I’m worried about my kid going out without telling me where and the messenger app sometimes shows a location but not always. I’ve checked the settings and asked them but nothing works consistently. Is there a way to see it without them knowing?
Totally get the frustration - the built-in location sharing in Messenger is pretty unreliable and only works when the other person actively shares it, so you can’t force it to show up consistently.
For kids, honestly skip Messenger for this and just set up Find My (iPhone) or Google Family Link (Android) - those are built for exactly this, they’re always-on, and as the parent you’re supposed to have access anyway so no sneaking required.
Having a straight-up “I need to know where you are” conversation works better long-term too - most kids will tolerate a tracking app way more than they’ll admit if you frame it as a safety thing rather than a spy thing. 