How to Share Your Location on an iPhone

To share your location on an iPhone, open the Find My app, tap People, tap the + button, and choose Share My Location. Enter the person’s name, tap the Done or send button offered by your iOS version, then choose how long to share, such as one hour or indefinitely. They can then see where you are in their own Find My app.

That is the route for ongoing sharing. If you only want to show someone where you are right now, or let them know when you will arrive, Messages and Maps have quicker options. This guide covers each one, how to stop sharing, and what to check when it does not work. To ask where another person is, jump to the location-request steps.

Which way to share should you use?

Apple describes three kinds of location sharing on iPhone: once, on the way to a destination, and ongoing. The right one depends on what the other person needs to see.

What you want	App	What the other person sees
Show where you are right now	Messages (pinned location)	One spot on a map that does not move
Let someone follow you for a while	Find My or Messages	Your Live Location, which updates as you move
Tell someone when you will arrive	Maps (Share ETA)	Your arrival time, route, and location until you arrive
Confirm you got somewhere safely	Messages (Check In)	A notice when you arrive, and your location only if you do not arrive as expected
Share with your family group	Settings	Your location in Find My

Live Location is Apple’s name for ongoing sharing that updates in real time. Apple says the people you share with can find it in Find My, in Maps, on your contact card in Contacts, and by tapping your name at the top of a Messages conversation. It does not matter which app you start from. The location is shared the same way.

What you need before you start

• Location Services turned on. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. Location Services is the iPhone setting that lets the phone and its apps work out where you are. Apple Maps has a separate switch for ridesharing apps, covered in how to check extension permissions in iPhone Maps.
• Find My allowed to use your location. On the same screen, tap Find My and choose an option that allows access.
• Share My Location turned on. You do this in the Find My app in the next section.
• An iPhone on both ends for Live Location. Apple says both you and the other person need an iPhone with iOS 15 or later.
• A recent iOS version. Apple notes that some sharing options require iOS 17. If a label in this guide is missing on your phone, update iOS first.

The labels below follow Apple’s current iPhone User Guide. Older iOS versions use different wording in a few places, and those differences are called out where Apple documents them.

How to share your location in Find My

Use Find My when you want someone to be able to see your location for an hour, for the rest of the day, or all the time. First, set up sharing:

1. Open the Find My app.
2. Tap Me at the bottom of the screen and turn on Share My Location.
3. Look next to Sharing From. This shows which device sends your location. If it is not the iPhone in your hand, tap Use This iPhone as My Location.

Then add the person:

1. Tap People, tap the + button, and choose Share My Location.
2. In the With field, enter the name of the person you want to share with, or pick them from your contacts.
3. Tap Done (the send button on older layouts), then choose how long to share. Apple lists an hour, until the end of the day, and indefinitely. Choose Custom to set your own duration or end time.

These steps come from Apple’s guide to sharing your location in Find My. To help locate the phone itself if its battery runs out, turn on Send Last Location in Find My iPhone. You can reach the same sharing settings in Settings > [your name] > Find My.

Sharing your location does not make the other person share theirs. They choose that separately. If someone sends you a request instead, open People in Find My, tap Share below their name, and pick a duration, or tap Cancel to decline.

If you want your shared position to come from another device you own, see how to change the location source for Find My. The guide distinguishes a second device’s real location from VPN IP location and your carried iPhone’s GPS position.

How to share your location in Messages

If you are already texting the person, you can share without leaving the conversation. Messages uses Find My in the background, so the result is the same Live Location.

1. Open the Messages app and open the conversation.
2. Tap the + button.
3. Tap Location, then tap Share.
4. Choose how long to share. Tap Indefinitely if you want to share until you stop it yourself.
5. Tap the send button.

Your location then updates in real time inside the conversation. Apple also notes a shortcut: when someone asks where you are, a Current Location suggestion can appear above the keyboard.

Before you share in a group chat: Apple says that when you share your location in a group message, everyone in the group can see it. If you add people to the group later, you can reshare so they see it too.

Apple explains every option in its guide to sharing your location in Messages.

How to send your current location once

A pinned location is a single spot on a map. The other person sees only that spot and cannot follow you as you move. It is the better choice when you are meeting someone you do not want to share with long term, and Apple says it is the one to use in an SMS conversation.

1. In Messages, open the conversation.
2. Tap the + button, then tap Location.
3. Tap the map pin button in the top left of the map. Drag the map if the pin is not in the right place.
4. Tap Send Pin, then tap the send button.

On iOS 16 or earlier, Apple’s steps are different: tap the person’s name at the top of the conversation, then tap Send My Current Location.

How to share your arrival time in Maps

ETA stands for estimated time of arrival. In Maps, you can share it while you follow driving, cycling, or walking directions.

Know this first: Apple says sharing your ETA also shares your Live Location and the stops along your route, and that your location, route, and ETA stay viewable until you arrive.

1. Open Maps, search for the place you are going, and tap Go.
2. Tap the route card at the bottom of the screen, then tap Share ETA.
3. Choose one or more suggested contacts, or tap Open Contacts to find someone else.

You can also ask Siri to “Share my ETA.” The arrival time updates automatically if there are major delays. To stop early, open the route card, tap Sharing with at the bottom of the screen, and tap Stop Sharing ETA below the contact’s name.

If Share ETA is missing, go to Settings > Apps > Maps and make sure Share ETA is turned on. Apple’s steps are in its guide to sharing your ETA in Maps.

How to use Check In

Check In is a Messages feature that tells a friend when your iPhone has arrived somewhere. It does not share your location by default. Apple says your location is sent only if you do not arrive as expected and do not respond to the prompts. Both people need iOS 17 or later.

1. In Messages, open the conversation.
2. Tap the + button, tap More, tap Check In, then tap Edit.
3. Choose When I Arrive and set your destination and how you are traveling, or choose After a timer and set a length of time.
4. Tap the send button.

To decide how much is sent if a Check In is not completed, go to Settings > Apps > Messages > Check In Data. Limited sends your current location plus battery and network signal details. Full adds the route you traveled and when you last unlocked your iPhone. See Apple’s Check In guide for adding time or canceling.

How to share your location with your family

If you use Family Sharing, Apple’s feature for linking family members’ Apple Accounts, you can turn on sharing for each member from Settings.

1. Go to Settings > Family > Location Sharing.
2. Turn on Location Sharing for each family member you want to share with.
3. Optional: turn on Automatically Share Location to share with members who join later.

Each family member gets a message that you are sharing and can choose whether to share back. They then see your location in Find My. Apple notes that children and teens with Screen Time turned on may not be able to change their own location sharing settings. The details are in Apple’s guide to sharing locations with family members.

How to Request Someone Else’s Location on iPhone

Request Location asks the other person to share their position; Share My Location sends yours. They must choose to share before you can see them. Sending a request does not grant access by itself, and sharing with them does not automatically make sharing reciprocal.

Request in Messages

1. Open Messages and a conversation with one other person.
2. Tap + > Location > Request, then tap the send button. This sends a request instead of your own location.
3. Wait for the person to share. Their location appears beneath their name at the top of the conversation. Tap their name, then the map, to view it more closely.

Apple’s Messages location guide documents that route. Some layouts also offer Request Location after tapping the contact’s name. If you use that shortcut, choose Request rather than Share My Location. For a person on another platform, ask for a one-time map pin or use the Google Maps option linked below.

Request in Find My

Apple’s Find My friend-request instructions start after you have shared your location with the friend. Only do that if you want them to see yours; the Messages route above is a separate way to ask.

1. Open Find My > People and tap the person’s name. If they are absent, review the sharing steps earlier in this guide before deciding whether to add them.
2. Tap Ask To Follow Location. Wait for their acceptance rather than treating the request as completed sharing.
3. After they accept, select their name in People to see the map. If you already see their location, you do not need another request.

To respond, the other person opens Find My > People, taps Share below your name, and chooses a duration; Cancel declines. Apple’s Find My sharing guide also documents Me > Allow Friend Requests for controlling new requests.

If the Request Does Not Produce a Location

According to Apple’s friend-location guide, Can see your location means you are not following their location, while No location found means they currently cannot be located. Neither message proves that the person deliberately ignored you. Ask them to review their sharing duration, selected location device, and Location Services if they want to share.

There is no guaranteed delivery or refresh time. Avoid sending repeated requests while waiting. If they decline or do not respond, ask for a meeting place or a one-time pin instead.

Removing a person is broader than cancelling one request: it removes each of you from the other’s People list. On current iOS, Apple documents selecting the person, opening More > Remove. Review existing sharing before using it.

How to confirm it worked

• In Find My, tap People. The person you added appears in the list.
• In Find My, tap Me. Share My Location is on, and Sharing From shows the device you expect.
• In Messages, the conversation shows your location message. The other person can tap it to see you on a map and get directions.
• Ask the other person to open People in their Find My app. Your name should be listed there.

How to stop or pause sharing

Stopping is not tied to the app you started in. Apple says that when you stop sharing with someone in one app, you stop sharing with them across apps, and the person is not notified.

• Stop sharing with one person: in Find My, tap People, tap their name, tap Stop Sharing My Location, then tap Stop Sharing Location to confirm.
• Pause for one person: tap their name in People, open More, and choose Hide Location on current iOS.
• Hide your location from 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.
• Stop from Messages: open the conversation, tap the contact icon at the top, and tap Stop Sharing My Location.

Do not delete the Find My app to stop sharing. Apple warns that people you have shared with can still see your location after the app is deleted. Reinstall Find My and use the steps above instead.

If your personal safety is at risk, Apple’s Safety Check feature can quickly stop sharing your information, including your location. Apple covers both in its overview of sharing your location with iPhone.

Troubleshooting

Your friend cannot see your location

Work through these in order:

1. In Find My, tap Me and confirm Share My Location is on.
2. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and confirm Location Services is on.
3. On that screen, tap Find My and choose an option that allows access.
4. Back in Find My, check Sharing From. If another device is listed, your friend sees that device’s location, not this iPhone’s.
5. Check whether the time limit ran out. A one-hour or end-of-day share ends by itself.

Apple also notes that finding people with location sharing is not available in every country or region.

An option in this guide is missing

Apple says some location sharing options require iOS 17, and Check In requires iOS 17 or later for both people. Update your iPhone in Settings > General > Software Update, then look again. For a missing Share ETA button, check the switch in Settings > Apps > Maps.

Location sharing settings cannot be changed

On a child’s or teen’s iPhone, Screen Time may prevent changes to location sharing. Apple says a parent or guardian in the family group manages those settings.

Frequently asked questions

Does the other person know when I stop sharing my location?

Apple says the person you stop sharing with is not notified. They can still notice that your location no longer appears in their Find My app.

Can I share my iPhone location with someone who uses Android?

Not as a Live Location. Apple says both people need an iPhone with iOS 15 or later for that. For an SMS conversation, Apple says to send a pinned location instead. Share ETA in Maps also reaches other phones as an SMS message. For ongoing sharing across both platforms, Google Maps has its own feature, covered in how to see someone’s location in Google Maps.

Can I stop people from asking for my location?

Yes. In Find My, tap Me and turn off Allow Friend Requests. You stop receiving new location sharing requests.

Can someone get an alert when I arrive or leave?

Yes. A person you share with can set a notification for when you arrive at or leave a place they choose. Apple says you are notified when they set one, and a recurring notification needs your approval first.

Can I share my location without cell service or Wi-Fi?

On supported models, Find My can send your location by satellite. Apple’s instructions refer to iPhone 14 or later, an active SIM, and a clear view of the sky, and say the feature is not available in all countries or regions. You must already be sharing with that person in Find My before you leave coverage. Then tap Me and tap Send My Location below My Location via Satellite. Apple says you can send it once every 15 minutes.

What is the difference between Share My Location and Find My iPhone?

Share My Location controls whether people can see where you are. Find My iPhone is the separate switch that lets you locate the phone itself if it is lost. Turning off sharing with people does not turn off Find My iPhone.

Next steps

After you set up sharing, open People in Find My now and then to review who can see you, and remove anyone who no longer needs access. To control which apps can use your location, as opposed to which people, see how to turn off Location Services on iPhone (or for one app). If you are exchanging details with someone new, here is how to share contacts on iPhone.