As a Christian woman, should you track your husband?

It was recently reported that Mike and Zara Tindall used Apple AirTags to keep track of their three young children. The Tindalls’ elder daughter Mia, 10, was photographed with a small silver AirTag attached to her shorts at the Burghley Horse Trials in Lincolnshire at the beginning of the month.

This brought on the question amongst colleagues, would you tag your husband? Someone then said, surely everyone does it – with the Find My Friends app?

If you don’t, and haven’t heard of it, Find My Friends is a live location sharing and tracking app, so you can locate family and friends with their permission. Perhaps the key is, with their permission.

I know one couple that use it, although I may know many more, it’s just not a question that often comes up in conversation, ‘So, do you track your partner…?’

I know one couple that use it, although I may know many more, it’s just not a question that often comes up in conversation, ‘So, do you track your partner…?’

So should you? Well, if it is practical, then why not? I know when my dad was alive, he would go on daily walks, and sometimes take longer than expected to get home. This was generally because he was talking to strangers he had met along the way….but perhaps it would have given Mum peace of mind if she had known his location, and could drive to check he was ok!

My husband sometimes sends me his live location on Whatsapp when he is coming home from work, but I don’t track him otherwise. I’m too busy to keep checking his wherabouts!

In my opinion, the AirTag-ing makes sense for children in busy and large places, like festivals and horse trials….but is it a bit extreme for married couples?

I heard from a couple who use the Find My Friends app. The wife said, ‘I mainly use it if I am cooking dinner to see how far away he is, and if he is being held up by traffic.’

We jokingly refer to it as the stalking app, and we also joke that you couldn’t have an affair. Letting someone know where you are all the time is a gesture of trust.

Her husband stated, ‘It’s very useful. The main reason is for safety. So if someone is on their way somewhere, we can make sure we know where they are. It’s been useful in the times I have got home early and my wife has taken the kids out for a walk, and I can immediately go to where they are. We jokingly refer to it as the stalking app, and we also joke that you couldn’t have an affair. Letting someone know where you are all the time is a gesture of trust.’

Which leads me to my main question in partners tracking each other - does it mean you don’t trust them? As Christians should we stay away from this heightened accountability, even if it seems ‘practical’?

I wondered what the Bible had to say on tracking husbands….sadly not a lot, but I think 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 gives some guidance. It says: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

So, in following the way of love, we ‘always trust’ and if tracking your partner is from any insecurity on your part, then that is a separate issue to deal with. If you fear your partner is cheating, it is surely better to have an upfront conversation, however difficult.

If you only use the app to know how far away your husband is so you can put the curry on, then I think that’s ok. No one wants burnt curry.