Find My iPhone is a handy app for locating devices that are under your account, such as iPads or iPhone’s that share a common account. But what if you want to locate a friend? That’s where Find My Friends from Apple comes in. It’s a remarkably easy-to-use app that allows you to keep tabs on friends who choose to share their location with you.
Now, before you start worrying that this could be some sort of creepy stalker app, allowing people to track you without your knowledge, it’s important to note that you must first give permission to share your location with each user, and you know at every given moment who is able to see your location.
The first time you log into Find My Friends, you’re prompted to enter your Apple ID. From there, you’re information is ready to share. To get the location of your friends, you’ll need to enter their Apple IDs and send them a request. Once that request is accepted, you’ll be able to locate them at any time. However, let’s say you’re going on a business trip or a short vacation with some friends and you only want to share your information with them for a short time. You can select “Temporary” and allow them brief access.
The map display is surprisingly detailed, with a satellite view that allows users to see landmarks, buildings, streets, etc. The location of your friends updates quickly, so you can practically track them in real time.
The one disadvantage of this app is that it requires iOS 5, which means owners of older iPhones or iPods won’t be able to get any use out of it. Nevertheless, as long as your device is able to run iOS 5, you should be good to go.
Bottom Line: Find My Friends is an incredibly handy application that includes the right security features to make sure it won’t be abused.
Find My Friends is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 or later.