Back in May, GM Authority discovered that OnStar filed for a trademark for the Family Link brand. Recently, our sources have provided us with more details about the new service, which is expected to be officially announced in the coming days.
So, what is it? In a nutshell, Family Link will give users the ability to locate a vehicle on an online map as well as set up scheduled email or text message notifications that provide the vehicle’s location at a certain time during the day.
Here are two very practical real-world use cases that we could think of for Family Link:
- Check to make sure that your son is, indeed, at school with his shiny new Camaro… rather than at the track leaving those Mustangs in the dust
- Track the progress of your spouse’s or child’s cross-country trip during bad weather
The GM Authority Take
Family Link seems to be targeted at families, especially those with new (or young) drivers. From that perspective, it’s very useful — and is a great first step in vehicle family security.
However, we’d like to see The General take its vehicle control options one step further by offering something similar to Ford’s MyKey, which allows parents to control several vehicle features such as setting the vehicle’s top speed, limiting the volume level of the stereo system, or muting the stereo system altogether, to name a few. Perhaps a similar feature set as Ford’s MyKey, however, would work best if offered as part of the vehicle options package rather than as an OnStar service.
Stay tuned to GM Authority for more exclusive OnStar news and GM rumors.
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