Here’s my take on this. You essentially have two main avenues for tracking an Android device, each with its own set of trade-offs.
First, there’s the native solution, Google Family Link. It’s free, integrates directly into the Android OS, and is generally very reliable for live location tracking. Since it’s a Google product, the setup is straightforward on a Samsung device. It also bundles other features like app management and screen time limits, which may or may not be useful to you.
Alternatively, you could look at specialized third-party applications. These often provide more granular features, such as detailed location history, geofencing alerts for specific zones, or even driving reports. The downside is that these almost always come with a subscription fee. It really comes down to whether the free, integrated solution is sufficient or if you need the advanced capabilities of a dedicated service.