The “Find My” app makes it easier to help you find your misplaced devices and can also be used to share your location with someone. This feature is perfect for when you need someone to know or get to your precise whereabouts. Read on to learn how to do so using the app and for some other handy location sharing tips.
How to Share Your Location on an iPhone
When “Share My Location” is enabled in the “Find My” app, you can share your whereabouts with family, friends, and contacts on your iPhone. Here’s how to use the app to share your locality with people:
- Open “Find My” and press the “People” option.
- Tap on “Share My Location” or “Start Sharing Location.”
- Type in the number or name of the contact you wish to reveal your whereabouts too, then tap “Send.”
- Decide how long you want to share your locality, e.g., “One Hour.”
- Click “OK.”
The person you’ve shared your locality with will have the choice to share theirs back.
Share Location in Message App
- Here is how to share your locality with someone directly from “iMessage:”
- Open iMessage and compose a new message or select an existing one.
- At the top, tap on the person’s name, then the “info” icon.
- Choose “Send My Current Location.” The recipient will be able to see your current whereabouts on the map.
Alternatively, select “Share My Location” and how long you wish to share the location.
How to Stop Sharing Location
Here’s how to stop sharing your location with everyone or a specific person:
- Launch “Find My.”
- Choose the “Me” option.
- To stop sharing with everyone, disable “Share My Location.”
To stop sharing with one person:
- Tap on the “People” option.
- Select the person you wish to stop sharing with.
- Towards the bottom of the screen, tap on “Stop Sharing My Location.”
How to Follow a Friend’s Shared Location
When your friend shares their whereabouts with you, you can follow them. Once you’ve shared your locality with them, complete these steps:
- Launch “Find My” and tap the “People” option.
- Tap on the friend you have shared your whereabouts with.
- Towards the bottom of the screen, select “Ask to Follow Location,” then “OK.”
If your friend shares their whereabouts with you, here is how to share yours back:
- Go to “Find My” and press the “People” option.
- Beneath the person’s name, select “Share” to allow them to follow your whereabouts.
- Alternatively, press “Cancel” if you prefer not to share with them.
How to Share Your Driving ETA
Using the “Maps” app, you can let others know your estimated arrival time. You can ask Siri by saying something like, “Share my ETA.” When stationary and not using Siri, you can do the following:
- Start your route in Maps and then tap the menu at the bottom of the screen.
- Select “Share ETA.”
- Select one or more suggested contacts, or find a contact in the “Contacts” app.
FAQs
How do you turn on Location Services?
When you share your locality with a contact, you should have “Location Services” enabled first. Follow these steps to share your whereabouts with family:
1. Navigate to “Settings.”
2. Go to “Privacy.”
3. Tap “Location Services.”
4. Make sure the slider is green.
Can someone track my phone if my location is off?
Once your device is switched off, anyone with permission to track your device will only be able to trace it to the last location it was before being switched off.
Location Successfully Found
Using the “Find My” app, you can share your locality with family or friends. This feature is useful when you’re in an unfamiliar place, or someone needs to find you and the area is unknown to them. Sharing your location with someone you know is perfectly safe and can be revoked at any time.
Were you able to share your locality with someone successfully? Did this help them to find you or understand your exact whereabouts? Tell us in the comments section below.
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