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iPhone provides a range of methods to share your location. There’s also versatility in sharing this information with an individual or a group, and you can even achieve this using non-Apple applications. You might be familiar with the straightforward steps, but if you’re interested in exploring additional ways to share your location using an iPhone, here are more options for you.
Emergency SOS via Satellite
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models running iOS 16.1 or later introduce the Emergency SOS functionality, allowing you to use your device when outside cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. Note that specific individuals or groups must already have access to your location (via the Find My app) before you venture beyond coverage. Once operational, the satellite updates your location every 15 minutes. Here’s how to enable it:
- Check your Find My app on your iPhone 14, the device you’re carrying beyond coverage. Confirm this is the device for sharing your location.
- Ensure ‘Share My Location’ is active in the ‘Me’ tab within the Find My app, with ‘Use This iPhone as My Location’ selected.
- Review the list of recipients for location sharing.
- Find a location with a clear view of the sky and horizon. Satellite functionality requires an unobstructed view.
- Launch the Find My app and access the ‘Me’ tab.
- Select ‘My Location via Satellite,’ then ‘Send My Location.’ Follow onscreen instructions, including turning to connect to a satellite, a process that may take minutes.
- This can be repeated every 15 minutes, but you won’t view recipients’ locations in the Find My app.
- The recipients need any iPhone (iOS 16.1 or later) model to get your location details. They should be able to view a satellite icon on your image alongside your ‘Satellite Location’ details. Recent location details remain accessible for up to 7 days. Note that this service operates only in the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, and the U.K. It isn’t functional above 62° latitude (e.g., northern Canada, Alaska) and is unavailable for iPhones bought in mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macao.
Find My
The fundamental method to share your location is through Apple’s Find My app, which combines the functionality of Find My iPhone and Find My Friends. To effectively share your location using your iPhone, follow the steps below.
- Begin by configuring location sharing to utilize the Find My app and initiate location sharing with friends. To check if it’s activated, navigate to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. Ensure the slider next to ‘Location Services’ is toggled on (green). Tap ‘Find My’ from the list of apps below to review location request explanations or modify access settings.
- While optional, you can customize location-sharing settings by accessing ‘Find My [device]’ under your name in Settings. Here, you have three options to enable based on your preferences: ‘Find My iPhone,’ ‘Find My network,’ and ‘Send Last Location.’ The latter two allow you to locate the device when offline and send its location at critical battery levels, respectively.
- Now, open the Find My app and tap ‘Me’ at the bottom of the screen. Activate ‘Share My Location.’ To cease location sharing, simply deactivate it. Additionally, you’ll see the device sharing your location listed under ‘From.’ Ensure it’s set to ‘Use This iPhone as My Location’ to establish your device as the primary source of location sharing. For other paired devices, you can switch the location to the respective device. Similarly, this can be accomplished within the Find My app on that device.
- To initiate location sharing within the Find My app, tap the plus (+) sign in the ‘People’ tab and select ‘Share My Location.’
- In the ‘To:’ field, enter the recipient’s name or choose from the contacts list.
- Tap ‘Send’ and specify the duration for sharing your location information.
- To discontinue sharing, navigate to ‘People’ at the app’s bottom, select the person’s name, and choose ‘Stop Sharing My Location.’ Confirm by tapping ‘Stop Sharing Location.’ If you wish to stop sharing with everyone, access ‘Me’ and disable ‘Share My Location.’
Family Sharing
Family Sharing is a dedicated method to share information with family members within a Family Sharing group. If you’ve already established a Family Sharing group, the family organizer should enable location sharing in Family Sharing settings, and group members can decide whether to share their locations, including you. To share your location:
- Access Settings > [your name] > Family Sharing.
- Scroll down and tap ‘Location.’
- Select the family members with whom you want to share your location.
- Chosen family members will be notified of your location sharing, visible through the Find My app, Messages, and Find People app (watchOS 6 or later).
Messages App
Sharing your location via message is another option. This method works seamlessly through Apple’s Messages app, requiring no additional applications.
- Launch Messages and choose a conversation.
- Select recipients from the contact list.
- Opt for ‘Send My Current Location’ to share your location on Apple Maps. Alternatively, ‘Share My Location’ allows you to set a sharing duration.
Contacts
Directly access your contacts list to choose individuals with whom you’ll share your location. Follow these steps:
- Open the Phone or Contacts app.
- Locate the specific contact and scroll down to ‘Share My Location.’ Set the sharing duration and begin sharing.
Apple Maps
Apple Maps provides an immediate option to share your location. Beyond rendezvous planning, you can instantly share your current location.
- Access your iPhone Home Screen.
- Tap and hold Maps to reveal quick options.
- Choose ‘Send My Location.’
Google Maps
For third-party location sharing, Google Maps is a reliable choice, accommodating users with or without Google Accounts. Nonetheless, note that you need a Google Account to use the feature and add the Gmail addresses of those individuals with Google accounts to your Google Contacts. To share your location via Google Maps:
- Launch Google Maps, sign in, and tap your avatar.
- Access ‘Location sharing,’ then ‘New share.’
- Specify the sharing duration.
- Select the profiles of users from your Google Contacts with whom you’ll share your location.
- Confirm by tapping ‘Share.’
You can also use Google Maps to share your location even with non-Google Account holders. Follow the earlier instructions.
- Under ‘Location Sharing,’ use the ‘New share’ option.
- Select ‘Send your location-sharing link.’
- Choose ‘Message’ to send via iMessage or ‘More’ to explore other messaging apps.
- The shared link remains active for 24 hours.
WhatsApp offers location-sharing capabilities by directly integrating it into its messaging service. Before using it, however, ensure location permissions are granted for the app on your iPhone.
- Enable location permissions for WhatsApp: Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > WhatsApp > Always or Settings > WhatsApp > Location > Always.
- Launch WhatsApp and select a chat or group chat.
- Choose ‘Attach’ and then ‘Location,’ followed by ‘Share Live Location.’
- Set the sharing duration and add a comment if desired.
- Tap ‘Send.’
