Location sharing is one of those things you set and forget, but can be helpful in a pinch. For example, if you happen to get separated from friends or family while out and about, location sharing can be helpful to find each other. You might also enjoy seeing what your closest contacts are up to (just don’t be surprised when they ask to track you back.)
When you share your location on your iPhone, the people you share it with will be able to find your exact location on a map in the Find My app. It’s easy to set up, so long as you know where to look.
How to enable Location Sharing in the Find My app
Find My is your one-stop shop for tracking friends, devices, and items. That includes everything from your iPad, AirPods, and AirTags, in addition to any friends and family members you share your location with.
To start location sharing in the Find My app, open the app. Next, tap on Me in the bottom right. You should see a toggle to enable Share My Location.
If it’s already active, the toggle will be green; otherwise, it’ll be gray. Tapping on Location will give you some options to give a nickname to your current location, like Home, Work, School, etc.
How to share your location on iPhone in the Find My app
To share your location with friends or family, go to the Find My app. Then tap on the People tab. After that, tap the + icon and tap Share My Location in the pop-up menu.
Another menu will pop up allowing you to type in the name you want to share your location with. After choosing the person and tapping on Send, you’ll be given the option to choose how long to share your location for. You can share your location for an hour, until the end of the day, or indefinitely. The latter is what most people choose when they want to be “friends” on Find My, while the former two works well for temporarily sharing your location with a contact. That way, you won’t accidentally forget to disconnect from sharing.
Pro tip: You can also share your location with someone from Messages. Just tap their name at the top of the screen, hit Share My Location, then choose your desired length of time. You can also do the same from a contact’s card in Contacts. Apple loves offering multiple ways to do the same thing.
How to stop sharing your location on iPhone in the Find My app
Sometimes you want to stop sharing with people for one reason or another. To stop sharing your location, go back to the Find My app. Tap on the People tab and choose the person you’re location sharing with. From here, choose Stop Sharing My Location, and you won’t need to worry about them tracking you going forward.
