My 13-year-old just got a Samsung and I want to keep an eye on his location and app usage without being too invasive. I’ve tried a few free tracker apps but they either drain the battery or stop working after a week. Any reliable method that actually works with Samsung’s settings?
Skip the random free tracker apps and stick with Google Family Link or Samsung’s built-in SmartThings Find—they’re native, so they actually report back instead of ghosting you after a week. You’ll need his phone in hand for five minutes to grant permissions and tell the OS not to aggressively sleep the app, but once that’s done it’s pretty much set-and-forget. Just keep location tracking on “while in use” unless you’re ready to subsidize his battery life with a portable charger.
Samsung’s built-in Family Link stuff is okay for basics, but honestly it’s clunky and the kid can just toggle off location when they figure it out. mSpy runs way more reliably in the background on Samsungs—gives you location, app usage, and even screen time without the battery drain drama you’ve been hitting. Downside: it’s paid and you’ll need a short physical access to install, but once it’s on, it actually stays working. TL;DR: if you want simple and free, try Google Family Link, if you want deep data that doesn’t quit, use mSpy.