What is Life360?
Hi there. Today, I’d like to introduce “Life360,” a location-sharing service originating overseas that is also available in Japan.
When talking about location-sharing services, many people might recall Zenly, a popular French service that gained traction among young users in Japan. A while ago, this service was closed and that became a hot topic.
Interestingly, the original Zenly development team has since released a successor service called “Bump by amo.”
I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, but here’s the link to the iOS app:
Basic Information
| Product Name | Life360 |
| Company | Life360 Inc. |
| Official Website | https://www.life360.com/ |
| Launch Year | 2008 |
| Free Plan | Available |
Overview
Life360 is a location-sharing service provided by a California-based IT company of the same name. Designed to ensure the safety of families and friends, the service was launched in 2008.
In 2015, Life360 partnered with Yahoo! JAPAN to promote the service in Japan. While this partnership has since ended, and the Japanese version of the website is no longer accessible, Japanese users can still use the service.
Life360 is available as an app for both iOS and Android. Users can create groups called “Circles,” invite members, and share real-time location information. Members’ locations are displayed on a map, showing exactly where everyone is.
In addition to location sharing, the service offers features like notifications when someone arrives at or leaves a specific location, as well as the ability to send emergency alerts to registered members.
Notably, during the 2011 East Japan Earthquake, some users utilized Life360 for safety confirmation.
Although Life360 is not specifically designed for business use, it could prove helpful in scenarios like coordinating teams at an event or managing multiple participants at a trade show.
I used LIFE360 with my family for a while, and I found it to be a very useful service for checking on family members if they got lost or for ensuring their safety.
For safety checks on children who don’t have smartphones, the “Mitene Mimamori GPS,” which uses a GPS device instead of a smartphone to track their movements, is a convenient option.
Mitene Mimamori GPS – https://productivego.space/en/about-mitene-gps/
Google Trends Data
Japan
Worldwide
Search trends for Life360 in Japan show a sharp increase in popularity starting shortly before the partnership with Yahoo! JAPAN in 2015.
Features
- Create “Circles” (groups) and invite specific members.
- Save location history.
- Notifications when a member arrives at or leaves a specific place.
- Car crash detection.
- Driving behavior reports for family members.
- Send emergency alerts to registered contacts with a single button.
- In-app chat within Circles.
- Track and monitor stolen or lost smartphones.
- Family vacation packages.
The app’s menu supports Japanese, as shown in the image.
While the app requires location sharing to be enabled at all times, Life360 is designed to be energy-efficient while maintaining high accuracy in location tracking.
Pricing
The Japanese version of the app appears to slightly different from the international version in terms of pricing and features.
For the most up-to-date details, refer to the official website or check the premium menu within the app.
Official site
https://www.life360.com/intl
iOS app
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/life360-find-friends-family/id384830320
Android app
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.life360.android.safetymapd&hl=ja&pli=1
