So AT&T has a service called FamilyMap. It’s available for Android, Windows Phone, and Blackberry (and for the iPhone through the web browser). FamilyMap is a service basically aimed at parents to monitor their kids, the app/service allows parents to see where other members are on an interactive map. It’s been out on Windows Phone since launch in late 2010, but it’s finally moved to version 2. Let’s see what’s new.
I went through the Windows Phone Central archives and found a post about FamilyMap from back in April, 2009 when it first launched. Back then we were called Windows Mobile Experts and FamilyMap was brand new.
The service offered a 30-day free trial, after that it costs $9.99 per month to track two phones or $14.99 per month to track and locate up to five phones. That pricing, unfortunately, hasn’t changed. But the Windows Phone version of the app has just been bumped to version 2.0 and seems to offer a new UI. Other than that, it looks the same to us.
The app has an abysmal rating in the Store, but the latest version might appeal to some folks wanting to keep a tab on their kids.
Either way, you can grab AT&T FamilyMap for Windows Phone 7.x and 8 devices. The app itself is free, but it does have a monthly subscription tied to your AT&T account. Pricing above. Head to the Store to get it, use the QR codes below, or swipe to the right in our app.
Thanks for the tip Joseph H!
Reader comments
AT&T updates their FamilyMap app for Windows Phone 8, allows you to track your kids
Hide your wife,hide your kids...
Oh thank god att updated this. I have been waiting forever. Piss off at&t!!
Total ripoff. Apple's FREE app "Find My Friends" has been working for 2 years now and does the same thing. As the rest of my family uses iOS, that and iMessage are features (combined with ATT's total lack of update support for my 920) may well drive me back to the iPhone, despite the upcoming franken-iOS7 and the ridiculously small screens...
most of the time family locator never worked. so i dropped it. It's just too expensive for something that A) isn't real accurate, and B) doesn't work most of the time
I found i could get the same results, that worked more often when using the Find My Phone feature with the microsfoft account.
Replacing parenting with technology, sure, why not, right? Until you realize you're spending ten bucks a month to learn that your child is technologically capable and turned off the location services on his or her phone. Smart.
I'm sure there's free or one-time-fee apps out there that will let you do this same thing, I just haven't look.
Further proof that AT&T really has no idea what its customers want or need.
Thanks Sam, for the honest review, and not trying to sugar-coat this service.
Doesn't anybody think that this is a creepy way of parenting? I don't think that's how I would have wanted to grow up.
Does anyone know if there something like this for Verizon's Nokia Lumia 928?
Just use the "find my phone" feature baked into the phone for free
I'm also fairly certain your kids (or the phones account email) get emailed each month when you are billed telling them that this service is activated thus letting them know you are tracking them. Mine were.
That would be creepy if they didn't know
That would depend on your perspective and the level of trust you have in your kids. I'm sure a kid would agree with you but then You probably have never had your kid tell you they were spending the night at their friends, then take your car, with your gas, and the phone you are paying for and pile it up with 4 other kids, then go into town doing drugs and partying at raves, get in a wreck and some get hurt, plus all get arrested. That could be avoided if you were keeping tabs on them. While I agree it would creep me out if my parents did it If you are the parent supplying all their needs and responsible for them then you need to do what you can to raise them to adults and not let their choices ruin their life until their critical thinking skills are better developed.
How about tracking gdr2
Where the hell is my option to push my update through by bypassing the carrier, LIKE MICROSOFT PROMISED????
NO, Microsoft never promised carrier bypassing direct updates, they only promised OTA updates which they delivered. They did't deliver on enthusiast program for early/beta OS updates and enthusiasts should be angry on that point.
Isn't that what we are talking about???
GDR2 + Amber plz! (920)
Confirmed.
Working on this app is what caused the delay for GDR2. LOL
Ok, that was funny. +920 for you.
At least AT&T updates their apps..
They need to update their phones!
Update the 920 instead!!!
Not GDR2.
All I read was at&t and update and thought it was something else..........well atlease they are updating something.
Haha. I Wish the OS had toast notifications with a "ticker" style.
"The service offered a 30-day free trial, after that it costs $9.99 per month to track two months or $14.99 per month to track and locate up to five months."
Do you mean numbers/phones? Or am I missing something?
Fixed. Thanks, it's getting late here ;)
Welcome. It's pretty late here too :)
Maybe your neighbors? :P
Instead of releasing the OS, the are busy updating stupid apps.
You beat me to it. Exactly. This? Instead of GDR2? Drop dead....
That's at&t. I still don't know why I sold my soul for another two years to these morons.
Sam is on a roll right now :D
Churning out WP news to the good people liked there's no tomorrow :)
Probably had too much coffee? Oh, wait, I think that's me...
The idea is sound if you're a parent. But the cost is ridiculous. This is something Microsoft should build into the OS itself, a way for parents to track kids. Sucks for kids, but I bet parents would freaking love it and have a peace of mind being able to check up on their kids. Or in cases of emergency.
My guess is they can't build it in because they will be immediately sued for invasion of privacy, unlawful tracking and a whole bunch of other laws. I could be wrong of course.
Huh? It is in the os. Just have your kids password and MS Account that is in the phone and go online. Of course, not real time but if the little brat is at Johnny's for more than 30 minutes...
+1 "find my phone" is free
Nokia should add this to HERE Maps to showcase venue maps.
I completely agree. iPhone has had this capability for years. It would be a natrual progression for Microsoft to include this into their "Find My Phone" feature. Just create an app that allows the parent to find their child's phone.