Decision sheet — Family agreements
Family Link child location missing or outdated?
When Family Link shows no location for your child, or an old one, the cause is usually one of a short list Google documents: the child's device is powered off, offline or has not been used recently; location sharing or See your child's location is off; the child is on an iPhone, where Device location does not work; or the child uses several devices and Family Link is showing the most actively used one. Work through those in order, and give the location time to update after you change a setting.
- Read6–8 min read
- You needYour parent Family Link app and access to your child's device
- Works onFamily Link · child's Android phone or compatible watch / Fitbit
Verified: October 2026 against Google For Families official help.
Family Link location applies to an eligible supervised child's Android or compatible Fitbit device after location sharing is enabled. A parent can use the Family Link app on iPhone, but a child's iPhone is not an equivalent location device. An empty or old point is a status message about the device, not a statement about where your child is.
Work through these in order
- Confirm the device is eligible. Google documents location for a child's Android device or compatible Fitbit or watch device. If your child uses an iPhone or iPad, Google lists Device location among the settings that do not work there, so no point will appear.
- Confirm location sharing is on for this child. In Family Link, tap Location, then Set up location; if that does not display, select the child, turn on Location sharing and tap Turn on. Then open More Location settings and check that both See your child's location and Device location are turned on. Google notes it might take some time for the location to update after you turn these on.
- Check the device itself. Google says you won't find the location if the device is powered off, isn't connected to the internet, or hasn't been used recently. Location works best when the child's device has a mobile data plan, not only Wi-Fi.
- Check which device you are looking at. If your child is signed in on more than one device, Google shows only the location of the most actively used one, and family managers find one device at a time. A tablet left at home can be the device on the map.
- If the point is there but wrong, use Google's fixes: make sure the device is connected to the internet, make sure Wi-Fi is on, restart the phone, try calibrating the compass, and turn on Location Accuracy or High Accuracy.
- When a current check-in matters, contact your child or the adult caring for them directly. An old timestamp is a reason to call, not a conclusion.
What does Family Link show right now?
Pick the state that matches the screen, and read what it most likely means.
Working as designed.
The device is on, connected and in use, and sharing is enabled. The point is an estimate of the device's position, not of the child. Accuracy improves when Location Accuracy is on.
Do this: Read the time first, then the place.
Last report only.
The device stopped reporting: it may be powered off, offline, out of mobile data, or simply unused. Google lists all three as reasons a location will not appear or update.
Do this: Check power and connection, then contact your child directly.
Setting or device.
Location sharing, See your child's location or Device location is off, the device is off or offline, or the child is on an iPhone or iPad where Device location does not work. After turning the settings on, Google says the update can take some time.
Do this: Turn on Location sharing, then See your child's location and Device location, and wait.
Most actively used device.
With several signed-in devices, Family Link shows only the most actively used one. The phone your child carries may not be the device it picked.
Do this: Ask which device your child is using, and check that one is eligible.
Accuracy, not location sharing.
Google's fixes for a wrong location are internet, Wi-Fi on, restart, compass calibration and Location Accuracy or High Accuracy mode. A weak fix produces a wide or misplaced point.
Do this: Apply the fixes on the child's device, then refresh.
Edge cases Google documents
- A child's iPhone or iPad
- Google lists iPhones and iPads among devices that cannot be supervised, and Device location among settings that won't work when the child is signed in to Google apps there. A parent on iPhone is fine; a child on iPhone is not covered.
- Several devices
- Family managers find the location for one device at a time. If the child is signed in on more than one device, only the most actively used device is shown.
- Place alerts stop with accuracy
- Arrive and leave notifications need a family place and Location Accuracy or High Accuracy mode. Google says location notifications are turned off if location accuracy is off.
- Places too close together
- You can't create multiple family places for the same address or for addresses that are too close together, so two nearby homes may need one place.
- No published update interval
- The official help says it might take some time for your child's location to update, but does not describe how many minutes. Do not treat any fixed interval as guaranteed.
- Under-13 sharing in Maps
- Children under 13 managed with Family Link can only share real-time location with their parents. If supervision was added to an existing account of a child under 13, any other real-time sharing from Google Maps is turned off.
Cause and fix, row by row
| What you see | Likely cause | What Google says to do | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Device off | Old time or nothing | Powered off | Wait for it to be switched on; contact your child |
| No connection | Old time | No internet; no mobile data plan | Connect to internet; mobile data works best |
| Not in use | Old time | Device hasn't been used recently | Ask which device your child carries |
| Setting off | No location | Location sharing, See your child's location or Device location off | Turn on See your child's location and Device location, then allow time to update |
| Wrong device | Another device's point | Most actively used device shown | Check the device your child is using |
| Wrong place | Misplaced point | Weak fix or low accuracy | Wi-Fi on, restart, calibrate compass, Location Accuracy |
| Child on iPhone | No location | Device location doesn't work on iPhone / iPad | Use Apple Family Sharing instead |
Other ways to know your child is fine
Location sharing in Google Maps
When you add supervision to your child's existing Google Account and grant the location sharing permission, Google says your child can use Location sharing in Google Maps to share with you and other parents in the family group.
Apple Family Sharing for a child's iPhone
Family Link cannot place a child's iPhone. Apple's documented route is Family Sharing: when Automatically Share Location is on for a child, only parents and guardians in the family group can see the child's location.
Family Link on your own iPhone
If you are the parent and use an iPhone or iPad, Google documents the same Location settings in the parent's Family Link app there, under More Location settings. The child's device still has to be an eligible Android phone or watch.
A direct call or the caregiver
When a current check-in matters, call your child or the adult caring for them. A voice answer tells you what a map point cannot: that your child is fine and where they really are.
Family Link only locates a device that is supervised in your own family group. No service can bring back a child's location from a phone number, and no app can fill the gap Family Link leaves on an iPhone; for that device, Apple's own family tools are the documented route.
Official sources (checked October 2026)
- Google For Families — Find and manage your child's location
- Google For Families — Set up location sharing
- Google For Families — Sign your child in on their iPhone or iPad
- Google For Families — Learn which devices can be supervised
- Google For Families — Google Maps and your child's Google Account
- Apple — Share locations with family members on iPhone
Questions people ask
Why does Family Link say it can't find my child's location?
Google lists three device reasons: it is powered off, it isn't connected to the internet, or it hasn't been used recently. Google's fix for a missing location is to turn on both the See your child's location and Device location settings. Check the device first, then those two settings in More Location settings, and give the location some time to appear.
I turned location on — why is nothing showing yet?
Google says that after you turn the settings on, it might take some time for your child's location to update. The official help does not describe a fixed number of minutes. If nothing appears after a while, check that the child's device is on, connected and recently used, and that Device location is on as well as See your child's location.
Family Link shows my child's tablet, not their phone. Why?
If your child is signed in on more than one device, only the location of the most actively used device is shown, and family managers find one device at a time. A tablet used at home in the evening can win over the phone in a school bag. Ask your child which device they carry, and check that it is an eligible Android phone or watch.
Can Family Link show my child's iPhone location?
No. Google lists Device location among the Family Link settings that do not work when a child is signed in to Google apps on an iPhone or iPad. For a child's iPhone, Apple Family Sharing is the documented route: with Automatically Share Location on, only parents and guardians in the family group see the child's location.
The location is in the wrong street. What can I do?
Google suggests making sure the device is connected to the internet, Wi-Fi is on, restarting the phone, calibrating the compass, and turning on Location Accuracy or High Accuracy. Do these on the child's device, then refresh Family Link. If the point still looks wrong, treat it as an estimate and ask your child where they are.
Why did my arrive and leave alerts stop?
Location notifications need a family place and Location Accuracy or High Accuracy mode, and Google says they are turned off if location accuracy is off. Check that the accuracy setting is still on for the child's device, then reopen the family place and confirm Arrives and Leaves are turned on. You also can't save two family places at the same address or too close together.
Does a mobile data plan matter?
Yes. Google says location works best if your child's device has a mobile data plan. Google also lists a device that isn't connected to the internet as one whose location you won't find, so a device without mobile data has nothing to report away from Wi-Fi. If your child's phone is Wi-Fi only, expect gaps and agree on a call-in routine instead.
Can I see where my child went earlier today?
The Family Link help describes current device location, family places and alerts. It does not describe a route history for parents, and Google notes a child under 13 won't see where they went with their devices. If you need to know how the day went, ask your child; the map only shows where the device is now.