Quick guide to personal tracking apps for friends, pets, parents

If tracking the location of family members and friends is your thing, there are lots of options with various bells, whistles and prices. A sampling:

Set up "circles" of friends and relatives — people with whom you want to share your location (and see theirs). Check in with others, set up location-based alerts, send messages or hit "pause" when you want to hide. Free for iOS, Android. www.life360.com

Invite other Apple device users to see you and share their locations. Follow friends on the map or set up alerts for automatic notifications. You can hide your location or set up times of day when you want to share. Free for iOS. www.apple.com/apps/find-my-friends

The Alzheimer's Association offers this Web-based subscription service for keeping tabs on loved ones who have dementia. Users have to carry or a wear a device. Caregivers can set it up to receive alerts if a user crosses a digital boundary. Starts at $42.99 per month, plus $45 activation fee. www.alz.org/comfortzone

If it's Fido that needs finding, Tagg offers GPS devices that attach to pet collars. A smartphone app shows the dog's location and sends alerts if it crosses a preset boundary. Starts at $99.95, with additional $7.95 monthly subscription after three months. www.pettracker.com

Katie Humphrey