Key Takeaways

• Teenagers have the highest rate of motor vehicle accidents, so using a tracking app is essential to monitor their driving habits and ensure their safety.
• The best tracking apps not only reveal the location of your teen driver, but also provide alerts in case of accidents and offer roadside assistance.
• Installing a tracking device or using a specialized tracking app can help you monitor your teen driver's driving behavior, including speed, phone distraction, and braking, giving you peace of mind and the ability to address any dangerous habits.

If you're a parent of a teenager who recently acquired a driving license, you're probably worried about their safety when you're not around to monitor their driving habits. But what if there was a way to keep an eye on your teen driver without sitting in the passenger seat? You could use an app to track and monitor your teen driver.

The best apps won't just reveal the location of your teen driver but will also alert you in case of an accident.

Why Do You Need an App to Track Your Teen Driver?

According to the CDC, teenagers aged 16 to 19 have the highest rate of motor vehicle accidents compared to other age groups. In fact, vehicle-related accidents are one of the leading causes of mortality among teenagers in the U.S. Some of the most common reasons for accidents among new teenage drivers include distracted driving, inexperience, excessive speed, and intoxication.

The best apps automatically alert you if your teen driver gets into an accident and requests medical services. Some tracking apps also offer 24/7 roadside assistance.

Most apps have an option that lets your teen driver share their real-time location with you. If you're concerned about privacy, you should know that, in the United States, it's legal to install a tracking device in a vehicle registered in your name (via NCSL). Some states also allow you to track your minor's vehicle secretly, but asking for consent is recommended.

Alternatively, you could also install apps to find your parked car, although a specialized tracking app has more features.

Let's look at the best apps you can use to track your new teen driver.

1. Life 360

With more than 100 million downloads across the Play Store and App Store, Life 360 is one of the most popular apps for parents to track teenage drivers. It doesn't just track your child's location; it informs you of their driving behavior, such as speed, phone distraction, hard braking, and acceleration. What's more, if your teenage driver gets into an accident, the app will send you an automatic message and SOS alert for emergency assistance.

Life 360 is free, but if you want to enjoy benefits such as stolen phone coverage, silent SOS help alerts, live agent support, and 24/7 roadside assistance, you need to pay for a premium package—Gold for $14.99 per month or Platinum for $24.99 per month.

Download: Life 360 for Android I iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

2. FamiSafe

The FamiSafe app includes a drive safety feature that lets you know your teenage driver's driving habits by providing your teen driver's real-time location and crucial data such as average speed, total distance covered, and highest speed recorded. If your teenage driver exceeds the speed limit or brakes suddenly, you will get an alert on your smartphone.

Besides that, you can compare weekly driving reports to highlight which dangerous driving patterns your teen driver needs to break. If you're worried about distracted driving, the FamiSafe app will monitor the screen time of your teen driver, so you can know if they use the phone while driving. You also have the option to upgrade to a $10.99 monthly plan for, which unlocks more features.

Download: FamiSafe for Android I iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

3. Bouncie

If your teen driver goes offline while driving, you could lose important data if you rely on the smartphone for location tracking. However, if you install the Bouncie system, you can prevent that from happening.

This is because Bouncie doesn't use the smartphone to transmit data, relying instead on a tracker device inserted into the OBD port of your car. However, the device will cost you $89.99 to purchase, while the monthly subscription charge is $9.

Once you’ve installed the device, the trip data is sent directly to your smartphone. Like most tracking apps, Bouncie will also tell you when your teen driver is speeding, accelerating too fast, braking too hard, or idling the engine.

But what makes Bouncie one of the best options is that it can monitor your vehicle's fuel economy, battery, oil consumption, and engine condition. If you pay the $8 monthly service fee, it will call roadside assistance if your teenage driver needs help with a flat tire, towing, jump-starting, key lockout, or gasoline.

Another cool thing is that Bouncie features accident detection, plus it's compatible with IFTTT, Google Assistant, and Alexa.

Download: Bouncie for Android I iOS ($8 monthly subscription required)

4. Tesla App

If you own a Tesla, you don't need to rely on third-party apps to track or monitor your new teenage driver since Tesla has its own mobile app. As long as your Tesla vehicle and smartphone are paired, you can track your teen driver remotely. But what makes it one of the best options is that you can control the maximum speed limit and acceleration via its app—this can stop your teenage driver from accelerating violently or speeding.

You can also receive an alert on your Tesla app if suspicious activity is detected. The latest Tesla models also make it possible to monitor the surroundings of your teen driver through a live camera feed on your smartphone when the vehicle is parked. Not to mention, you can control everything from the windows to the engine, horn, lights, and climate control remotely.

Download: Tesla app for Android I iOS (Free)

5. Hum by Verizon

Hum by Verizon is not just an app; it comes with an ODB reader, Bluetooth speaker, Wi-Fi hotspot, and a car charger with a cable. The app is paired to the GPS-enabled OBD device, so you can locate your car remotely. The Hum app will also compile a safety report based on your teen's driving habits, such as acceleration, speed, cornering, and braking.

Better yet, if your teen driver forgets when to service a vehicle, Hum by Verizon comes with a reminder, diagnostic checkup, and "ask a mechanic" option for any car-related advice.

The Bluetooth speaker is clipped to the car's visor to help drivers answer hands-free calls without taking their eyes off the road. Not to forget, your teen driver can request emergency assistance through the Bluetooth speaker in case of an accident or breakdown.

Hum is available at two different subscription tiers, which slightly change the coverage you receive:

• Humx: $15/month, including in-car Wi-Fi and roadside assistance.
• Hum+: $10/month, but in-car Wi-Fi can be added for an extra $10/month.

Download: Hum by Verizon for Android I iOS (Free, premium subscription available)

6. Apple Watch Family Set Up

If you don’t want to spend money on monthly subscriptions, you could consider he tApple Watch Family Setup for your child. You can use it to track your kid's location in real time and receive alerts when they leave a specific location. The Apple Watch also allows you to communicate with your teen driver via a call or text message.

Unlike most other services on this list, the Apple Watch won’t provide any driving habit data. However, if you’ve paired an Apple Watch 8, the Apple Watch Ultra, or the second-generation Apple Watch SE with an iPhone 14 or higher, you can set up crash detection to receive a message with real-time location in case your child is involved in an accident. The latest Apple Watch can also automatically call emergency services in the event of an accident and provide medical information to the first responders.

Another cool thing about the Apple Watch Family Setup is that your child doesn’t need to own an iPhone for you to track their whereabouts. If you’re a parent or guardian, you could pair your teenager’s Apple Watch with your iPhone, add up to six people, and see where all of them are at any time.

Not All Cars Need Third Party Tracking Apps

If you drive a car model built after 2020, you probably don't need a third-party app to track your teen driver.

Most car manufacturers, including BMW, Hyundai, GM, Ford, Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Mazda, Audi, Dodge, Chevrolet, Chrysler, and Kia, use digital car keys. This means that you can store your car keys in an encrypted mobile wallet—most smartphones paired with digital car keys can track the location of your car.

But even if you don't drive a car model that features smartphone digital keys, you can use any of the apps we've covered in this article to track and protect your teen driver.