GPS Trackdown is an Android app that’s designed to give Android smartphone users the most that their GPS can offer from within one single app. It allows you to share your location in a case on an emergency, load up an ICE contact, track a lost phone, plan a route, find out the weather and all sorts of other things all from within just one app. Users can think of GPS Trackdown as a sort of toolbox for the GPS chip inside of our smartphones that you could say go under-utilized by the majority of people. Privacy is taken seriously by the developer of this app, and it gives over complete control to the user on what they to share, with whom and when. There is nothing automated here, and the user controls what is shared and how. So, let’s see what all the fuss is about, shall we?
First off, users will need to download GPS Trackdown from the Play Store. It’s a complete free app to download, which is an added bonus. When users first launch the app, they’ll see the main menu of the app.
From here, users will need to choose different part of the app, depending on what it is they want to do. For a lot of users, GPS Trackdown will be used to keep their device a little safer, this includes the option to allow people to track your device, as well as access your ICE – in case of emergency contact – all from one device. Users can swipe left and right to get to different screens, as well as access the menu from the top-right corner of the app.
This menu is the one that has most of the safety features included, such as your ICE contact, as well the option to change some of the functions of the app, and location history. Other sections of the app include niceties such as navigation and directions.
Users can go ahead and search for wherever they want, and the app will use your GPS to detect exactly where you’re coming from, eliminating any serious issues.
These directions use Google Maps, which might put off some users, but it does of course mean that you’ll be using up-to-date and current maps and location data, rather than relying on something that’s a little out of date.
Other luxuries that GPS Trackdown have on offer include the ability to show real time traffic in your area, again thanks to the app using your GPS signal to fight out where you are. This makes it nice and easy to plan a route, and make sure that you dodge the usual traffic, or get caught up in local hotspots you might not know about while on the road.
Thanks to these features, GPS Trackdown quickly asserts itself as an app that can be used to make getting from A-to-B a lot easier, but it can also be a great help when making your way back to your car using its “Where did I park?” feature.
Of course, for a lot of users, the main attraction of such an app are the security features, like the ability to track your phone should you have lost it, as well as get the last location reported before your device runs out of battery if it’s lost or stolen. Syncing data with your Gmail account will make it nice and easy to see where your device is, which can be a big help if you’re wondering where your device has gotten to.
This is a pretty important feature, and there are all kinds of settings and such available for those that are privacy-conscious, allowing them to cut off different features and take control of their privacy. This is where a lot of the main features can be turned on or off, and while this isn’t the most seamless of things for users, it gives them total control over things, and it’s something that a lot of them will really value.
After spending some time with GPS Trackdown, it’s clear to see what the developer was going for, and even clearer to see where the problems with the app lie. The functionality here is great, there’s no getting around the fact that some of the directions and such can be done by other apps just as well, but the overall package brings a lot of things together in a neat package that shouldn’t be dismissed. The functionality is here, but the overall look and feel simply isn’t. The menus are disparate and separated from each other and with no clear set of instructions on offer, it’s difficult to figure out exactly how and why the app is useful, and some users will certainly struggle more than others. It’s not a problem for those that know what they’re doing, but GPS Trackdown starts to become less and less useful when users start spending more time figuring out how to use it. It does what it’s supposed to do however, and it makes good use of the GPS and location chips inside of our smartphones, that’s for sure.
Ratings
- Speed (4/5) – GPS Trackdown runs well, finds your location in no time, and can help save you time throughout the day.
- Theme (3/5) – With no interactive tutorial, a confusing layout with some features laid out one way and others laid out differently, GPS Trackdown is need of a tidy up as well as a fresh coat of paint to impress people with its visuals.
- Features (4/5) – Even though the overall look and feel might not be here in GPS Trackdown, the functionality certainly is, and for a free app to offer all of this, the developer has done a good job of bringing all these features together in a single app.
- Overall (4/5) – While it’s in need of a fresh coat of paint, GPS Trackdown has a lot to offer users, and it’s the sort of app that will appeal to those that travel a lot or want to keep tabs on their device at all times.
Pros
- Works well on any Android device out there, dating back to versions of Android as early as 4.1, too.
- Completely free to download and use, without the need of any subscriptions or anything like that.
- Makes getting from A-to-B easier, as well as helping users find out where they parked their car if they happen to forget.
- Allows users to find out where their phone is, as well as get a message of its last location before the battery runs out should it be lost for a long time, or worse, stolen.
Cons
- Doesn’t sport an attractive user interface, and might leave some users in the dark.
- No interactive tutorial included, although there is a website for users willing to read through an FAQ of sorts.
GPS Trackdown is the sort of app that might not appeal to everyone, but those that travel a lot as well as those looking to make sure their phone stays their phone, it has a lot to offer. The variety of different functions that this app has to offer is impressive, and if you’re looking to get to one place from another, as well as find your parked car, this gets the job done. It’s even better at making sure your phone doesn’t disappear over time, and it makes it nice and easy to track down a lost or stolen phone, even reporting the last location before the battery gives up on you.