# Permanent Stalker Software Apple's New 'Find My Friends' is a Scary, Yet Practical GPS-Based App By Omar Yusuf | Published 2011-10-13 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/find-my-friends References: [gizmodo](http://gizmodo.com/5849003/find-my-friends-is-already-live) & [9to5mac](http://9to5mac.com/2011/10/12/find-my-friends-app-goes-live-ahead-of-ios-5-release/) Launched well ahead of schedule and ahead of the iCloud's release, [Apple's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fingerfind) new 'Find My Friends' app does precisely what its name implies: identify the exact [GPS co-ordinates of your closest friends](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kliq) and relatives. Whereas prior GPS applications would either broadcast your location as scheduled updates or whenever you renewed your [Facebook](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kinnect) status, the 'Find My Friends' app perpetually announces your current co-ordinates as you go about your business. For added privacy, users can select chunks of time to go off the grid -- during Happy Hour, for instance, you wouldn't want your professor discovering you're at the local bar instead of in a class tutorial. Personally, I place a degree of value on chance and serendipity, though it would be foolish to ignore the utility of this application. Finally, having the infamous "Where you at?" conversation will be a thing of the past. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.4/10 - Popularity: 43% | Activity: 82% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [Gadgets](https://www.trendhunter.com/gadgets) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Perpetual GPS Tracking:** Apple's Find My Friends app features perpetual GPS tracking of friends and family for added convenience and safety. - **Privacy Management Tools:** Find My Friends allows users to manage their privacy by selecting when they go off the grid, creating opportunities for innovative privacy management tools. - **Chance Enhancement Services:** Chance and serendipity become valuable services in response to the convenience provided by Find My Friends. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Mobile Apps:** Find My Friends is an example of how mobile apps can enhance safety and convenience, providing opportunities for further innovation. - **Privacy Software:** Possible further development of apps like Find My Friends could involve privacy-centric software to balance convenience with user safety. - **Social Networking:** Developments in social networking might explore ways to use geo-tracking to enhance social experiences, creating entirely new platforms for social discovery and connection. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Phone Locator Alerts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fingerfind.md) - [Customizable Friendship-Forging Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/iradius-networking-app.md) - [Anti-Stalking App Features](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tile.md) - [Proactive Tracker Detection Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/detection-app.md) - [Mobile Anti-Stalking Features](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/apple-airtags.md) - [Real-Time Tracker Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/safety-alerts.md) - [Location-Altering GPS Systems](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-gps-spoofer.md) - [Logistics-Tracking GPS Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/logistics-tracking-gps-app.md) - [Location-Based Social App Features](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/snapchat-home-safe.md)