Share your location with someone you trust
Step by step
- Open the Find My app and tap Me.
- Turn on Share My Location. Check Sharing From. If it names another device, such as an iPad, tap Use This iPhone as My Location.
- Tap People, tap the plus button, then choose Share My Location.
- Enter the person's name.
- Send it, then choose how long: one hour, until the end of the day, indefinitely or a custom time.
If they can't see you, check Settings, Privacy & Security, Location Services, Find My. It works one way, so they'll only be sharing with you if they choose to.
If you use Family Sharing
Go to Settings, tap Family, then Location Sharing, and turn it on for each person you want. Family members appear in your People tab, but sharing doesn't start until you choose it. The exception is the group's organizer, whose location is shared with everyone once Location Sharing is set up.
Who can use this
Apple describes Find My as an app for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch, so the other person needs one of those. For a live, moving location, you both need an iPhone with iOS 15 or later, and some options need iOS 17. If they use another kind of phone, this isn't the right tool. Not all iCloud features are offered in every country or region, so an option may be missing where you are.
What they can see
- Your location in Find My, Maps, Contacts and Messages
- Your general location under your name in Messages. In a group chat, everyone in the group can see this.
- If you both have an iPhone with iOS 15 or later, a sense of your direction and speed when you're moving
They can also ask to be told when you arrive somewhere or leave. To see these, open Find My, tap Me, and look for Notifications About You. You can delete any you don't want.
If your iPhone goes missing
Your person may be able to tell you where it last was, which helps when you're using a borrowed phone. Some limits:
- It doesn't always show. If your location can't be found, they see "No location found" under your name.
- It doesn't lock anything. To lock your iPhone, you still need to mark it as lost. A friend can't do this from their own Find My, but a family member in your Family Sharing group can.
- Nobody should go after it. Apple says not to try to recover a stolen iPhone yourself. Tell the police where it appears.
How to stop
- One person: tap People, tap their name, then Stop Sharing My Location, and confirm.
- Pause for the day: tap People, tap their name, then Hide Location. Sharing starts again the next day.
- Everyone: tap Me and turn off Share My Location. When you turn it back on, the people you shared with before can see you again.
Stopping in one app stops it across all of them. Apple says the person isn't notified, but they may notice, and on older software they may get a message. Deleting the Find My app doesn't stop sharing.
If you ever feel unsafe with someone who can see your location, Apple's Safety Check is a quick way to stop sharing.
Other ways to share
- Just once: in Messages, tap the plus button, tap Location, and send a pin. It doesn't update as you move.
- On the way home: Check In, in Messages, tells someone when you've arrived. It only shares your location if there's an unexpected delay and you don't respond.
How FirstHour helps
FirstHour doesn't share your live location, and it doesn't replace Find My. Plan B helps you send your first-hour plan to someone you trust. Its Phone check-in is an iPhone Shortcut you build yourself, which sends your location and a photo from each camera when someone you pick texts a secret code. It only works while the iPhone is on and connected. Recovery location, planned for later, shows only where your phone last reported, if you turned it on.
Questions
Can they see my location forever?
Only if you choose indefinitely. Otherwise it ends when the time you picked runs out, and you can stop sooner.
Does this let them see my photos or messages?
No. Sharing your location shares your location, and the details listed above.
Do I need this as well as Find My iPhone?
Yes, if you'd like a second pair of eyes. They do different jobs. Find My iPhone finds and locks your devices, and only you or your family group can use it for your iPhone. Sharing lets a person you've chosen see where you are.
Sources
- Share your location in Find My on iPhone, Apple Support
- Share your location with iPhone, Apple Support
- Find My and location sharing, Apple Support
- Share your location with your Family Sharing group, Apple Support
- Share locations with family members and locate their lost devices on iPhone, Apple Support
- Locate a friend in Find My on iPhone, Apple Support
- Sign in and use iCloud.com, Apple Support
- If your iPhone or iPad was stolen, Apple Support