Change your location sharing to "Always" in Find My iPhone

To set Find My iPhone to share your location at all times, open the Settings app on your iPhone, tap your name at the top, then select "Find My." Tap "Find My iPhone," then toggle on "Share My Location." This turns on constant location sharing for that device. The setting stays active even when the app is closed or your phone is locked, as long as location services remain enabled for Find My.

If you want a specific person to always see your location, open Find My, go to the "People" tab, and tap the contact's name. Select "Share My Location" and confirm. That person will then have continuous access to your device's location through their Find My app. You can revoke this access at any time by returning to that contact and tapping "Stop Sharing My Location."

Key Takeaways

  • Turning on "Share My Location" in Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Find My iPhone makes your location visible at all times to people you choose.
  • Location sharing works continuously in the background and does not require the Find My app to be open on your device.
  • You can share your location with individual contacts through the People tab in Find My, and each person can be managed separately.
  • Location services must remain enabled in Settings for Find My to work, and battery drain increases when location sharing is active.
  • You can stop sharing your location with anyone at any time by going back to that contact and selecting "Stop Sharing My Location."

Where to find the location sharing toggle

Open Settings and tap your name at the very top of the screen. You will see options including iCloud, Media & Purchases, and Family Sharing. Scroll down and tap "Find My." On the next screen, tap "Find My iPhone." You will see a toggle labeled "Share My Location" — turn it on. This is the master switch that allows your device to broadcast its location to people you authorize.

If the toggle appears grayed out, check that location services are enabled. Go back to Settings, tap "Privacy," then "Location Services," and make sure the toggle at the top is on. Find My needs this permission to function. Once location services are active, return to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Find My iPhone and toggle "Share My Location" on.

How to share your location with specific people

Open the Find My app and tap the "People" tab at the bottom. Tap "Share My Location." A list of your contacts appears. Select the person you want to share with and confirm. That person will receive a notification that you are sharing your location with them. They can then open their own Find My app and see your location on a map in real time.

You can share with multiple people at once by repeating this process for each contact. Each person you share with sees only your location — they cannot see your contacts or other information. If you change your mind about sharing with someone, tap their name in the People tab and select "Stop Sharing My Location." The sharing stops when ready.

What happens when location sharing is always on

When "Share My Location" is enabled, your iPhone continuously sends its GPS coordinates to Apple's servers. Anyone you have authorized to see your location can view it in the Find My app at any time, whether your phone is in use or sitting idle. This works even if your screen is off or the Find My app is not running on your device.

Battery drain increases when location sharing is active, especially if you are moving frequently or in an area with weak GPS signal. The impact is usually modest — most users report a 5 to 10 percent increase in daily battery consumption — but it is noticeable on older iPhones or if you are already running other location-based apps. If battery life becomes a concern, you can turn off "Share My Location" and turn it back on only when you need it.

Checking who can see your location

To see a list of everyone you are currently sharing your location with, open Find My and tap the "People" tab. Everyone listed under "Sharing With" has access to your real-time location. Tap any name to see options: you can stop sharing, send a message, or view their location if they are also sharing with you.

You can also check location sharing status in Settings. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Find My iPhone and look at the "Share My Location" toggle. If it is on, your location is being shared with the people listed in the Find My app. If it is off, no one can see your location through Find My, even if you previously shared with them.

Difference between "Always" and other sharing options

Find My iPhone offers three location-sharing states: off (no one sees your location), on with specific people (only those you choose see your location), and on with everyone in your Family Sharing group (if you have set that up). There is no separate "Always" setting — turning on "Share My Location" in Settings makes it always active. The "always" part means it stays on continuously, not that it turns on and off based on time or app usage.

If you want to share your location only sometimes, you will need to manually toggle "Share My Location" off when you do not want to share. There is no scheduling feature in Find My that lets you set automatic on and off times. Some families use Family Sharing to share location with everyone in the group at once, which is faster than adding people individually, but it still requires the same toggle to be on.

Troubleshooting when location sharing will not turn on

If "Share My Location" is grayed out or will not toggle on, the most common cause is that location services are disabled. Check Settings > Privacy > Location Services and turn on the master toggle. Then return to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Find My iPhone and try again.

If location services are already on but the toggle still will not work, restart your iPhone. Hold down the side button and either volume button until the power-off slider appears, then drag it to turn off the phone. Wait 10 seconds and turn it back on. After restart, go back to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Find My iPhone and toggle "Share My Location" on. If the problem persists, sign out of iCloud (Settings > [Your Name] > Sign Out) and sign back in with your Apple ID.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the other person know I am sharing my location with them?

Yes. When you first share your location with someone, they receive a notification. They can see in their Find My app that you are sharing with them. However, they do not get a notification every time you turn the setting on or off — only when you first add them to your sharing list.

Can I share my location with someone who does not have an iPhone?

No. Find My only works between Apple devices. If you want to share your location with someone on Android, you will need to use a different service like Google Maps, Life360, or another third-party app that works across both platforms.

What if my iPhone is turned off — can people still see my location?

No. Once your iPhone powers off, it stops sending location data. People who have access to your location will see your last known location, but it will not update. When you turn the phone back on and it reconnects to the internet, your current location will appear again.

Does sharing my location drain my battery faster than other apps?

Location sharing does use battery, but the drain is usually small — around 5 to 10 percent more per day depending on how often your location changes. If you notice significant battery loss, check Settings > Battery to see if Find My is listed as a major consumer. If it is, you may have location services set to "Always" for other apps as well, which compounds the drain.

Can I set a time limit on location sharing?

Find My does not have a built-in timer or scheduling feature. You can only turn sharing on or off manually. If you want to share your location for a limited time, you will need to remember to turn off "Share My Location" when you are done. Some third-party apps offer time-limited sharing, but Find My itself does not.