The short answer: There is no single best app, because families differ. If everyone has an iPhone and you want the simplest option, Apple Find My is built in. If your family mixes Android and iPhone, Google Maps or Life360 will work for you. Orma is for iPhone families who want end-to-end encrypted locations and extra tools such as check-ins, but it isn't on the App Store yet (coming soon). We make Orma, so we have a view here. We've tried to be fair and to link every claim about the others to its source. All facts about other apps are as of October 2026.
The four options at a glance
| Orma | Life360 | Apple Find My | Google Maps location sharing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iPhone only. Not yet on the App Store. | iPhone and Android (App Store, Google Play) | Apple devices. Live Location needs both people on iPhone, iOS 15 or later (Apple Support) | Android, and iPhone and iPad (Google Maps Help) |
| Price | Not announced yet | Free app plus paid Silver, Gold and Platinum memberships (App Store) | Apple's guide describes no separate charge (Apple Support) | Google's help pages describe no fee (Google Maps Help) |
| End-to-end encryption | Locations, places, alerts, photos and names | No Life360 statement found that location sharing is end-to-end encrypted | Apple says your location is not accessible to Apple when both people run iOS 17 or later (Apple Privacy) | Location Sharing help page doesn't mention encryption (Google Maps Help) |
| Ads and data sales | No ads, no data selling, no analytics SDKs in the app | App Store privacy details list location for third-party advertising and analytics (App Store); audience segments sold via LiveRamp, per The Capitol Forum | See Apple's Find My privacy page | See Google's Privacy Policy, linked from the help page |
| Location history | 30 days | 30 days on Gold, shorter on lower tiers (App Store) | Not described in Apple's sharing guide (Apple Support) | Separate Timeline feature (Google Maps Help) |
| Arrival and departure alerts | Yes, with a radius you set | Yes, limited by tier (App Store) | Yes (Apple Support) | Yes, up to 5 per person, not for link shares (Google Maps Help) |
| SOS or crash features | SOS alerts your circle only. It doesn't call emergency services. | SOS alerts, emergency dispatch and crash detection listed (App Store) | Crash Detection on iPhone 14 or later (Apple Support) | Separate Android Emergency SOS (Android Help) |
How to read this table
Platforms decide a lot. The first question is who is in your family and what phones they have. A mixed family can rule out Orma and Find My straight away. Find My's Live Location needs iPhone on both sides (Apple Support), and Orma is iPhone only.
"Encrypted" can mean different things. End-to-end encryption means only the phones involved can read the data. Many services also encrypt data between your phone and their servers, but the company can still read it. We only describe end-to-end encryption where the maker says so. In Orma, locations, saved places, alerts, photos and names are encrypted on your phone, and our servers store ciphertext. Apple says your shared location is not accessible to Apple when both people are on iOS 17 or later (Apple Privacy). For Life360 and Google Maps, we couldn't find a statement that location sharing is end-to-end encrypted.
Every app still sees something. Orma's servers see metadata: your account email, which circles you're in, device IDs and push tokens, timestamps, and IP addresses in short-lived logs. We list this in our privacy policy. And in any app, the people you share with can see your location by design.
A short profile of each
Orma
Orma is a private circle for family, a partner, or people sharing the care of a parent. It has live location, 30 days of history, arrival and departure alerts, daily check-ins, low-battery alerts, phone-went-quiet alerts, and an SOS button that alerts your circle. It has no ads and no data selling, and it's made by VivTech Solutions in India.
The limits are real. It's iPhone only. It isn't released yet. It has no crash detection and doesn't contact emergency services. Its price hasn't been decided.
Life360
Life360 lists the widest set of safety features of the four. It works on iPhone and Android, and its listing describes crash detection, 24/7 emergency dispatch and roadside assistance on its memberships (App Store). The trade-off is data. In 2021, The Markup reported that Life360 sold precise location data to brokers. In 2022, it said it would stop. In 2025, The Capitol Forum reported that it sells audience segments through LiveRamp. Life360 told the publication it does not share precise geolocation with LiveRamp. Read Life360's own privacy policy before you decide. See our full Orma vs Life360 comparison.
Apple Find My
Find My is built into Apple devices and works with Messages and Maps. It can share by satellite when you have no coverage (Apple Support). Apple says shared location data is kept for up to 24 hours (Apple Privacy). It's the right answer for many all-iPhone families. See Orma vs Apple Find My.
Google Maps location sharing
Google Maps works across Android and iPhone, and you can share by link with someone who has no Google account, for up to 24 hours (Google Maps Help). Its emergency tools sit in Android rather than in Maps (Android Help). See Orma vs Google Maps location sharing.
Which should you choose?
- Mixed Android and iPhone family: Google Maps for light use, or Life360 if you want crash detection and more features. Orma and Find My won't cover Android users.
- All-iPhone family, simplest possible: Apple Find My. It's already on the phone.
- All-iPhone family, privacy first: Orma, once it's released. Until then, Find My is the closest built-in option.
- You want crash detection or emergency dispatch: Life360, or your iPhone's own Crash Detection on iPhone 14 or later.
- You need to share with someone briefly, with no app: Google Maps, by link.
Whatever you choose, tell everyone in your family what's shared and why. These apps work best when everyone has agreed to them. Orma is built for that: people join by invitation and can see who they're sharing with.
FAQ
What is the most private family location sharing app?
It depends on what "private" means to you. Orma end-to-end encrypts locations, places, alerts, photos and names, and sells nothing. Apple says your shared location isn't accessible to Apple when both people run iOS 17 or later (Apple Privacy). For Life360 and Google Maps, we found no statement that location sharing is end-to-end encrypted. Orma isn't released yet.
Is there a family location app that works on both iPhone and Android?
Life360 and Google Maps location sharing both do (Google Maps Help, Google Play). Orma and Apple Find My's Live Location need iPhone.
Do these apps call emergency services?
Orma's SOS does not. It alerts your circle. Life360 lists emergency dispatch among its membership features (App Store). iPhone 14 or later has Crash Detection that can call emergency services (Apple Support).
How long do these apps keep location history?
Orma keeps 30 days. Life360 lists 30 days on its Gold tier (App Store). Apple's sharing guide doesn't describe a history feature, and its privacy page says shared location data is kept for up to 24 hours (Apple Privacy). Google's Timeline is separate from sharing (Google Maps Help).
When will Orma be available?
Orma is coming soon to the App Store. Its price hasn't been decided.
Life360, Find My, Google Maps and other names are trademarks of their owners. Orma isn't affiliated with them. Details checked October 2026; tell us at support@ormacircle.com if something has changed.