What is real-time movement on the map? – Life360

Real-time movement is visible on the map when a member is moving.

You may be able to see another Circle member moving in real-time if their device has a very strong and consistent connection to the internet while they are moving. Having drive detection turned on, for Gold and Platinum members, will help in seeing real-time movement.

To see real-time movement:

The app gets a signal every two seconds while being viewed. If no one is watching, it will not get a signal that often. It may take up to ten seconds for movement to show on the map.
You need to start watching the member on the map after they have already started moving. If you start watching when they are stopped, it will never show movement. Close the app and try again once they are moving.
Real-time movement will show for only one hour in a rolling 3-hour window. This is done to conserve the battery life of the member who is driving. Pressing the refresh button will reset this process and will show about 25 more seconds of real-time movement. If both phones are plugged in, this will extend this time.
There is a 5-minute limit on watching real-time movement to prevent battery and data drain on the phone of the person who is moving. To restart this, close and reopen the app, or press the refresh button.
Real-time driving speed may only be shown when a member is driving, not while walking, running, or biking. A reliable actual speed may not always be available so real-time speed may not always be shown. In this case, a spinning purple circle may be shown instead of the actual speed.
Take a look at the animation below to see this.

If you are not seeing real-time movement, here are some reasons why:

Real-time requires data service and may not function properly if the cell signal or GPS are low or interrupted. (e.g., less than two bars)
Real-time movement will not be shown if the member's battery is 10% or lower.
Real-time requires the app to be allowed to run in the background and without battery saver mode in use on the phone.
CDMA cell carriers (including Verizon, Sprint, and US Cellular) do not always support internet while on a phone call. If your cell provider does not support internet while on a phone call, our system will not be able to update your movement, driving behaviors or detect a collision if you are on a phone call.
Check this FAQ that shows the phone settings needed for the best location accuracy and timeliness.

NOTE: Viewing a member's drive causes additional battery and data usage on their phone, and to a lesser extent, on your phone. We recommend not watching another member for too long a period so as not to drain their battery and increase their data usage.

The image below shows the real-time 'speed bubble'. This will appear when the member's connection to Life360 is strong and consistent.

NOTE: If the map is only showing a spinning circle, this means that we are not able to detect that member's speed due to their phone not having a strong connection to the app at that moment.

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