As college students, we like to think that we are independent and able to get through life not needing to depend on anyone, but the reality is that we are always scheduling our lives around other people. Whether it’s roommates or family members, we have people in our lives who are worried about where we are. For some parents, it does not matter how old you are, if you spend a whole day outside the house and never remember to communicate with parents, you might be in for a conversation with an irritated mother or father.

Now, you could try to remember to communicate more, but, with classes, sports, work and unexpected events, communication can be difficult. Instead, you could get the Life360 app. This app will work on both iPhone and Android, and it’s completely free. To use it, you and your family or your roommate can download the app. Then someone sets up a family circle. After that, you can begin tracking your circle members. The app allows you to give updates at any time to all your circle members about your location. So, if dad wants you to tell him when you get to Kansas City, all you have to do is click the “check-in” button. Not only will he know that you arrived but also where you are in the city.

Maybe you’re not thrilled with the idea that your parents know where you are all the time. Ok, fair enough. What about your roommate or friend who is supposed to pick you up? How many times have you had to wait outside of Morgan Hall because your ride is late? They don’t text or call, and you’re left hoping that they are okay or that they did not forget about you. Life360 comes with a map that will track the progress of a phone in real time, so you can see exactly where they are at all times. The app will also tell you the exact route on the phone to get to the destination. Between the map and route history, you can see where they are and use the information to help give them directions. This can also help in locating your own phone, as long as someone in your group has their phone, you can use Life360 to track the location of your phone down to the building.

The app also has group chat abilities. All of this comes with the free version. If you choose to upgrade to plus, you get a few neat features like crime reports in the area and 30-day location history instead of the usual week of history. The Plus version is $7.99 a month or you can prepay for 12 months for $5.83. Either way, both are affordable. Life360 has helped my family and I by not only being able to tell when mom will be home for dinner, but also to help put our minds at ease when keeping track of where everyone is at once.