GPS Tracking for Personal Use

Personal GPS Trackers

Personal safety is a huge concern. Why should advance technology like GPS tracking be reserved for professional use only when there are so many benefits for individuals?

Personal GPS tracking extends to all personal use cases for GPS tracking, such as monitoring the real-time location and location history of valuable assets, vehicles, and drivers. Personal tracking can be used to help you keep an eye on things that are important to you, from your car keys and laptop to your expensive equipment, valuable collections, pets, and more. 

At BrickHouse Security, we offer a range of personal GPS tracker devices including fully portable battery powered devices like our Spark Nano 7.

There are other tracker types available, including plug and play devices that utilize the OBD II port tracker in your vehicle, hardwired tracking devices that are professionally wired in to your vehicle, and even available magnetic case upgrades for your portable device that can increase battery life and rugged functionality. All these GPS trackers come with sim card included, lifetime warranty, top ratted customer service with affordable subscription plans.

Child and Family Safety Features

If you are a parent looking for peace of mind where your children are concerned, GPS tracking devices can provide that extra level of security. When selecting an appropriate GPS tracker for monitoring your child’s whereabouts, it’s important to consider the age of the child, the places they are likely to go, how they will best carry the device, and what features would help you, as the parent, to continue to monitor their safety. 

For example, there have been stories of parents using Air Tags or other Bluetooth based location finders to monitor their children, but this can be risky as these devices are not true GPS trackers and are at risk of tracking incorrectly or being viewed by unauthorized third parties. A true GPS tracker is the safest option. It can be difficult to find the best GPS tracker for kids, so we recommend considering first what features are most important to you. 

Other features that you may want to consider with your child tracking device may be: 

• A GPS tracker with geo fence alerts for families allows you to receive an alert when your child enters or exits a designated zone. This can be useful for elementary and middle school age kids who walk or drive motorcycle home from school. 
• Speed alerts if you are tracking your teen driver and want to ensure that they are safe on the road. 
• Two way communication if your child does not yet have a portable phone but may need to communicate in the event of an emergency situation. 
• A portable device with a long battery life that doesn’t need to be charged every day will be most convenient, so parents don’t have to suffer the consequences if someone forgets to charge it. 
• A wearable device or an accessory that makes the device easy to carry. If your child has special needs, you may also want to consider a wearable tracker, which is recommended for autistic children and children who have difficulty with communication. 

Trackers for Elderly and Special Needs

If you are a caretaker for an elderly or special needs relative, GPS tracking solutions can provide peace-of-mind. An affordable GPS tracker for the elderly parents with special needs allows a caretaker to monitor the whereabouts and movements of the person under their care at all times, even when they can’t be with them. 

Some features you may look for in a GPS tracker outfitted for a person with special needs:

• Geofencing allows you to set designated perimeters, perhaps around a house or care facility, and get real time alerts if a person crosses them.
• Wearability or accessories that make the device easy to wear so that the person does not lose or misplace the device. 
• An SOS or panic button equipped GPS tracker allows the wearer to communicate an emergency need without having to get to a phone. 

GPS Devices for Outdoor Activities

Safety is key for outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers. These thrill-seekers often go off the grid to experience something new, from the relatively safe activities of hiking and bouldering to more dangerous ones like boating, mountain climbing, or backcountry skiing, to name a few. A portable GPS tracker is key in location tracking for hiking safety, climbing safety, etc. 

Regardless of your type of activity, your safety is important, and it’s important for you to leave your activity details, arrival and departure times, and location with someone you trust. Simply sharing your location via your smartphone may work for a time, but in the event of a true emergency, this may not be sufficient. 

In wilderness areas, cell phone cellular network is often spotty or lost completely, and a cell phone’s battery life is shorter than a GPS tracker’s by many days. 

Some features you will need to consider when selecting an outdoor sport GPS tracking device:

• Durability to withstand unexpected conditions like rain, water, snow, and extreme hot or cold temperatures, as well as drops and falls. A waterproof human tracker device will be a necessity for swimmers, water sport athletes, and boaters. 
• Long battery life which will enable you to continue sharing your location as long as it takes for rescue to come in an emergency. 
• An SOS or panic button so you can communicate your emergency need immediately and not have to wait until you fail to return at the designated end of your trip. 
• Portability is an important factor as well. A mini tracking device for the person will be preferred, as most adventurers consider the negative aspect of adding extra weight to their pack. 

Trackers for Pets and Personal Belongings

Using GPS trackers on pets is a great way to keep tabs on them when they’re outside, on the go, or even traveling with you.

While many pet owners utilize simply location tagging devices, these are not effective in wilderness locations or in areas where the pet has wandered beyond a certain distance (approximately 200 feet). A GPS tracking device is most effective for pet monitoring as it allows you to pinpoint your pet’s exact location and follow them as they roam, enabling you to pick them up as quickly as possible.

Some features needed for a pet tracking device include:

• Durability, because you never know what your pet might get into on their adventure. A swim in the river? Dumpster-diving? It’s best to be prepared for the device to sustain damage while your pet roams. 
• Long battery life so that you can continue tracking your pet even if they are on the go for a few days. 
• Service in your location, especially if you are traveling with your pet. It can be even more stressful to lose a pet while on a trip, so be sure to check before you leave that your device will work where you intend to go. 
• A small GPS tracker for pets is essential as a larger device will likely cause them to attempt to remove it. 

The rules for tracking personal items vary slightly from those for tracking a pet, as personal items are not free-thinking individuals. However, a stolen personal item could be taken just about anywhere, so it’s important to ensure that your tracker is durable.

We also recommend that your tracker be well-hidden in this case because there will always be the risk that the thief will dispose of it quickly and leave you unable to track the device after the initial theft. A hidden GPS tracker for personal items is essential if you want to eliminate tampering. 

Travel and Everyday Use for GPS Solutions

When traveling, it can be helpful to use GPS tracking devices to keep tabs on your personal belongings.

Losing your luggage, for example, can be a much bigger hassle in a foreign country but having a GPS tracker attached to your suitcase can help you determine whether your luggage is on-site somewhere or landed somewhere else. A GPS tracker could also be useful for monitoring valuables that you leave in your hotel, family members who go on excursions separately from the group, or even monitoring your own movements so someone can watch your location from home.

Features you will need on your traveling GPS tracker:

• International service if you will be traveling outside North America. A personal GPS tracker for international travel will provide added security and peace-of-mind. 
• Portability as you will be unable to hardwire a device to your rental vehicle and unable to know for sure that a plug-and-play device will work. 
• Long battery life so that you don’t have to think about extra concerns during your travels. 
• Affordability is important to many travellers who will be seeking a budget-friendly personal GPS tracker for daily use. 

Technological Advancements in GPS Trackers

As technology continues to advance and evolve around GPS tracking, certain new and exciting features are constantly being added and updated for user benefit.

Some favourites include geofencing, which allows users to set predetermined perimeters and be alerted when the GPS tracker crosses those barriers, and real-time tracking, which allows users to see where the GPS tracker is located at all times, how quickly it is travelling, how much battery remains, etc. Users are coming to appreciate the personal GPS tracker with a long battery life, especially when cell phones have such short battery lives by comparison.

Another important feature is the personal GPS tracker with no monthly fee or with low fees that are fully explained by the company. Users want to know exactly what they are paying for and why. When utilizing a real-time GPS tracking device for person or a personal GPS locator with a mobile app, users want to be sure that they are getting the best features for their money. 

Users are also excited about innovative features like Bluetooth integration into existing systems, such as Google Home, Google Maps and Amazon Alexa bases, and app integration, which allows them to monitor their devices from any device, including smartphones and personal computers. A multi-purpose personal GPS tracker with Bluetooth technology has easily become one of the most popular styles of tracker. These advancements allow for more in-depth tracking and great ease of use. As these features continue to evolve, users can expect even greater functionality for their devices. 

Specific Use Cases and Security Features

Let’s explore some use cases where personal GPS trackers would be useful. Personal GPS tracking can be convenient in cases where users need added security, such as when out alone either running, hiking or tracking motorcycle.

It can be comforting to know that someone who cares about you knows your location and can see that you are following your intended route. In the event of an emergency, this information is invaluable. Carrying a lightweight GPS tracker is simple enough for runners and offers all kinds of return benefits, making it worthwhile.

Personal tracking can also be convenient for vehicle safety as GPS trackers can alert you to additional things beyond just location. If the device is hardwired into the vehicle, you can be notified when the vehicle has been started or has driven away at a time when it should be parked. A personal GPS tracker for car security can mean the difference between a car lost forever and a vehicle recovered safely. 

GPS trackers can be selected for their discreet appearances and easy portability, making them covert trackers for added security. A discreet GPS tracker can be invaluable for personal security. After all, if a thief has taken something of yours, it is in your best interest that they do not notice and disable the tracker and interrupt your monitoring. App-based tracking also allows you to be notified immediately, straight to your smartphone or computer.  

When you’re selecting the best GPS tracking device for your personal needs, the key to getting it right is selecting a tracker that will meet all of your needs. If you have questions about how to choose the right tracker, our team is always available to help. We can walk you through your needs, help you to determine your most important features, and recommend or customize a solution that will work to solve your problem.

Did you know

You are legally allowed to use a GPS tracking device on any asset that belongs to you, whether that be a vehicle, a valuable possession like a computer or musical instrument, a piece of recreational equipment like a snowmobile or jet ski, or something else. Certain legal considerations need to be made, however, if your tracking extends to the monitoring of a human as well. For example, tracking the whereabouts of your own vehicle means that you will automatically be able to track the location of its driver.

This is particularly useful for parents of teenage drivers as having data about driving habits, unsafe practices, speeding, etc. gives parents opportunities to educate their young drivers and help them improve. Parents can also use GPS tracking to find out if their teens are going places they shouldn’t be or staying out past their curfew. 

Transparency about using GPS tracking to monitor your family is a personal decision, but we offer some helpful resources to assist you with navigating difficult conversations about GPS tracking and how you intend to use the information that you gather.  

Before you actively track the whereabouts of a person who is not your child, we recommend making yourself aware of the legalities of doing so. In our GPS learning center, you can find an article about the legal ramifications of GPS tracking and a breakdown of the laws you need to be aware of before you begin. If you’re operating in a particularly complicated situation, we recommend seeking legal counsel to ensure that you are protected. 

Families may choose to use portable GPS tracking devices openly with one another to help ensure individual safety. For example, a woman who runs alone in the early mornings may consent to using a portable GPS tracker so her family can track her movements and location and ensure that she returns home safely.

Parents may use portable GPS tracking devices to make sure their kids make it safely home from school, whether they are walking, biking, or taking a bus. For elderly relatives or family members with special needs, providing a personal GPS tracking device can add peace of mind for the family and ensure that in the case of an emergency their location can be identified, and help can be sent quickly. Personal GPS tracking can be used to build trust and ensure safety in a loving family unit.

If you have questions or concerns about GPS tracking, device selection, accessories, platform customization, or anything else related to your GPS tracker purchase, our dedicated support team will be happy to assist you. At BrickHouse Security, customer satisfaction is our highest priority, and we want to help you to achieve your GPS tracking goals without hassle. Our GPS learning center and dedicated help site are designed specifically to help guide you through the process of selecting and setting up your chosen GPS device.