You can pause location sharing by turning off Find My iPhone or by removing specific people from seeing your location
Find My iPhone shows your device's location to people you've chosen to share it with. To stop sharing temporarily, you have two main routes: turn off Find My iPhone entirely (which also disables other features like remote lock and erase), or keep Find My iPhone on but remove individual people from viewing your location. The second option is faster if you want to keep the ability to find your device remotely.
Both methods take less than a minute and don't require restarting your phone. Your location won't update for anyone watching it, but they won't receive a notification that you've stopped sharing.
Key Takeaways
- Removing people from Find My iPhone stops them from seeing your location but keeps remote lock and erase active on your device.
- Turning off Find My iPhone completely pauses location sharing but also disables the ability to find, lock, or erase your phone remotely.
- People you remove from sharing won't get a notification that you've stopped sharing your location with them.
- You can re-add people to location sharing at any time using the same menu where you removed them.
Remove specific people from seeing your location
Open Settings and tap your name at the top. Go to Find My, then Find My iPhone. Tap the "People" tab at the bottom of the screen. You'll see a list of everyone who can see your location. Tap the person you want to remove, then tap "Remove" and confirm.
Repeat this step for each person you want to stop sharing with. Your location will no longer update for them, but they may still see your last known location depending on your device settings. If you want to add them back later, return to this same menu and tap "Add" to invite them again.
Turn off Find My iPhone to pause all location sharing
Open Settings, tap your name, then go to Find My and Find My iPhone. Toggle the switch next to "Find My iPhone" to off. You'll be asked to enter your Apple ID password to confirm. Once it's off, nobody can see your location, and you won't be able to find, lock, or erase your device remotely.
This method is useful if you want to completely stop sharing for a period of time without managing individual contacts. When you're ready to turn it back on, return to the same menu and toggle it on again. Your previous sharing settings will be restored.
What happens when you pause location sharing
When you remove someone or turn off Find My iPhone, that person's view of your location stops updating immediately. They won't receive a notification that you've stopped sharing. On their device, your location may show as "No location available" or display your last known location, depending on how long it's been since the last update.
If you turn off Find My iPhone, you also lose the ability to use other features like remote lock, remote erase, or playing a sound on your device from another Apple device. These features turn back on automatically when you re-enable Find My iPhone.
Re-enable location sharing when you're ready
To add someone back to your location sharing, open Settings, tap your name, go to Find My, then Find My iPhone. Tap the "People" tab and tap "Add." Select the contact you want to share with and choose what information they can see — just your location, or your location plus device battery level.
If you turned off Find My iPhone entirely, toggle it back on in the same Settings menu. You'll need to enter your Apple ID password again. Your previous list of people will be restored, and they'll start seeing your location updates again.
Difference between removing people and turning off Find My iPhone
| Action | Location Sharing Stops | Remote Lock/Erase Still Works | Time to Complete |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remove specific people | Yes, for those people only | Yes | 30 seconds per person |
| Turn off Find My iPhone | Yes, for everyone | No | 1 minute |
Choose removing people if you want to keep your device findable but stop sharing with certain contacts. Choose turning off Find My iPhone if you want complete privacy and don't need remote access to your device for a while.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will people know I stopped sharing my location?
No, they won't receive a notification. They'll only notice when they check Find My and see that your location is no longer updating or shows "No location available." Some devices may continue showing your last known location for a period of time.
Can I pause location sharing for just one person?
Yes. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Find My iPhone > People tab, tap the person's name, and tap Remove. They'll be removed from seeing your location while everyone else continues to see it.
What if I turn off Find My iPhone by accident?
Turn it back on the same way: Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Find My iPhone, then toggle it on. Enter your Apple ID password. Your previous sharing settings will return, and people will start seeing your location again.
Does pausing location sharing affect iMessage or FaceTime?
No. Turning off Find My iPhone or removing people from location sharing only affects the Find My app. Your iMessage, FaceTime, and other Apple services continue to work normally.
Can I set a time limit for pausing location sharing?
No, there's no automatic timer. You'll need to manually turn location sharing back on or re-add people when you want to resume sharing. Set a reminder on your calendar if you want to remember to turn it back on at a specific time.