CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Computers, GPS, 'Smart' 'Phones

Real time tracking

(13 posts)

  1. NiallA
    Member

    Has anybody used a smartphone app that will permit a cyclist to be tracked in real time via a website? I see Strava has a Beacon function that seems to allow this, but you need to be a subscribing member (I.e. it costs money). I was looking for something that might be usable for our next bike bus outing, to allow parents to track where the group is along our route, so ideally would want something that’s easy to use, doesn’t need lots of registration/ sign in etc.

    Has anyone come across something suitable?

    Posted 5 years ago #

  2. jsh
    Member

    If anyone going has a Wahoo Elemnt computer, it has a Live Track feature which would do this. Obviously costs money to get one, so only works if someone already has one, but they're pretty popular. I presume Garmin does something similar...

    https://support.wahoofitness.com/hc/en-us/articles/115000500184-How-to-Use-Live-Tracking-with-the-ELEMNT-and-ELEMNT-BOLT

    Posted 5 years ago #

  3. Frenchy
    Member

    I use an app called Glympse. I'm not sure how easy it would be to let multiple people track your location - I've only ever had one person watching.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  4. fimm
    Member

    My garmin allows a person who I allow to track me to follow me in real time, via my phone (i.e. both phone and watch are needed).
    I don't know of a free smartphone app that does similar.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  5. Gresham Flyer
    Member

    Whatsapp allows you to send your live location for a specified period of time to an individual or group.I use it regularly for family to keep track of me when I'm on a ride. Free

    https://faq.whatsapp.com/en/android/26000049/

    Posted 5 years ago #

  6. biketrain
    Member

    You can do 'location sharing' via google maps on a smart phone. Just need to send the link to parents as you start and turn off tracking when you nolonger want to be found.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  7. chdot
    Admin

    “I use it regularly for family to keep track of me when I'm on a ride.”

    Do you turn it off when you are approaching a pub?

    Posted 5 years ago #

  8. Gresham Flyer
    Member

    Ahem...I can't be held accountable for coverage blackspots.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  9. chdot
    Admin

    “and turn off tracking when you nolonger want to be found.”

    Presume link doesn’t work again when tracking turned back on?

    Posted 5 years ago #

  10. EdinburghCycleCam
    Member

    +1 for Glympse. Had it for ages, used it a few times. Now I usually use it to show people where I am when I'm meeting them, since my friends are the sort of people who will text me every 5 minutes asking where I am - which isn't something I can respond to when I'm cycling through town...

    I use an app called Glympse. I'm not sure how easy it would be to let multiple people track your location - I've only ever had one person watching.
    You can share your location with multiple people easily:
    1. Open app
    2. Click the G logo and select "Share your location"
    3. Scroll down on the recipient list and select "Copy to clipboard"
    4. Select time to share for, and then click next
    5. Paste / text / email the URL
    For example, this is sharing for the next 30 mins: https://glympse.com/55F-CAW (Though considering I'm sitting at my desk, it's not especially exciting).

    Posted 5 years ago #

  11. acsimpson
    Member

    I use Road ID. It isn't always perfect but it is free.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  12. NiallA
    Member

    Thanks all. Several workable options there. Glympse looks as if it might offer some useful functionality, through its Public Tags feature - looks like I can share my location via a public tag called "bikebus", say, and then people can point a web browser to http://www.glympse.com/!bikebus and should see my track. That may have the advantage that I can tell people what to do/ give them the link well in advance, and then I just have to spell the public tag correctly on the day...

    Cheers!

    Posted 5 years ago #

  13. bill
    Member

    The question seem to be resolved but I will share my experience from my recent trip. I used 'location sharing' with Mr Bill via google maps as @biketrain also recommended.

    It seemed to work well. Most of the time I was using my phone in the aeroplane mode to save the phone battery and Strava app records the route just fine because it only needs GPS. Google maps location sharing requires you to be online. Whenever I stopped to check the map, I would briefly turn off the aeroplane mode, so Mr Bill would see the newest location. It also showed MR Bill how full my phone battery was which can be quite useful.

    Apparently it doesn't update the location instantly if you have the phone online, which perhaps isn't optimal if you are trying to find someone in the city. In such case WhatsApps probably is better.

    Posted 5 years ago #

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