A GPS to SMS app allows your GPS to track your location and send it via SMS (GPS transmitter not needed). SMS is more widely available than GPS and generally more reliable in places with poor quality mobile signals.
GPS Locate and SMS will free, OpenSource and lets you do this.
People can both request your location and receieve messages that you initiate. Conventiently if you do find wifi but don't have a GPS signal there is the option to use the cell network to find your approximate location instead. Often there is a wifi signal but no GPS but this app can manage both.
GPS Locate and SMS
Features list from play store
- Functionality:
The basic and main point of this application is: to locate your position. If you have access to the Internet, you can get the location address. You can send your location to another user, or receive the location of another user. You can use the application to navigate to there. And receive an automatic answer to inquiry of your location.
You can choose between GPS or Network. This can be very useful when there is no GPS signal. Accuracy is also displayed. Internet is used to get current location address and online map when using google maps.
- SHARE your location to predefined number, with short comment.
- STORE three locations: You can use one as a GoHome Location and two more for other use.
Use Google Maps to navigate or show your current position. If you have downloaded maps of your planned location, it also works off line.
- RECEIVE location of another user, through received SMS. Receive SMS from another user and instantly record their position and get distance to given coordinates!
- SEND your location through SMS
- ANSWER for asked location with SMS.
IMPORTANT Application records received messages even if the application is not running, so when you receive a GPS Locate & SMS message it is stored in the application. App stores only the last received location!
- COMPASS, simple compass, just to help you navigate.
- TRACK, simple way to track received location. Your tracked location is in the middle of the screen and it shows in what direction you should go.
Another option is GPS to SMS by Tralchonok Labs also free.
Limtations are that SMS needs to be initiated manually and sends to one number by default, but a scheduling app like Tasker could send an hourly or twice per day SMS, and SMS could be used to update social media with your location, eg Four Square or Linked In. Anyone who does not get the SMS can request your location by SMS and you just hit Answer. Using SMS to send an email is another option, with some e-mail companies allowing SMS for 'posting' emails. SMS just sits there until you next have a network connection then sends which is handy.