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Google Maps Location Sharing sends your device’s recent location to people you choose for a period you choose. Recipients can generally see your name and profile photo, your recent location (even when Google apps are not open), and your phone’s battery level and charging state. You can stop sharing with an individual at any time. A mobile device is required to start a real-time share; a computer can manage existing shares.
The feature is separate from Google Maps Timeline. Timeline can be turned off while Location Sharing remains active, because the two settings serve different purposes.
What Google Maps Location Sharing does
Location Sharing continuously makes a device’s latest available position available to selected viewers. Google describes the control in simple terms: you choose who can find your location and how long you share it. The recipient does not need to be watching the map at the exact moment your position changes; Maps updates the shared position as new location data becomes available from your device.
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Sharing is controlled per recipient. That means you can give one person access until you turn it off, send another person a link that expires after a limited period, or share only the progress of a particular navigation trip. These are separate sharing sessions rather than one universal visibility switch.
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Location Sharing is not Timeline
Timeline records places and routes associated with your account for your own review. Location Sharing is a live-view feature for other people. Turning Timeline off does not automatically disable Location Sharing, and turning Location Sharing off does not by itself erase Timeline data.
What a recipient can see
Google’s Location Sharing documentation identifies three items that a recipient can always find for an active share:
- Your Google Account name and profile photo.
- Your device’s recent location, including when Google apps are not currently being used.
- Your device’s battery power and whether it is charging.
Other information depends on the sharing method, account context, and settings. Google’s broader Location Sharing settings describe possible additional details such as recent places or how you are traveling, but those details should not be assumed for every recipient or every session.
Arrival and departure information
A recipient can add a Location Sharing notification for a selected place, such as a home, office, or meeting point. The alert can report when you arrive or leave. Google says you receive an email when a recipient adds an alert and may also receive a push notification if Maps notifications are enabled. A recipient can create up to five Location Sharing notifications for each person. Notifications are unavailable for some accounts and for link-based sharing, and they stop when the underlying Location Sharing session ends.
Ways to share your real-time location
There are three practical paths. The first is a named-recipient share through a Google Account or contact. The second is a temporary link for someone who does not have a Google Account. The third is trip-progress sharing, which is tied to an active navigation session.
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| Sharing method | Who can receive it | Duration | What ends it | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Named recipient | A selected person with a Gmail account | The duration you select, including an option that remains on until you stop it when eligible | You stop it, the selected duration expires, or account/device conditions interrupt it | On Android, the person may need to be saved in Google Contacts for the contact-selection flow |
| Location Sharing link | Anyone who obtains the link | Up to 24 hours | The 24-hour window expires or you stop sharing | Treat the link like a credential; forwarding or copying it can give another person access |
| Trip progress | A person you select while navigating | Only for the current car, walking, or bicycle navigation session | You reach the destination, stop navigation, or stop sharing from the navigation card | It shares destination, estimated arrival time, and current location rather than an open-ended session |
How to start an ongoing share on a phone
Google’s current initiation flow is on a mobile device. Menu wording can change between Android and iPhone releases, but the sequence is the same.
- Sign in. Open Google Maps on the phone that will report the location and confirm that the intended Google Account is active.
- Open Location Sharing. Tap your profile picture or initial, then choose Location Sharing.
- Start a new share. Tap New share (or the equivalent add/share control shown in your version of Maps).
- Choose a duration. Select a fixed period or, if your account is eligible, the option that continues until you turn it off. Do not assume that an account will always offer the indefinite option; age verification and other eligibility rules can affect it.
- Choose the recipient. Select a contact or enter the person’s Gmail address. On Android, Google instructs you to add the recipient’s Gmail address to Google Contacts if it does not appear in the contact picker.
- Send the share. Tap Share and review the confirmation. The recipient can then open Maps or the received notification to view your shared position.
Location permission, an available location signal, mobile data or Wi-Fi, and a charged device are necessary for useful updates. The documentation does not prescribe a particular phone model or accessory. If the device is offline or cannot obtain a fresh position, the viewer may see an older “recent location” until the device reconnects.
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Use the link option in the Location Sharing flow and send the resulting link by text, email, or another messaging app. Google documents access for up to 24 hours. The recipient does not need to sign in with a Google Account to open the link.
A link is different from a named-recipient share: possession of the link can be enough to view the shared location during its active window. Send it only through a private channel to the intended person, avoid posting it in a group or public chat, and remember that a recipient can forward it. If the link is exposed, stop the current share and create a new one rather than relying on the original link becoming private.
How to share trip progress during navigation
Trip-progress sharing is designed for a journey rather than an ongoing location relationship. Start car, walking, or bicycle navigation in Maps, then use the navigation card’s sharing control. Select a person and send the trip information.
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The recipient can see the destination, your estimated arrival time, and your current location while that navigation session is active. Google says the share ends automatically when you reach the destination or stop navigation. You can also end it earlier from the navigation card. Starting another trip does not automatically extend the previous trip-progress share.
How to stop sharing, and what “hide” means
Stop sharing with a person
- Open Google Maps on your phone and tap your profile picture or initial.
- Choose Location Sharing.
- Select the person whose access should end.
- Tap Stop and confirm if Maps asks.
On a computer, open Google’s Location Sharing settings, find the person, and choose Stop beside that entry. Computer controls are useful for reviewing or ending shares, but Google says a mobile device is required to initiate real-time Location Sharing.
Hide someone’s location from your own map
Hiding is a viewing preference, not a privacy revocation. It removes or suppresses another person’s shared location from your map; it does not stop that person from sharing with you or stop your own location from being shared with them. Use Stop when you need to revoke your location access, and use Hide when you only want to change what appears on your map.
Managing arrival and departure notifications
After a named Location Sharing session is active, a recipient can select a place and create an arrival or departure alert. The recipient chooses the place and alert type in Maps. The limit is five Location Sharing notifications per person. You are informed by email when an alert is added and may receive a push notification if Maps notifications are enabled.
These alerts are not available for every account and are not available for link-based sharing. They also stop when Location Sharing stops. If an alert appears unexpected, review the person’s active sharing entry and the notifications associated with it; stopping the share removes the alert’s ability to track future arrivals or departures.
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Privacy and safety decisions before you share
- Choose the narrowest audience. A named recipient gives you clearer control than a link that can be forwarded.
- Use the shortest practical duration. A fixed window is safer for a one-time meetup; an “until turned off” session requires a later review.
- Remember the battery detail. Recipients can see battery power and charging status, which can reveal whether you are likely to remain reachable.
- Review notifications. Arrival and departure alerts can disclose movements at a selected place, and Google informs you when a recipient adds one.
- Protect links. Anyone with an active link may be able to view the location for the remaining window, so do not paste it into public or broadly shared channels.
- End old sessions. A share can remain active after the original reason has passed if you selected a long duration. Check Location Sharing periodically.
Why Location Sharing may be unavailable
Google identifies several possible availability constraints:
- Country or regional restrictions.
- Restrictions or disabled features on Google Workspace domains.
- Age requirements and account eligibility.
- Supervised accounts whose settings are managed by a parent or guardian through Family Link.
Availability can also differ by platform and account. If a menu or duration is missing, update Maps and check the current Google Help instructions for your platform rather than assuming the feature has been removed globally.
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The share will not last longer than 24 hours
Twenty-four hours is the documented maximum for a link share. It is not the general maximum for every named-recipient share. For a named recipient, Google’s Android guidance says to check age verification and then select Until you turn this off through the share flow when that option is available. If the option remains absent, the account, region, Workspace policy, or age status may not qualify.
The recipient sees an old location
Location Sharing reports the device’s recent location, not a guaranteed second-by-second position. Check that the phone has a usable location signal, connectivity, location permission, and power. If the phone is offline or cannot determine a fresh position, Maps can continue showing the last recent fix until a new one arrives.
The person is missing from the contact picker
For the Android contact-selection flow, save the person’s Gmail address in Google Contacts, then reopen Location Sharing. If the person has no Google Account, use the link method instead.
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A recipient cannot add an arrival alert
Arrival and departure notifications do not work with link-based sharing and are unavailable for some accounts. A named-recipient share is required, and the recipient must remain within the limit of five notifications for that person.
I stopped sharing but someone still sees a map
Confirm that you stopped the correct person’s entry, not merely hid their location from your own map. A previously loaded map may remain visible briefly, but a stopped session should no longer provide new location updates. Also check whether a separate trip-progress share is still active in navigation and stop it from the navigation card.
Using a computer to manage sharing
Google allows computer-based management of Location Sharing. From the Location Sharing settings, you can review people who have access, stop sharing with an individual, and find or hide a person’s shared location. The computer workflow does not replace the phone for starting a new real-time share; initiation requires a mobile device.
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Key limits to remember
| Limit or rule | Practical meaning |
|---|---|
| Link access: up to 24 hours | A link is temporary, even if you need longer access; create a named-recipient share when eligible. |
| Notifications: up to five per person | A recipient cannot add unlimited place alerts for one sharer. |
| Trip progress ends with navigation | Reaching the destination or stopping navigation ends that session. |
| Mobile device required to start | A computer can manage settings but cannot initiate the real-time share according to Google’s instructions. |
| Account, region, domain, and age conditions apply | Menu labels and available durations can differ among users. |
The practical model
Think of Google Maps Location Sharing as a permission granted to a specific viewer for a specific period. The permission exposes a recent device position plus basic identity and battery information. A link broadens access to anyone who obtains it and expires within 24 hours; a named share gives more deliberate recipient control; trip progress is limited to one navigation session. Stop the relevant session when its purpose ends, and use hiding only when you want to change your own map view.
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