If you need to obtain the whereabouts of a friend or family member, turn to your Apple device and the Find My app, which allow you to track down a person's location, or share your location with them, from your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch. It is even helpful in tracking down a lost device that is linked to your Apple ID or Family Sharing account. Show For the latest features of the Find My app, make sure you’re running iOS 15/iPadOS 15 or higher on your iPhone or iPad and watchOS 8 or higher on your Apple Watch. To update your device, go to Settings > General > Software Update. The app will tell you that your OS is up to date or prompt you to download and install the latest update. To update your Apple Watch, open the Watch app on your iPhone and go to General > Software Update. Turn on TrackingI've been working for PCMag since early 2016 writing tutorials, how-to pieces, and other articles on consumer technology. Beyond PCMag, I've written news stories and tutorials for a variety of other websites and publications, including CNET, ZDNet, TechRepublic, Macworld, Popular Science, Time, Fortune, US News & World Report, and AARP Magazine. I spent seven years writing breaking news for CNET as one of the site’s East Coast reporters. I've also written two books for Wiley & Sons—Windows 8: Five Minutes at a Time and Teach Yourself Visually LinkedIn. Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you'd like). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day. Table of Contents
How to Share Your Location Using Google Maps There is an advantage to Google tracking you through your phone: It’s easy to share your location with friends and family, especially since it's the most popular mapping app in the world. There’s a simple method built into Google Maps, and it works on both Android and iOS devices. Photograph: Simon Hill via Google Maps
You can review the list of people you are sharing your location with on that same Location sharing tab, and you will see their profile picture on the map if they are also sharing their location with you. To stop sharing or to get directions to their location, tap on the profile picture or their name listed at the bottom. How to Share Your Location Using Find My If you and the people you want to share your location with are using an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, then the Find My app is the easiest way to do it. Here’s how: Photograph: Apple
You can stop sharing your location on the same People tab by tapping on the relevant person and choosing Stop Sharing My Location. You can quickly stop sharing with everyone by selecting the Me tab and turning off Share My Location. How to Share Your Location Using Facebook Messenger If you are already chatting to the person or group you want to send your location to in Facebook's popular Messenger app, then you can share your location right there without exiting it. This works on Android and iOS. Photograph: Facebook
How to Share Your Location Using WhatsApp If the person or people you want to share with use WhatsApp, it’s easy to share your location with them. This is available on both Android and iOS. Photograph: Simon Hill via WhatsApp
How to Use Emergency SOS on an iPhone Apple's iPhone has a feature called Emergency SOS. When triggered, it sends a text message and shares your location with your emergency contacts.
It might be a good idea to try this when you set it up (and give your emergency contacts a heads-up) so you know exactly how it works. How to Use Emergency Sharing on Android Unfortunately, the emergency options for sharing your location differ from manufacturer to manufacturer with Android phones. You can usually hold down the power button to access emergency information or an emergency mode. On most Android phones:
Samsung phones offer something called SOS Messages. Here's how to set it up:
Google Pixel phones have an Emergency SOS function enabled in the Personal Safety app. Here's how to use it:
Remember to check who you are sharing your location with every now and then. If you're sharing your location regularly for safety reasons, you might want to read our guide, The Best Personal Safety Devices, Apps, and Alarms. How do I share location on iPhone?Share your location. Open the Find My app and select the People tab.. Tap the Add button .. Select Share My Location.. Enter the name or phone number of the person that you want to share your location with.. Select Send.. Choose to share your location for One Hour, Until End of Day, or Share Indefinitely.. How do I share someone my location?Share your location. If you haven't already, add their Gmail address to your Google Contacts.. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Maps app and sign in. ... . Tap your profile picture or initial Location sharing New share .. Choose how long you want to share your location.. How do you track a family member's iPhone?Locate a family member's device
After you share your location with members of your Family Sharing group, they can help locate a missing device added to the Find My app. See Locate a device in Find My on iPhone. Your devices are at the top of the list, and your family members' devices are below yours.
How do I see my son's location on iPhone?Tap Family Sharing.. Open Settings, tap Apple ID banner, tap Family Sharing (Image credit: iMore). Tap Location Sharing, tap Share Your Location, tap Send A Message (Image credit: iMore). Open Settings, tap Apple ID banner, tap Family Sharing (Image credit: iMore). |