How To See Shared Location on iPhone

Unlike what the GPS technology used to be, today cannot only check out places but also share your location with family and friends. If you have an iPhone, you can share your location, and people share their location with you. But how can you see a shared location on an iPhone? 

You can share your live location or current location as the case may be. On iOS devices, location sharing can be done in different ways and through various apps. This article will elaborate more on how to see shared locations on an iPhone. 

Steps To See Shared Location on iPhone 

As you already know, privacy and security are two core values of Apple devices. So, even though sharing your location and seeing other people’s locations is possible, you must consent to it first. Below, we discuss three methods you can use to see shared locations on an iPhone.  

Method #1: Using the Find My App 

The Find My app is the easiest way to track someone with an iPhone. The Find My app is a pre-installed app on iPhones. But to use the Find My app to share your location or check a shared location, you must first enable “Start Sharing Location”. After enabling these features, your friends can request consent to find you using the app. 

When someone shares their location with you on the Find My app, iOS will notify you. So, you can quickly launch the Notification Center on your iPhone to view it. You must open the Find My app if the notification is turned off. 

Here’s how to use the Find My app to see a shared location on iPhone.

1. Launch the Find My app on your iPhone. 
2. Tap the “People” tab at the bottom of your screen. If anyone shared their location with you, there would be an unread bubble on the People’s tab. 
3. In the “People” tab, if you see the message, “This person shares a location with you”, select the person to view the location.  

Method #2: Using the Map App 

You can also share your location with people through the Map app on your iPhone. Note that this can be the Apple Maps app or the Google Maps app. When someone sends you their location using Apple Maps or Google Maps app, you will receive the location as a link.   

Here’s how to use the Apple Maps app to see shared location on iPhone.

1. Open the app when someone shares their Apple Maps link location with any app. 
2. Search for the person that sent you the location, find the link, and tap it. 
3. You will be redirected to the Map app on your phone, which will show you the location on the Map. 

Method #3: Using a Social Media App 

Also, social media is another method people can use to share their location with you. Your family and friends can use social media apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Telegram, and so on to share locations. Both parties must be registered and have the social media app on their iPhones for this method to work. 

Here’s how to use the WhatsApp app to see shared location on iPhone.

1. Open WhatsApp on your iPhone or another other social media app being used. 
2. Open the chat thread with the person that sent you the location. 
3. Click the location message someone shared with you to open the shared location. 
4. You will be redirected to Apple Map, which will show you the shared location. 

Conclusion 

So, as you can see from this guide, viewing shared locations on your iPhone is easier than you thought. You can view the location through the Find My app, a Map link, or even social media. If you were the one that sent a live location to someone and would like to stop sharing your current location, you can also do so quickly. 

To stop sharing your live location, send it to someone on Find My, open the app, navigate to the “People” tab, and select the person you no longer want to share your location with. Under the “Me” tab in the Find My app, you can also toggle off the switch for the “Share My Location” option to stop sharing your location with anyone.