Adding someone to Find My iPhone means they can see your device's location on a map, and you can see theirs if they add you back

Find My iPhone is Apple's built-in location-sharing tool. When you add someone, they get a map showing where your iPhone is right now — not a history of where you've been, just your current location. The person you add can see you only if you've approved them. You can remove anyone at any time, and they'll stop seeing your location immediately.

The process takes about two minutes and works on any iPhone running iOS 13 or later. You'll need both people to have an Apple ID and to be connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data.

Key Takeaways

  • Open the Find My app, tap the People tab, and select "Add" to send a location-sharing invitation to someone with an Apple ID.
  • The other person must accept your invitation before they can see your location; you can revoke access anytime from the same menu.
  • Location sharing works only when both devices have Find My enabled and are signed into iCloud with an Apple ID.
  • You can share your location with multiple people at once, and each person sees only your current location, not your location history.

Opening Find My and locating the People tab

On your iPhone, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open Control Center, or swipe down from the top-right corner if you have Face ID. Look for the Find My icon — it's a blue circle with a white dot in the center. Tap it to open the Find My app.

Once the app opens, you'll see three tabs at the bottom: Me, People, and Items. Tap the People tab. If this is your first time using location sharing, the tab will be mostly empty with an "Add" button visible.

Sending a location-sharing invitation

Tap the "Add" button (or the plus sign icon in the top-right corner). A menu will appear asking whether you want to "Share My Location" or "Ask to Follow." Choose "Share My Location" if you want to send an invitation to someone.

A list of your contacts will appear. Scroll through and tap the name of the person you want to add. If they're not in your contacts, you can type their name or Apple ID email address in the search box at the top. Tap their name once to select them.

A confirmation screen will show the person's name and Apple ID. Tap "Send" to send them an invitation. They'll receive a notification on their iPhone asking whether they want to see your location. Until they accept, they won't be able to see where you are.

What happens after you send an invitation

The person you invited will see a notification that says you've shared your location with them. They can tap "Accept" to start seeing your location on their map, or they can ignore it. If they ignore it, you can send another invitation later.

Once they accept, their name will appear in your People tab with a map showing their current location (if they've also shared their location with you). If they haven't shared their location back, you'll see their name but no map — you can see them, but they can see you.

Removing someone from location sharing

Open Find My, tap the People tab, and find the person's name. Swipe left on their name (or tap "Edit" in the top-left corner, then tap the red minus sign next to their name). Tap "Remove" to confirm. They will immediately stop seeing your location.

You can also tap a person's name to open their card, then scroll down and tap "Stop Sharing My Location." Both methods work the same way — the person loses access instantly.

Troubleshooting when location sharing isn't working

If someone can't see your location even after accepting your invitation, check that Find My is turned on. Open Settings, tap your name at the top, then tap Find My. Make sure "Find My iPhone" is toggled on (it should be green). Also check that Location Services is enabled: go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and make sure it's on.

Both people need to be signed into iCloud with an Apple ID. If either person is signed out, location sharing won't work. You can check this in Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud. If the other person is having trouble, ask them to restart their iPhone and try again.

If you're using an older iPhone, make sure it's running iOS 13 or later. Older versions don't support Find My. You can check your iOS version in Settings > General > About.

The difference between sharing location and asking to follow

"Share My Location" is a one-way street — you send an invitation, and once they accept, they can see you. You don't automatically see them unless they also share their location with you separately.

"Ask to Follow" is different. When you ask to follow someone, you're asking them for permission to see their location. They'll get a notification asking whether they want to let you follow them. This is useful if you want to track a family member's location but don't necessarily want to share yours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone see my location without me knowing?

No. You control who sees your location through the Find My app. You send invitations, and people can only see you after you've invited them and they've accepted. If you stop sharing with someone, they lose access immediately and you'll know because their name disappears from your People tab.

What if I want to share my location with someone who doesn't have an iPhone?

Find My only works between Apple devices and Apple IDs. If someone has an Android phone or doesn't have an Apple ID, you can't use Find My to share with them. You could use Google Maps location sharing or another third-party app instead, but that's outside Find My.

Does location sharing drain my battery?

Location sharing uses some battery because your phone is constantly checking its location and sending it to Apple's servers. The impact is usually small — similar to having Location Services on for maps or weather. If battery life is a concern, you can turn off location sharing when you don't need it and turn it back on later.

Can I see someone's location history, or just where they are right now?

Find My shows only current location, not history. You see a map with a dot showing where the person is at that moment. You can't see where they were an hour ago or track their movements over time. If you need location history, you'd need a different tool.

What if someone shares their location with me but I don't want to see it?

Open Find My, go to the People tab, find their name, and swipe left or tap Edit, then the red minus sign. Tap "Remove" to stop seeing their location. They'll still be able to see your location if you shared yours with them — removing them only stops you from seeing them, not the other way around.