Top 7 GPS Tracker Apps for Android to Log Your Coordinates

The purpose of GPS trackers is to identify, lock down, and track objects, such as people, cars, places, or anything tagged with a GPS device. They also log useful information. I, like many others, have a poor sense of direction and often forget which way to go in parking lots. If you can relate, you’ll find these Android GPS tracker apps useful in tricky situations.

1. Glympse

Glympse revolutionized location sharing with friends and family. It’s incredibly user-friendly. To use it, simply send a Glympse to anyone. The app generates a link that can be shared with anyone, regardless of whether they have the Glympse app or not. All they need is an internet connection to view your location. Simple and convenient.

The app’s ability to create a temporary location link is what I like. Once the set time expires, the recipient can no longer view or track you. There is no sign up process. The app is free without any ads.

I used it to invite my friends to a ride at Imagica last week, a theme park in Mumbai.

2. GPS Logger

GPS Logger is a compact app with a red interface. It will log your coordinates, location, and altitude in a kml or gpx file. GPS Logger is included on the list due to its open source nature and lack of ads.

You can create placemarks to indicate your location. The altitude can be manually corrected if autocorrect fails to update using NGA EGM96 Earth Geoid Model. In my experience, you will need to use the manual correction because sometimes it may not connect.

It will also measure speed and distance traveled, which can be useful later. Finally, the results can be viewed in Google Earth, enhancing the appearance of the route.

Fun Fact: One career thief agreed to wear a GPS tag.

Glympse facilitates temporary location sharing, while Family Locator enables constant tracking of family members.

To get started, create a Circle group and add your spouse, kids, and even friends. The app will display their real-time location and allow you to communicate with them.

The app will notify you when the person reaches their destination. You can also use the app to find your mobile devices if you haven’t registered them on Google.

The app can notify family members or friends in emergency situations like a car crash. Family Locator does this by analyzing and recording your driving habits.

The free version allows only 2 check-ins while the pro version, with all features unlocked, costs $2.99/month.

4. GPX Viewer – Tracks, Routes & Waypoints

GPX Viewer transforms your droid into a GPS navigator effortlessly. It allows you to track waypoints, routes, and locations using kml and gpx. You can easily annotate and mark your map with various colors and markers to aid others in finding and connecting with you. This app is perfect for outdoor enthusiasts who frequently go on tracking and field trips.

You can log your coordinates, speed, elevation, distance, temperature, and heart rate. I use Google Maps as my preferred navigation app, but GPX Viewer is compatible with other favorites. The pro version costs $5.49 and enables offline map and data saving for situations like being in the Amazon rainforest or dealing with connectivity issues. It also utilizes OpenStreetMap.

5. Life360

Another way to use GPS technology is to track your family members for safety. Life360 is an app that allows you to monitor your loved ones in real-time on a map. You will receive notifications when they reach their destination, if desired.

A noteworthy feature of Life360 is its ability to send a silent SOS with your location in case of an emergency or if you are trapped. This is part of Family Safety Assist, which also includes services like towing, medical help, and disaster response.

However, all these features are not available for free. To access them, you will need to subscribe to their family plan, which costs $4.17 per month when billed annually. Considering the safety it provides for your entire family, this is a small price to pay. Life360 is considered one of the best GPS tracker apps for both Android and iOS users.

In an interesting incident, three women had to be rescued in the middle of the night from a boat launch. The reason behind this was that the GPS device on their rented Merc SUV directed them there instead of a hotel in Bellevue.

6. Open GPS Tracker

Love Twitter? Want to record audio, video, and add a picture along with your tracking details? Open GPS Tracker can do all of this and more, making it a must-have tool.

Apart from logging your coordinates on your Android device, you can also share a summary of events in a tweet. The app allows you to record your adventurous journey in images, audio, and video. You can also add text messages. The app is free to download and ad-free.

7. Find My Device

Not exactly a logger but more of a dedicated tracker, Find My Device is a GPS app by Google. Install and use this app to find your Android smartphone. I installed it on my mom’s phone because she keeps forgetting it everywhere.

You can ring it, send a custom message to flash on the screen, wipe data on the device and SD card, and locate it on a map. Totally free.

Follow My Lead

These GPS loggers and trackers are among the best for Android smartphone users. There are various GPS apps available for different purposes and situations. Whether you’re traveling to new destinations or monitoring your family, dedicated GPS solutions can assist you. Remember that having too many GPS apps on your phone will drain the battery faster. So, only use them when necessary instead of having all of them.