T-Mobile has added a new family locator service to its suite of carrier-specific Android apps this morning. T-Mobile Android owners will now find FamilyWhere, powered by Location Labs’ Safely software, in the Android market on their smartphones. With FamilyWhere, family members will be able to find each other from their phone or browser, even if the other family phones aren’t equipped with a GPS radio.

T-Mobile’s press release says in 2011, more than 16 million U.S. subscribers used a location-based “check-in” service on their smartphones. Based on this growing demand, T-Mobile is happy to offer a free check-in service that gives “its customers additional peace of mind knowing where their loved ones are.”

“The expansion of our FamilyWhere suite of services is just another way we’re demonstrating our ongoing commitment to providing amazing, affordable services to consumers across carriers,” said Torrie Dorrell, vice president of Applications, Content and Games for T-Mobile USA. “We’re proud to offer the check-in feature to consumers with no additional fee or subscription required to share location with friends and family, regardless of network.”

FamilyWhere Locate Check-In is a richer service that provides a real-time view of family devices and better tracking abilities costing $9.99 a month. FamilyWhere Check-in is a free download from the Android market.

Press Release:

T-Mobile USA, Inc. introduces FamilyWhere® Check In, a free feature of the popular FamilyWhere service for families, powered by Safely, a division of Location Labs.1 The FamilyWhere Check In service is only available to T-Mobile customers and can be downloaded from the Android Market. The new service joins T-Mobile’s bonus apps and services program, which allows customers to get more and do more with their data plans running on America’s Largest 4G Network™.

In 2011, more than 16 million U.S. mobile subscribers used location-based “check-in” services on their phones.2 With this growing demand, T-Mobile is proud to offer a free check-in service that gives its customers additional peace of mind knowing where their loved ones are. With just one click, the service enables kids to quickly and easily send an SMS with their location to family and friends. As an SMS with a link to a map, the check-in may be viewed from any Web browser-enabled device on any network.

“The expansion of our FamilyWhere suite of services is just another way we’re demonstrating our ongoing commitment to providing amazing, affordable services to consumers across carriers,” said Torrie Dorrell, vice president of Applications, Content and Games for T-Mobile USA. “We’re proud to offer the check-in feature to consumers with no additional fee or subscription required to share location with friends and family, regardless of network.”

Exclusive to T-Mobile, FamilyWhere Check In expands the functionality of FamilyWhere, a location-based suite of services that helps customers keep track of the most important people in their lives. Upgrading will give families with active kids greater peace of mind with the following features:

• On-demand location. Easily locate all devices on your account any time they are connected to T-Mobile’s network.
• Broad device support. Even locates devices without GPS and without installing any additional software.
• Automatic alerts. Schedule SMS or email alerts whenever family members aren’t where they’re supposed to be.
• View locations from anywhere. From the convenience of your Android device or from any Web browser, you can verify your family’s whereabouts.

An upgrade to FamilyWhere Locate is $9.99 (U.S.) per month and can support up to 10 devices per account. For more information about FamilyWhere and other family service options, visit http://family.t-mobile.com/safety-and-security or find the application in Android Market.