How to Share Your Location With iPhone
How to Share Your Location With Your iPhone
There will be several instances in your life when you want to share the location of your destination. You might want to share a location to help your friends to come over to your place. Or you might need other locations to simply ensure the safety of your loved one. Location sharing can help you in multiple ways. The best part is that the iPhone has the simplest way to share your location or receive someone's location.
Wondering how you can leverage this feature? Here's what you need to learn.
How to Share Location on iPhone
Before diving into the details, let's take a moment to understand what location sharing on your iPhone entails. Essentially, it allows you to share your current location with specific contacts, ensuring they can track your whereabouts in real time.
You can use this feature not only for business but also for personal connections, where knowing the whereabouts of your friends or family members can be crucial.
Step 1: Ensure Location Sharing Services Are Enabled
First and foremost, you need to ensure that your iPhone's location services are turned on. To do this, follow these simple steps:
- Open your iPhone's "Settings" app.
- Scroll down and tap on "Privacy."
- Under "Privacy," tap on "Location Services."
Here, you can toggle "Location Services" to the on position if it's not already activated. This will allow your iPhone to access your location information, which is crucial for location sharing.
Step 2: Using Apple's Default Location Sharing
Apple provides its own location-sharing service, which is integrated seamlessly into your iPhone. Here's how you can use it:
- Open the "Messages" app on your iPhone.
- Choose a conversation with the person you want to share your location with or start a new one.
For an Existing Conversation:
- Tap on the contact's name or icon at the top of the screen.
- On the contact details page, tap on the "info" icon (a small "i" in a circle) in the upper right corner.
For a New Conversation:
- Enter the name of the person you want to share your location with.
- Once in the conversation, tap on the contact's name or icon at the top of the screen.
Step 3: Share Your Location
Now that you're in the contact's details page, you will see various options. To share your location, tap the Share option. Your iPhone will ask if you want to share your location for a specific amount of time or indefinitely. You can choose the option that suits your needs.
Step 4: Receiving a Location Request
If someone wants to share their location with you, the process is equally straightforward. When you receive a location-sharing request, all you need to do is tap "Accept" when prompted. You can now see their location on a map in the Messages app.
Step 5: Tap Location Setting for Stop Sharing
If you ever want to stop sharing your location, it's just as easy. Go back to the contact's details page where you initiated the sharing, and tap on "Stop Sharing My Location." This gives you the control to decide when you want to share your location and when you don't.
Google Maps
Facebook Messenger
How to Share Your Location With Other Apps
Using Third-Party Apps for Location Sharing
Many apps that you likely already have on your phone can help you share your location on iPhone or Android devices. If you have an Android, you'll need one of them to share your location. Whichever app you use, make sure you only download it from your device's official app store. These include the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
Google Maps
Google Maps will share your name, photo and location. It may also include your battery life, where you've been recently and how you're traveling.
To share your location from Google Maps, follow these steps:
- Select your profile picture or initials in the top corner of the screen.
- Sign in if you haven't already.
- Tap Location sharing, then Share location.
- Choose how long to share your location and the person you want to share with. If you haven't already, you might be prompted to share your contacts with the app.
- On iPhone, you can also tap More Options to get a link you can copy or send directly to another app. On Android, you can get the link by tapping Copy to clipboard.
If you share your location to a Gmail account, you can share with them indefinitely. If not, the “Until you turn this off” option will only last 24 hours. Want to stop sharing your location with someone? Simply click their profile picture in the Location Sharing tab and select Stop.
Another handy Google Maps feature is sharing your estimated time of arrival (ETA). Simply set your destination and start navigating as usual. Then, tap More and select Share trip progress. Tap the person's profile and hit Share to share your location and ETA, and stop sharing your location when you arrive.
Facebook Messenger
To share your location with Facebook Messenger, follow these steps:
- Open the app and select the conversation with the person or group you want to share your location with.
- Tap either the arrow icon or the icon with four dots.
- Tap Location.
- If it asks, grant Messenger location privileges.
- From the map, you can share your location continuously by tapping Share Live Location on the blue bar. It will stop sharing in an hour and will show a countdown clock. You can also share a static location by tapping the red pin at the top right. Then, search for a place to share or drag and drop the pin somewhere on the map.
Here's how to share your location with WhatsApp:
- Open the app and select the Chats tab.
- Select the group or person you want to share your location with.
- If you're on an iPhone, touch the plus icon in the bottom corner. If you're on an Android, tap the paperclip icon in the bottom right.
- Tap Location.
- Select Send Your Current Location to share your location from one point. You can also tap Share Live Location to share continuously anywhere from 15 minutes to 8 hours.
For those in mixed device households, sharing your location from an iPhone to an Android device or vice versa is entirely possible.
Location Sharing with Android Devices
For those in mixed device households, sharing your location from an iPhone to an Android device or vice versa is entirely possible. The process is quite similar to sharing your location between iPhones, and it's essential to ensure that location services are enabled on both devices.
Follow these steps to set up SOS messaging on most Samsung devices:
Location Sharing for Android Users
- Open the "Google Maps" app on your Android device.
- Tap your profile icon in the upper right corner of the screen.
- Select "Location sharing" from the menu.
You can then choose to share your location with specific contacts, including those using iPhones. The process is straightforward and allows for cross-platform location sharing, making it easy to stay connected with friends and family, regardless of the devices they use.
Privacy and Security Considerations
While location sharing is incredibly convenient, it's crucial to be aware of the potential privacy and security implications. Always ensure you are sharing your location with people you trust. Be mindful of who you grant access to your whereabouts, and remember that location-sharing should be used responsibly.
Also, periodically review your location-sharing settings to make sure you are not sharing your location longer than you intended. If you no longer wish to share your location with a specific person or group, it's simple to stop sharing, as described earlier.
Use Your Phone for Safety and Convenience
The next time you buy a new phone, consider its location services and make the most of your used device.
Upgrade to A Location Sharing Device Today
Now that you have an idea of how location sharing works, you can start using it to efficiently coordinate with your friends when you visit a new place or to reach out to your friends or family in times of need. If you are experiencing issues with location sharing due to any damages or using an older device, consider selling your device to ecoATM.
ecoATM has 5,000 kiosks across the US and can help you recycle your product in an easy way. You simply need to find a kiosk, sell your mobile device, and get the money to invest in a new iPhone model to benefit from the amazing location-sharing feature and much more. So, if your damaged iPhone is preventing you from using this feature, now is the time to get a new one.
To see what your phone is worth, price your device online or find a kiosk near you!