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You can see someone’s location on Google Maps only when that person has chosen to share it with you through Location sharing. Google Maps has no way to locate a person who has not opted in, and this article covers the consent-based route Google documents: opening a share on your phone or computer, what the other person can see, and how either side ends a share.
How Location sharing works
Location sharing is a Google Maps feature built on a Google Account. The person sharing decides who receives their location and for how long. Once a share is active, the recipient sees the sharer on their own map. Google’s Maps Help pages state the basic rule directly: “You can find someone on your map when they share their location with you.”
How to view a location someone shared with you
On Android or iPhone/iPad
- Open the Google Maps app and sign in to the account that received the share.
- Tap your profile picture or initial in the top corner.
- Tap Location sharing.
- Select the name of the person who shared with you. Their location appears on the map.
If the location looks outdated, open the person’s map icon and use the refresh option. Google also documents a refresh control in the More menu of that person’s profile.
On a computer
- Open Google Maps in a web browser and sign in.
- Open Menu.
- Select Location sharing.
- Choose the person to view their location.
The computer view lets you see and manage shares, but Google documents that real-time sharing must be started from a mobile device.
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What a viewer can see
A recipient sees more than a pin on a map. According to Google’s Location Sharing documentation, the recipient can see the sharer’s name and photo, the device’s most recent location even when the person is not using Google apps, and the battery status of that device. Depending on how the share was set up, the recipient may also see travel mode or arrival and departure information.
Requesting a location from someone
If you and another person have shared locations with each other before, Maps may offer a Request action in Location sharing. The other person receives a notification with your email address and can share their location, ignore the request, or block you. Sending a request does not give you access. You see their location only after they accept and share it.
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Sharing your own location
The person who wants to share needs a Google Account and the Maps app. The steps below follow Google’s Android and iPhone/iPad instructions, with the menu labels as documented at the time of writing.
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- Tap your profile picture or initial, then tap Location sharing.
- Tap New share.
- Choose how long the share should last.
- Select a recipient from your Google Maps contacts.
- Tap Share.
On Android, Google’s instructions say the recipient’s Gmail address must be saved in Google Contacts for the direct-contact flow. Google also says a share lasting more than 24 hours can require the recipient to have a Gmail account for its troubleshooting steps.
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Sharing with someone who has no Google Account
If the other person does not have a Google Account, you can send them a location-sharing link instead. Google says anyone who holds the link can see your real-time location for up to 24 hours. Send it only to the person you intend to share with, because the link works for anyone who receives it.
Choosing the right kind of share
These options differ by access and duration rather than by product, so compare them before you choose one.
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| Sharing mode | Who can view it | How long it lasts | What is shared |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct share to a Google Maps contact | The selected contact, who needs a Google Account | The duration you choose when you create the share | Real-time location with name, photo, device location and battery status |
| Link share | Anyone who holds the link, including people without a Google Account | Up to 24 hours | Real-time location |
| Trip progress | The person you send it to during a trip | Ends on arrival or when navigation stops | Destination, estimated arrival time and current location |
Sharing a trip’s progress
For a single journey, Google Maps offers Share trip progress while you navigate by car, on foot or by bicycle. It shares your destination, estimated arrival time and current location. The share ends when you arrive or when navigation stops, so it does not carry over to later trips.
Arrival and departure notifications
A recipient can add arrival or departure notifications for a person who shares their location with them. The sharer receives an email and, if Maps notifications are turned on, may also receive a push notification. The sharer can turn off permission for Location Sharing notifications. Google’s help page says notifications are not available for some account types or for locations shared through links, and that up to five notifications can be set per person.
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Stopping, hiding and blocking
These controls do different things, and it helps to know which side of the share you are on.
- Stop sharing (sharer): The sharer can end a specific share from the Location sharing list. The recipient then loses access.
- Hide (viewer): A viewer can hide a person’s location from their own map and show it again later. Hiding changes only what you see. The other person’s share stays active.
- Block (viewer): Google documents blocking a requester or another account. Use this when you do not want to receive requests or shares from that person.
Requirements and limits
Google’s Android account documentation says Location Sharing is off by default and is set separately on each device and account. The Android requirements it lists are a Google Account, a mobile device, an active internet connection, device location turned on, and Find Hub turned on. These are Android-specific prerequisites and should not be read as universal iPhone requirements.
The feature can be unavailable in some countries or regions, for a Google Workspace domain, or because of age requirements. A parent or guardian can manage sharing for a supervised account through Google Family Link. Menu names and availability can change between app versions, so if your screen differs from these steps, check Google’s current in-app help.
When you cannot see someone’s location
- The name is missing from Location sharing: The person has not shared with you, or the share has expired. Ask them to start a new share.
- The location looks old: Use the refresh option from the person’s map icon or More menu. Check that the sharer has device location and internet access turned on.
- You are on an account that does not support the feature: Check the country, Workspace and age limits above.
- You are asking for a location you can never see: A share can only come from the other person. Sending a request does not reveal their location unless they accept.
Keeping your own location private
Share only with people you know, pick the shortest duration that works, and stop the share once it is no longer needed. Remember that a link can reach anyone who holds it, and that a recipient can see your battery status and recent device location even when you are not using Google apps.
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