To learn how to share a pet GPS tracker and remove shared access—specifically how to share a Tractive tracker and remove access in Tractive's documented system—you must keep Family Sharing and Public Sharing separate. Family Sharing invites a person into their own free Tractive app account via the pet's Profile > Family Members screen, whereas Public Sharing creates a browser-viewable tracking link from the map or web portal. Removing a family member does not cancel an active public link, and ending a public link does not remove a family member.
This guide follows three official Tractive Help Center articles to help the tracker owner grant, audit, and revoke each route cleanly without confusing temporary signal loss for revoked access or assuming revocation deletes screenshots someone already saved.
Compare Tractive Family Sharing vs. Public Sharing at a glance
| Comparison dimension | Route 1: Tractive Family Sharing (Family Sharing guide & Permissions table) | Route 2: Tractive Public Sharing (Public Sharing guide) |
|---|---|---|
| Owner & recipient requirements | Owner requires a Premium subscription; recipient needs their own free Tractive account and mobile app (no separate Premium plan needed). | Owner requires a Premium subscription; recipient needs no Tractive account (opens via shareable link). |
| Documented entry path to start sharing | In the owner's mobile app, open the pet's Profile, select Family Members, and tap the invitation option (labeled send invite) to pick a contact or copy the invitation text. | Mobile app: Map screen > swipe up bottom bar > Share location > Share Tracking Link. Web (my.tractive.com): Trackers and Subscription Plans > [Tracker] > Sharing > Get Shareable Link. |
| What the recipient can do | View location and location history, and activate LIVE tracking (cannot edit virtual fences, Power Saving Zones, subscription billing, or member list). | View the tracker's live/current location on the map and switch map view styles via the link. |
| How to revoke / stop access | Open the pet's Profile > Family Members list, select the person, tap Remove, and confirm (pet disappears from their app without sending them a removal alert). | Mobile app: Map bottom bar > Share location > Stop Sharing Location. Web (my.tractive.com): Trackers and Subscription Plans > [Tracker] > Sharing > End Share. |
| Distinct states & data boundary | Track Invite Sent vs. Invite Accepted vs. Member Removed separately; removing a member does not stop an active Public Sharing link or erase previously saved screenshots/exports. | Track Link Active vs. Public Link Ended separately; stopping a public link does not remove Family Members or delete copies a viewer already captured. |
Decide what the recipient needs before creating access
Select the exact pet profile and tracker first, then choose whether the caregiver or viewer needs ongoing in-app access (Family Sharing) or a temporary browser link (Public Sharing). Verify that your Tractive subscription includes the Premium features described in the official guides before looking for these menus.
Grant, review, and remove Family Sharing
Tractive's Family Sharing article states that the main account owner needs a Premium subscription, while the invited family member only needs the Tractive mobile app and their own free Tractive account:
- In the owner's Tractive app, open the pet's Profile, tap Family Members, and tap the invitation button (labeled send invite) at the bottom of the screen.
- Select the intended contact or copy and share the invitation message through your chosen channel.
- Once the recipient opens that invitation link and signs in to their own free Tractive account, the shared pet profile appears in their app.
To audit or revoke Family Sharing later, return to the pet's Profile > Family Members screen. Select the member you want to remove, tap Remove, and confirm. According to Tractive, the pet immediately disappears from that person's app and Tractive does not send them a notification that they were removed.
In your household notes, keep four states distinct: (1) family invitation sent, (2) family invitation accepted, (3) family member removed, and (4) public link ended. Sending an invite does not prove the caregiver signed in, and removing one family member does not close out other members or public links.
Understand what a Family Member can and cannot do
Tractive's Family Sharing permissions table separates the Owner role from the Family Member role: both can view the tracker's position, review location history, and trigger LIVE tracking, while only the Owner can create or edit virtual fences, configure Power Saving Zones, manage the subscription plan, or add and remove family members.
The same page notes that certain tracking controls become unavailable to everyone—Owner and Family Members alike—when the tracker enters a Power Saving Zone or loses cellular or GPS coverage. Consequently, a grayed-out LIVE button or a stale map pin is never proof that shared access was revoked; always check the Family Members list directly.
Manage a Public Sharing link separately
Tractive's Public Sharing guide (also requiring a Premium plan) generates a web link so people without a Tractive account can view the tracker's location and toggle map views.
- In the Tractive mobile app: Select the desired tracker on the map, swipe up the bottom bar, tap Share location, and choose Share Tracking Link. When you want to revoke that link in the app, return to the same screen and tap Stop Sharing Location.
- On the web at my.tractive.com: Open Trackers and Subscription Plans, select the tracker, and open Sharing. Under the public sharing section, click Get Shareable Link to start sharing, or click End Share to deactivate the link.
Always check both routes when ending a pet-sitting handover: removing a caregiver from Family Members does not deactivate a Public Sharing link, and clicking Stop Sharing Location or End Share does not erase screenshots or history exports someone saved while they had access.
Keep a clean access log
Record which tracker was shared, which route was used (Family Sharing vs. Public Sharing link), who received it, the date you used Remove or Stop Sharing Location / End Share, and what the member list or sharing screen shows afterward—keeping live links and serial numbers private.
To understand how cellular and satellite hardware report coordinates before any account sharing takes place, see our GPS tracker explanation. You can also browse our cellular GPS pet trackers category for hardware comparisons. The header illustration shows a generic rounded tracker case and strap detail without depicting a Tractive app screen; see our editorial policy for how we cite official help documentation.
