Decision sheet — Family agreements
Location sharing with consent
Sharing location with another adult is a two-part job: first an agreement between you, then device settings that match it. Agree on who sees the location, why, for how long and how either of you stops it. Then the person whose location is shared turns sharing on from their own phone — Find My on iPhone, Google Location Sharing on Android — choosing the people, the time limit and whether notifications are allowed. Both of you check the result together, and either of you can end it.
- Read7–9 min read
- You needBoth adults, each with their own phone and account
- Works onFind My (iPhone) · Google Location Sharing (Android, Maps)
Verified: October 2026 against Apple Support, Google Account Help and FTC consumer advice.
A clear agreement states who sees the location, for what purpose and how either person ends access. Device settings should match the agreement, and they should be switched on by the person who is sharing, on their own phone.
How to agree and set it up together
- Agree on purpose and duration before enabling sharing. A trip, a late commute or a medical concern each suggests a different time limit. Apple lets you share for an hour, until the end of the day, indefinitely or for a custom time period; pick the shortest one that does the job.
- Let the sharing person switch it on, on their own device. In Find My, the Me tab has Share My Location. On Google, Location Sharing is off by default and can't be turned on until you share your location with someone in a Google app or service, such as Maps, Messages or Find Hub. Google notes the setting is device and account-specific.
- Decide on notifications together. Google lets you choose, for each person, whether they are allowed to create notifications about you. On Apple, if someone sets an arrive or leave notification about you, you get a notification, and a recurring one, such as every time you leave work, needs your acceptance first.
- Read what is shared. Google says people you share with can see your name, profile picture, real-time location and battery status, and shared info may include where you've recently been. Agree that this is acceptable to both of you.
- Check the recipient list and the stop controls together. On Apple, People in Find My shows who you share with; on Google, Location Sharing in your account lists people with a Stop button. Make sure both of you know how to end it without asking.
- Set a review date. Consent is ongoing: agree when you will look at the arrangement again, and treat a request to stop as an answer, not the start of a negotiation.
What kind of sharing are you agreeing to?
Pick the arrangement closest to yours to see the setting that matches it.
Use a time-limited share or Check In.
Share for an hour or until the end of the day so it ends by itself. On iPhone, Check In in Messages notifies the other person when you arrive, or if your iPhone isn't progressing; it needs iOS 17 or later on both phones.
Do this: Choose the shortest option that covers the trip.
Indefinite, with a review date.
Indefinite sharing is a setting, not a promise. Apple lets either person stop with one person or for everyone, and stopping in one app stops it across apps. Agree a date to review it together.
Do this: Turn it on from the sharing person's phone, then check the People list together.
Share, and agree notifications.
Arrive and leave notifications can help. Google lets you allow or refuse notifications per person; Apple notifies you when someone sets one about you. On iPhone, you choose in advance what Check In shares if you don't complete it as expected: Limited mode shares current location plus network signal and battery details.
Do this: Write down who gets alerted and when.
Not consent yet.
If the person whose location would be shared is hesitant, the agreement is not there. A setting switched on by someone else, or under pressure, does not match the agreement this page describes.
Do this: Pause, and talk about the underlying concern instead.
Stop, then talk.
Apple says the person you stop sharing with won't be notified, though they may notice you've stopped, and on earlier operating systems they may receive a notification in Messages. Google's Stop button removes one person. Either way, the person sharing decides.
Do this: Respect it; consent can be withdrawn at any time.
What the settings do not handle for you
- Deleting the app is not stopping
- Apple warns that if you delete Find My, people you've shared with can still see your location. Use the stop-sharing steps instead.
- Turning it back on restores everyone
- When you turn Share My Location on again, the people you previously shared with can see your location again. Check the list after re-enabling.
- Shared info can be more than a dot
- Google says shared info may include where you've recently been and how you're travelling, such as walking or driving. Apple says that when both of you have iOS 15 or later and share Live Location, the other person can get a sense of the direction you're travelling in and your speed. Make sure that matches what you agreed.
- Places can be wrong
- Google notes that in busy areas Location Sharing may occasionally show your location incorrectly as a nearby point of interest. Do not draw conclusions from the name of a shop or venue.
- Safety Check has limits
- Safety Check on iPhone reviews and stops sharing with people and apps, but it cannot review non-Apple accounts and passwords, social media sharing or devices signed in to a different Apple Account.
- Not legal advice
- The official help explains settings, not the law. The official help does not describe what counts as valid consent in your country.
How Apple and Google handle adult location sharing
| Find My (Apple) | Google Location Sharing | |
|---|---|---|
| Default | Starts when you turn on Share My Location (Me tab); default state not described | Off by default |
| Who turns it on | The person sharing, on their device | The person sharing, from Maps, Messages or Find Hub |
| Time limit | Hour, end of day, indefinitely, custom | The official help page does not describe time options |
| What is shared | Location in Find My and Messages; with Live Location (iOS 15+), a sense of direction and speed | Name, photo, real-time location, battery; may include recent places |
| Notifications | You are notified when someone sets one; recurring ones need your acceptance | You choose per person whether they may create them |
| Stopping | Per person or for all; stops across apps | Stop next to the person's name |
| Is the other person told | Not notified, but may notice; earlier systems may show a Messages notice | The official help does not describe a notice |
Lighter ways to stay in touch
Check In on iPhone
Notifies one person when you arrive, or if your iPhone isn't progressing. You choose in advance what details are shared if you don't complete your Check In as expected. Both phones need iOS 17 or later.
Time-limited share
An hour or until the end of the day covers most trips and expires without anyone remembering to switch it off.
A message on arrival
For many adults a text on arrival is enough, and it involves no settings at all.
If sharing feels forced
The FTC says that before you remove stalkerware, you should reach out to a domestic violence advocate through the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
Location sharing between adults only works because the sharing person turned it on from their own account. No app or website can add another adult's location from a phone number, and software installed on a partner's phone to report on them is what the FTC calls stalkerware — the opposite of an agreement.
Official sources (checked October 2026)
Questions people ask
Who should turn location sharing on?
The person whose location is shared, on their own phone. On iPhone that is Share My Location in Find My; on Google, Location Sharing is off by default and starts only when you share with someone in a Google app. If the other person turned it on for you, switch it off and start again together.
Can I share only for a few hours?
On iPhone, yes: Apple offers an hour, until the end of the day, indefinitely or a custom time period. Google's Location Sharing settings page does not describe time options, so agree on an end time and use the Stop button next to the person's name when it comes.
What exactly does the other person see?
On Google, your name, profile picture, real-time location and battery status, and shared info may also include where you've recently been and how you're travelling. On Apple with iOS 15 or later on both phones, they can get a sense of your direction and speed. Read this list together before you agree.
Will I know if they set an alert about me?
On Apple, yes: if someone sets a location-based notification, you get a notification, and you have to accept a recurring one first. On Google, you choose for each person whether they are allowed to create notifications about you. Decline anything you did not discuss.
Is the other person told when I stop sharing?
Apple says the person won't be notified, but its safety guide adds that they may notice you've stopped, and on earlier operating systems they may receive a notification in Messages. Google's help does not describe a notice. If stopping could cause an argument, plan what you will say.
Can my partner turn on sharing from my phone for me?
Physically, maybe, but that is not consent. The arrangement on this page is one where the sharing person decides, can see the setting, and can stop it. If it happened to you, check the People list in Find My or Location Sharing in your Google Account, and stop anything you did not choose.
What if I'm worried my phone is being monitored?
Apple's Safety Check reviews and stops sharing with people and apps. The FTC says to reach out to a domestic violence advocate before you remove stalkerware, because an abuser may escalate if they suspect you're cutting off their access. Use a device the other person can't reach to make that contact.
Does sharing location also share messages?
The official help does not describe access to messages through Find My or Google Location Sharing; both share location information. If someone tells you a location share lets them read your chats, check your sharing settings and consider Safety Check.