With T-Mobile FamilyWhere®, a T-Mobile primary account holder can use the FamilyWhere Android app or T-Mobile.com to locate any phone on their plan that is on the T-Mobile network.
On this page:
- About the FamilyWhere service
- About the FamilyWhere app
- Signing up
- Add a Family Member
- Locate and check-in
- Android 10 location accuracy improvement: setting change
- Canceling your subscription
About the FamilyWhere service
- You can use T-Mobile FamilyWhere to find a phone, as long as it is turned on and in service.
- The FamilyWhere service includes a 30-day free trial for new users. After the trial ends, there's a monthly subscription for $10 that appears on your bill.
- All phones that can be located by FamilyWhere receive a notification when they are added to the service and a recurring notification as a reminder that they are still a part of the service.
- FamilyWhere uses geolocation data from the T-Mobile network and is not affected by changes to device location settings.
- A text message plan is not required to use T-Mobile FamilyWhere. Even if you have text messaging turned off, you can still subscribe and use the service.
- If your lost or stolen phone does not have GPS or if it does have GPS, but is not in clear view of the sky, your location may be reported as a wide area.
- In some situations, T-Mobile FamilyWhere® will not be able to locate a phone. The most common reasons are:
- The phone that you are trying to locate is deep inside a building or car.
- The phone is surrounded by tall buildings, hills, or trees.
- The phone is powered off.
- The phone's battery has run out.
- The phone is not in T-Mobile network coverage.
- Service on the particular line/number has been terminated or suspended.
About the FamilyWhere app
- The FamilyWhere app is available for Android only. For other devices, you can manage FamilyWhere bylogging in to your T-Mobile account, then selectingMy Account > Profile > Family Controls > FamilyWhere.
- Let family members check in with you through text message or check where they are on a map in real-time.
- Get text or email notifications generated by scheduled automatic location alerts.
- Access a seven-day log of FamilyWhere location history.
- Use any capable device—your phone, tablet, or computer—to quickly and accurately locate phones on your active account. No extra software is required.
- The FamilyWhere app does require that GPS is enabled for tablets.
- The FamilyWhere app isn't supported on any smartwatches except the Timex FamilyConnect smartwatch.
Signing up
What you need to use it
- An active T-Mobile account. FamilyWhere doesn't track devices on suspended accounts.
- A Primary Account Holder assigned on the account. Only the Primary Account Holder can activate FamilyWhere service and review located devices.
- A T-Mobile data plan.
- By design, FamilyWhere notifications can't be disabled on a child’s phone. These notifications are required by FCC regulations and by T-Mobile Privacy and Safety policy.
Sign up on T-Mobile.com
- Log in to your T-Mobile account.
- ChooseMy account.
- Select Profile.
- SelectFamily Controls, then chooseFamilyWhere.
- SelectGet Started.
- Enter the Basic Information.
- Review and agree to the Terms of Service.
- Select and name phones to locate.
- Choose Done.
Add a Family Member
Add a Family Member via Android
- Open the FamilyWhere app.
- Access the app menu by selecting the Menu icon.
- Select My Settings > My Family.
- Select Add Family Member.
- Allow FamilyWhere to access contacts.
- Select the phone number linked to the Family Member.
- Enter name, then select OK.
The My Settings selection from the main menu offers a My Familyoption that allows adding a Family Member, but this option is only valid if there are phone numbers that can be added to the Family. If none are available, the app will highlight that.
Add a Family Member via T-Mobile.com
- Log in to your T-Mobile account.
- Choose your name.
- Select Profile > Family Controls > FamilyWhere > Settings.
- SelectAdd Family Member.
- Select the phone number linked to the Family Member.
- Enter a name and choose a photo, then select Add Family Member.
The Add Family Member option is only listed if there is one or more phone numbers available to be added as Family Members. If none are available, the option will not be shown.
Locate and check-in
Locate a family member
- Log in to your T-Mobile account.
- Select My account.
- Select Profile.
- Select Family Controls.
- Select FamilyWhere.
- Select a name or mobile number to locate.
Locate a line after initial sign-in
The app automatically locates all lines on the list of locatable devices upon signing in. To locate a line after initial sign-in, choose the name of the device at the top of the screen. FamilyWhere will not work if all shortcodes are blocked on your account.
- You can track up to a total of 10 lines on an account.
- Only the approximate location (the nearest cell tower) of iOS (Apple) devices on your account will display in FamilyWhere.
- Tablets are trackable to a location as long as they are associated with a T-Mobile number and have GPS enabled. However, T-Mobile can't guarantee location accuracy on these devices.
- All lines on the locatable devices list receive a text message when they become locatable and about once a month another text is sent.
Access check-in details
- Open the check-in message that you received.
- Choose the URL included in the text.
Send a check-in message
- Launch the FamilyWhere Android app and selectCheck In.
- Enter the recipient and message content.
- SelectSend.
Create Landmark via Android
- Open the FamilyWhere app.
- Use the map to designate the location for the landmark. Select and hold the location for two seconds.
- Select Add a place.
- Enter landmark name, then select OK.
The Landmarks option from the main menu offers a Create Landmarkoption that allows creating a landmark by entering an address, but this option currently rejects many residential addresses. A landmark must be created if the 'You must enter a valid address. Double-check the address and try again.' error message is received.
Create Landmark via T-Mobile.com
- Log in to your T-Mobile account.
- Choose your name.
- SelectProfile > Family Controls > FamilyWhere > Create a Landmark.
- Enter landmark address and name.
- SelectSave and create.
Android 10 Location Accuracy Improvement: Setting Change
Location precision when locating newer Android devices can be improved by changing a device setting from the default. The setting must be changed on the located device, not the device you are locating from.
Change settings
The path to change the setting varies by device manufacturer:
- Samsung: Go to Settings > search for Service > select Service Provider Location > set to Allow All The Time
- Google: Go to Settings > Location > App Permissions > … > Show System > Carrier Location > set to Allow All The Time
- OnePlus: Go to Settings > search for Carrier > select Carrier Location Access > set to Always Allow
- Motorola: Go to Settings > Location > select Carrier Location Attribution > turn On
- LG: Go to Settings > search for Carrier > select Carrier Location Permission > select Permission Setting > set to Allow All The Time
Devices that require setting change:
- Samsung Galaxy A71 5G
- Samsung Galaxy Note 10 5G
- Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite
- Samsung Galaxy S20 5G
- Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G
- Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G
- Samsung Z Flip 5G
- Google Pixel 4
- Google Pixel 4 XL
- OnePlus 7T
- OnePlus 7T Pro 5G
- OnePlus 8
- Motorola G Fast
- Moto E
- Moto G8 Power
- Moto G8 Stylus
- LG Aristo 5
- LG Stylo 6
- LG V60 ThinQ
Canceling your subscription
- Log in to your T-Mobile account.
- ChooseMy account.
- Select Profile.
- ChooseFamily Control.
- Select FamilyWhere.
- SelectSettings.
- Under Settings select Unsubscribe from FamilyWhere.
- Select Unsubscribe.
If you're running into problems with this app, check out our troubleshooting tips.
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