If you are looking for the Google Trusted Contacts app, it no longer exists. Google shut it down in December 2020, directing users to Google Maps for location sharing. The app had over a million downloads and was genuinely useful for emergency situations — but Google discontinued it because location sharing was being integrated directly into Google Maps.
The good news: in 2026 there are better alternatives, and the most practical one (Google Maps) is already on your phone.
What Was Google Trusted Contacts
Trusted Contacts launched in December 2016 as a personal safety app for Android. It allowed you to designate certain contacts as “trusted” — family members, close friends. These trusted contacts could request your location at any time, and if you did not respond within a set time period (default 5 minutes), your location was automatically shared. This automatic sharing if unresponsive was the key feature that made it uniquely useful for emergencies.
Google shut it down in December 2020 citing that location sharing was now built into Google Maps. The automatic-if-unresponsive feature was not replicated in Google Maps, which requires manual location sharing.
Best Alternatives to Google Trusted Contacts in 2026
| App | Price | Platform | Best Feature | Auto-share if unresponsive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Maps Location Sharing | Free | Android + iPhone | Already installed — simplest option | No — manual only |
| Life360 | Free / Paid | Android + iPhone | Family circle with crash detection | Yes — premium feature |
| Google Personal Safety | Free | Pixel phones only | Safety check with auto-alert | Yes — via safety check |
| Find My (Apple) | Free | iPhone only | Most seamless for Apple family | No — manual only |
| Glympse | Free | Android + iPhone | Temporary location share — no account needed | No |
| iSharing | Free / Paid | Android + iPhone | Real-time family tracking | Yes — SOS button |
How to Use Google Maps Location Sharing (Best Free Alternative)
- Open Google Maps on your Android or iPhone
- Tap your profile photo at the top right
- Select Location Sharing
- Tap New Share
- Choose duration — 1 hour, until you turn it off, or a specific time
- Select the contact to share with — they receive a notification
- They can see your real-time location on Google Maps
Life360 — Closest Alternative with Emergency Features
Life360 is the most feature-complete replacement for Trusted Contacts in 2026. The free plan gives you real-time location sharing with family members. The paid plan (around Rs 500-800/month) adds crash detection, emergency response and SOS alerts.
- Download Life360 from Play Store or App Store
- Create a family circle and invite members
- Each family member installs the app and joins your circle
- See all family member locations on a map in real time
- Free plan: location sharing, basic check-in
- Paid plan: crash detection — if your phone detects a car crash, family is automatically notified
Google Personal Safety App (Pixel Phones)
Google replaced some Trusted Contacts functionality with the Personal Safety app — but only for Pixel phones. If you have a Pixel 3 or newer:
- Open Personal Safety app (pre-installed on Pixel)
- Set up Emergency contacts — these receive alerts if you do not respond to a safety check
- Use Safety Check — set a timer and if you do not check in, your emergency contacts are notified with your location
- Emergency SOS — press power button 5 times to trigger
For Kerala Families — Practical Recommendation
For Kerala families where one member works in the Gulf and the rest are at home:
- Best free option: Google Maps location sharing — enable for family members, they can always see your location. Works from Kerala to UAE without any issues.
- Best for emergency safety: Life360 free plan for domestic family members, paired with WhatsApp live location sharing for Gulf workers
- WhatsApp live location: Open WhatsApp chat with family member — tap the attachment icon — Location — Share Live Location — choose duration (15 minutes, 1 hour or 8 hours). Simple and widely used by Kerala families.
No. Google Trusted Contacts was shut down in December 2020 and is no longer available. The app was removed from the Google Play Store and stopped working after the shutdown date. Google directed users to Google Maps as the replacement for location sharing. If you are looking for similar emergency location sharing functionality, the best alternatives in 2026 are Google Maps location sharing for basic use and Life360 for family safety features including crash detection.
The best free alternative is Google Maps location sharing — already on your phone, free, works on Android and iPhone. Open Google Maps, tap your profile photo, select Location Sharing and share with family members. For more emergency-focused features, Life360 is the closest alternative with real-time family tracking, SOS button and crash detection on the paid plan. Google Pixel phone users can use the built-in Personal Safety app which has a safety check feature that alerts contacts if you do not respond.
The simplest way is Google Maps location sharing. Open Google Maps, tap your profile photo at the top right, select Location Sharing, tap New Share, choose how long to share and select family contacts. They receive a notification and can see your real-time location. Alternatively share live location in WhatsApp — tap the attachment icon in any chat, select Location, then Share Live Location for 15 minutes, 1 hour or 8 hours. Both methods are free and require no additional apps.
Google shut down Trusted Contacts in December 2020 because location sharing had been integrated directly into Google Maps, making a separate app redundant in Google’s view. The Trusted Contacts app had over a million downloads and a 3.8 rating but was not generating enough engagement to justify continued maintenance. Google sent emails to users directing them to Google Maps. However the automatic location sharing when unresponsive feature was not replicated in Google Maps, which was a significant loss for users who relied on it for emergency situations.
To share live location on WhatsApp open a chat with your family member or group. Tap the attachment icon (paper clip or plus sign). Select Location. Choose Share Live Location. Pick the duration: 15 minutes, 1 hour or 8 hours. Tap Send. The recipient sees your moving location on a map in real time for the chosen duration. You can stop sharing early by opening the message and tapping Stop Sharing. This works on Android and iPhone and is widely used by Kerala families for safety tracking.
Yes. Life360 works in India including Kerala. Download it from Play Store or App Store, create a family circle and invite family members to join. The free plan gives real-time location sharing on a map. Life360 also works internationally — useful for Kerala families with members in Gulf countries where one person can track the other across borders. The paid plan with crash detection costs approximately Rs 500-800 per month and adds emergency response features.
Yes. Google built Personal Safety app into Pixel phones (Pixel 3 and newer) which replicates some Trusted Contacts features. It includes emergency SOS by pressing the power button 5 times, a Safety Check feature where you set a timer and emergency contacts are automatically notified with your location if you do not check in, and crash detection on newer Pixel models. Personal Safety is pre-installed on Pixel phones and is the most direct Google-made replacement for Trusted Contacts functionality.
The Google Trusted Contacts APK may be available on third-party sites but the app stopped working after December 2020 when Google shut down its servers. Even if you install the APK the app cannot function as it requires Google’s backend servers which are no longer running. Do not download old APKs from unofficial sources as they may contain malware. Use the actively supported alternatives: Google Maps location sharing, Life360 or WhatsApp live location which all work reliably in 2026.
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Guide by Robins Antony, Digital Technology Writer, Webova Soft, Changanacherry, Kerala. Google Trusted Contacts shutdown information sourced from official Google announcements. Life360 features verified from official Life360 website as of September 2026. App features change — verify current offerings before subscribing.
