Hey all,

I’m looking for something that can track location of my preschooler who starts new school soon. He’s too young to get a smartphone, so I have to rule out app based solutions I guess.

My initial research found virtually nothing. One candidate is GeoZilla, which sells nice devices and their pivacy policy looks okayish regarding location data, but it still relies on their servers of course. Another option would be an iWatch, which again puts trust into 3rd party, and the device is quite expensive for a small kid.

Any privacy-oriented trackers out there that I’m missing. Maybe there are some smartphone alternatives that can have cell connectivity and GPS and apps installed, but with much simpler interface?

Update: Thanks everyone! I got GeoZilla tag for now. The app doesn’t require personal information, which is good. However, it’s annoyingly reminds to enable location for itself to track “me”, which I don’t need at all. Garmin came as a strong second, mainly due to my child age. Garmin devices are not for very young kids, I believe. And it costs more than GeoZilla. I still have some time to think if I really want this, though. It’s not too late to return GeoZilla tag

  • @[email protected]
    1•1 year ago

    It exists a similar tracker to the airtag by Samsung but idk if you can trust them anymore than apple. I have a 9 year old step sis and with her we have had problems with her because we couldn’t track her. In her school phones arent allowed at all. My mother and my stepdad really doesn’t care about privacy or security their use windows China phones etc. they usually use an app provided by google " family " I think it is called there thy can also lock up the phone etc.

    I am glad that I don’t have the problems to be honest with you. What I would do is to look for a device that can do the job for me were the server can be selfe hosted. If literally nothing exist I would try “do it myself”

    If you selfhost a nextcloud yourself this will be easier idk to be honest if this is up to date anymore and if its real time but check https://apps.nextcloud.com/apps/phonetrack Set it up and glue if possible a small phone that you trust on your girl and you are ready to go

    Alternatively look for a mini pcib PC like a raspberry pi zero or something like it put somehow a Sim card in there and get it to work (good luck with that). Program a software that pings your server once per minute or every two. Then you would have to make a case were you can put your mini tracker and a powerbank into. And hang this device to a belt that your girl would have to were

    I know that is a very stupit way but hey more private it cant get