Find My suits families who all use Apple devices and want to share locations and find lost iPhones, AirPods and AirTags without another app. Life360 suits families who want more safety features, like crash detection, SOS alerts, place alerts and driving summaries, with Tile trackers on the same map. If everyone's on Apple and you mainly find lost things, use Find My; if you want a family safety app, use Life360.
These two overlap more than ever. Life360 now shows Tile trackers and its own Pet GPS on its map, while Apple's Find My covers AirTags, devices and people in one place. I read Life360's site, Apple's Find My page and both App Store listings.
Life360 and Find My compared
| Life360 | Find My | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, Free Membership | Not stated (built into Apple devices) |
| Location history | 2 days free; 30 days on Gold | Not stated on the pages I read |
| Arrival alerts | 2 Place Alerts free | Know when family arrive home |
| Lost things | Tile trackers and Life360 Pet GPS | AirTag and Find My network accessories |
| Safety | Crash Detection, SOS Alerts, 24/7 Emergency Dispatch | Share location by satellite on iPhone 14 or later |
| Sharing control | Optional permissions; Circle members | Share for a set time, or pause until the end of the day |
What the free version of Life360 includes
Life360's site lists what its Free Membership covers: seeing Tiles on your Life360 map, 2 days of Location History, 2 Place Alerts and a Family Driving Summary. Its App Store listing adds Advanced Location Sharing and Crash Detection to the free app, so you'll know when someone in your Circle arrives at school, work or home.
The upgrades, Silver, Gold and Platinum, add more: Gold brings 30 days of Location History, unlimited Place Alerts, individual driver reports and 24/7 Roadside Assistance. You can try them for 7 days first.
What Find My does for Apple families
Find My is already on every iPhone, iPad and Mac. Apple's page says it tracks your Apple devices even when they're offline, and some devices can still send their location for up to 24 hours after they've been turned off or run low on battery. Precision Finding guides you to an AirTag or AirPods Pro 2 when you're close.
The travel feature is the one people don't know about. If a bag goes missing, you can share your AirTag's location with more than 50 airlines, including Delta, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and United, and the sharing stops when you get it back or after seven days. You can also share an AirTag with up to five other people.
For tracking things rather than people, our Tile vs AirTag guide covers it.
Privacy and how much you share
Apple says the Find My network is anonymous and encrypted, and the People tab now lets you share your location for a set number of minutes, hours or days, or pause it until the end of the day, handy for keeping a surprise party secret. Life360's listing explains each permission it asks for and says you can still use the app if you turn optional ones off.
Who each app suits
Find My suits all-Apple households, frequent travellers with AirTags in their luggage, and anyone who mainly wants to find lost things. Life360 suits parents of new drivers, families who want arrival alerts and crash detection, and people who already use Tile trackers. If your teenagers share their location on social apps too, my guide to sharing your location on Snapchat explains the settings, and this account privacy audit is a good habit for the whole family.
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My advice on Life360 or Find My
If every phone in your house is an iPhone, start with Find My, because it's already there and it's excellent for lost devices and luggage. Add Life360's free version only if you want crash detection, place alerts or driving summaries for a new driver. Whatever you use, agree as a family who can see whose location and when, so it feels like safety rather than surveillance.
Do you make family safety or location apps? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place in comparisons like this one.
Frequently asked questions
Is Life360 free?
Yes. Life360 has a Free Membership with 2 days of Location History, 2 Place Alerts, a Family Driving Summary and Tiles on your map.
Can Find My locate a phone that's switched off?
Sometimes. Apple says some devices can still send their location for up to 24 hours after they've been turned off or have low battery.
Can I share an AirTag's location with an airline?
Yes. Apple says you can share a lost item's location with more than 50 airlines, and sharing ends after seven days or when you're reunited with the item.
Does Life360 work with Tile trackers?
Yes. Life360 says Tile Bluetooth trackers show up on your Life360 map, alongside its Pet GPS.
Can I pause location sharing in Find My?
Yes. Apple says you can pause sharing with specific people until the end of the day, or share for a set length of time.
