or what they’re up to, or what they need to be up to later today, I highly recommend checking out GeoZilla. At free, the price is definitely right, and the app works as advertised.
GeoZilla is easy to setup, and easy to use. Enrolling all your family members is as easy as sending a text message or email from inside of the app, and waiting for them to click a link to install the app.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Pricing: FREE – However there are in-app purchases for premium features, such as a larger number of family members per circle, unlimited location reminders, and more. The app is available for download from the App Store. [GET IT HERE] An Android version of the app is also available.
Pros:
- Easy to setup and maintain
- Location or time-based reminders are setup with just a few taps
- Doesn’t suck your iPhone’s battery dry
- A great way to stay in touch with private messaging in the app
Cons:
- For unlimited use, you’ll need to pay for a subscription, but the free version should work fine for all but the largest and busiest broods.
*Note: The above review was commissioned by the developer in accordance with our app review policy, and has been written in an objective, unbiased fashion.
