How-to
How to share your location with family
Step-by-step ways to share your location with family: Find My, Messages, Google Maps and family locator apps — and which one fits your family best.
Published by the makers of AI Family Locator. See our product facts and limitations when choosing a location-sharing tool.
Sharing location makes everyday family life calmer: no more “are you there yet?” texts, and a quick way to know someone got home after a late shift. Here are the main ways to do it, from the free built-in tools to apps made for families.
Option 1: Find My (iPhone, iPad, Mac)
Apple’s Find My app is built into every iPhone.
- Open Find My and tap People.
- Tap + (or Share My Location), then choose a contact.
- Pick how long: one hour, until the end of the day, or indefinitely.
If you use Family Sharing, you can turn on location sharing for the whole family group in Settings → your name → Family Sharing → Location Sharing.
Good for: families where everyone has an iPhone. Limits: doesn’t work with Android phones.
Option 2: Messages (iPhone)
In a conversation, tap the person’s name at the top, then Share My Location. It’s quick for one-off moments like meeting up in a crowded place.
Option 3: Google Maps (iPhone and Android)
- Open Google Maps and tap your profile picture.
- Tap Location sharing → New share.
- Choose how long and who to share with.
Good for: mixed iPhone and Android families who want something simple. Limits: it’s built for sharing a dot on a map rather than for family safety features.
Option 4: A family locator app
A dedicated app makes sense when you want the whole family in one private circle, with alerts that come to you instead of you checking the map. AI Family Locator adds:
- Arrival and departure alerts for places like home, school and work — see how arrival alerts work.
- Location history for the day so far, with stops and times.
- One-touch SOS that sends your exact location to everyone in the circle.
- Battery alerts so a dying phone doesn’t look like an emergency.
- Driving summaries with distance and top speed.
Setting it up takes about a minute: enter their phone number, choose a plan, and send the invite from the app. They accept, and you see each other on the map.
How to talk about it as a family
Location sharing works best when it’s mutual and agreed. A few ideas:
- Explain the why. “I sleep better when I know you’re home” lands better than a rule.
- Share both ways. Parents share too. It builds trust.
- Agree on when it’s on. Some families keep it on all the time; others only for trips or late nights.
- Revisit it. Teens need more privacy as they grow. Our guide to location sharing with teens has practical rules.
Which option should you choose?
| If you… | Try |
|---|---|
| All use iPhone and want something free | Find My |
| Mix iPhone and Android, want something simple | Google Maps |
| Want alerts, history, SOS and battery warnings in one place | A family locator app like AI Family Locator |
Whatever you choose, the key is consent. Location sharing should be something everyone in the family understands and can turn off — that’s what makes it a comfort rather than a worry.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to share location with family?
For occasional checks, built-in tools like Find My or Google Maps are enough. If you want arrival alerts, history, SOS and battery alerts for the whole family in one place, a family locator app is easier.
Can I share my location between iPhone and Android?
Yes. Google Maps location sharing works on both. Apple’s Find My works only between Apple devices.
Does sharing location drain the battery?
Modern phones are efficient at it. A well-built locator app adjusts how often it updates based on movement, so the impact on battery is small for most people.
Can I stop sharing at any time?
Yes. Every method in this guide lets you pause or stop sharing whenever you want.