ok context — he's had a brain injury and sometimes wanders off confused. he's agreed to be tracked but obviously find my doesn't work since i'm on android and he's on iphone. what's the best cross-platform option that's reliable and not sketchy
for this use case (medical, with consent) i really recommend google maps location sharing. he can share his location to your google account and you see it in google maps on your android. permanent share works fine.
setup on his iphone: google maps app > his profile > location sharing > share with you > "until you turn this off"
reliable, free, cross platform, and he can see at any time that he's sharing. good for consent-based tracking
for actual wandering risk tho i'd look into a dedicated gps device too. apple watch with cellular is good if he wears it consistently. there are also medical alert devices designed specifically for dementia/TBI patients that have better battery life than a phone. brands like medical guardian and lifestation
OP: oh that's a good point. his phone dying would be a real problem
for phone-based, life360 is another free option that works cross platform. you both install it, join the same "circle," and see each other's location. works the same on ios and android
fair warning life360 battery drain is real — check the other thread on here about it lol
my brother has TBI too. few things that helped us:
the tech is helpful but the low-tech stuff saved us a few times when the phone was dead
OP: thank you this is super helpful. we have the medical id bracelet already. gonna set up google maps tonight and look at the watch option. appreciate everyone
sending strength. caregiving is hard
Start with a full-feature demo — no credit card needed.