Turn off location sharing or change which device shows your location

Find My on Mac lets you share your location with family and friends, but you control exactly what gets shared and who sees it. You can turn location sharing off entirely, stop sharing with specific people, or switch which device broadcasts your location — for instance, from your Mac to your iPhone instead.

The steps differ slightly depending on whether you want to stop sharing altogether, remove one person from seeing your location, or change which device is the primary one that shows where you are. All of these happen in the Find My app itself, not in System Settings.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Find My on your Mac, select the People tab, and click your own name to see who can see your location.
  • To stop sharing your location with everyone, click the "Stop Sharing My Location" button in the People tab.
  • To stop sharing with one person only, select their name and click "Remove" next to your location.
  • If you have multiple devices, you can choose which one broadcasts your location by selecting it in the Devices tab and toggling location sharing on or off for that device.
  • Location sharing is tied to your Apple ID, so the same settings explore across all your devices unless you change them per device.

Stop sharing your location with everyone

If you want to turn off location sharing completely, open Find My on your Mac and click the People tab at the top. Look for your own name in the list — it appears at the top with a blue dot next to it. Click on your name.

A panel opens on the right side showing who can see your location. At the bottom of that panel, you will see a button that says "Stop Sharing My Location." Click it. A confirmation dialog appears asking if you are sure. Click "Stop Sharing" again to confirm. Your location is now hidden from everyone you were sharing it with.

This action stops sharing when ready. Anyone who had your location pinned in their Find My app will no longer see you on the map, and your location will show as unavailable if they try to look.

Remove one person from seeing your location

If you want to keep sharing with some people but not others, you do not have to turn off sharing entirely. Open Find My, click the People tab, and find the person you want to stop sharing with. Click their name once to select it.

On the right side, you will see a panel with their details. Look for a button or option that says "Remove" or shows an X icon next to your location information. Click it. A confirmation appears — click "Remove" again to confirm. That person can no longer see where you are, but your location remains visible to everyone else on your sharing list.

Choose which device broadcasts your location

If you own multiple Apple devices — a Mac, iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch — Find My can show your location from any of them. By default, it usually shows your iPhone if you have one, because you carry it with you. But you can change which device is the primary one that shares your location.

Open Find My and click the Devices tab at the top. You will see a list of all your devices signed in to the same Apple ID. Click the device you want to use for location sharing. In the panel that opens on the right, look for a toggle or checkbox next to "Share My Location" or similar wording. Turn it on for the device you want to use, and turn it off for the others.

Keep in mind that only one device at a time broadcasts your location to people who are following you. If you turn off sharing on your iPhone and turn it on for your Mac, people will see your Mac's location instead. If your Mac is at home and your iPhone is with you, they will see your home location, not your actual location.

What happens when you change location settings

Changes take effect when ready. If you stop sharing your location, people lose access right away — they cannot see you on the map anymore, and your location shows as unavailable. If you switch which device is sharing, the map updates to show the new device's location within a few seconds.

People you were sharing with do not receive a notification that you changed your settings. They will straightforward notice that your location is no longer visible or that it has moved to a different place if you switched devices. If you want them to know, you will need to tell them separately.

Turn location sharing back on

If you turned off location sharing and want to turn it back on, open Find My, click the People tab, and click your own name. The button at the bottom now says "Share My Location" instead of "Stop Sharing." Click it, and a list of your contacts appears. Select the people you want to share your location with, then click "Share." Your location is now visible to them again.

Alternatively, you can share your location with new people without turning it back on for everyone. Click "Share My Location," select only the contacts you want, and click "Share." This way you control exactly who sees you from the start.

Location sharing and privacy

Find My location sharing is end-to-end encrypted, meaning Apple cannot see your location data. Only the people you explicitly share with can see where you are. If you remove someone from your sharing list or stop sharing entirely, they lose access when ready — there is no delay or way for them to continue seeing your location without your permission.

Your Mac must be powered on and connected to the internet for location sharing to work. If your Mac is asleep or offline, people may see your last known location rather than a real-time update. If you want real-time location sharing at all times, using an iPhone or Apple Watch is more reliable because you carry them with you.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

No. Find My location sharing only works between people with Apple IDs and Apple devices. You cannot share your location with Android users or people without an Apple account through Find My.

What if someone asks me to share my location and I say no?

If someone sends you a request to share your location, you see a notification in Find My. You can click "Don't Share" to decline. They will not be able to see your location, and you can change your mind later by going to the People tab and adding them manually.

Does location sharing drain my Mac's battery?

Location sharing on a Mac uses very little power because your Mac is usually plugged in. On an iPhone or iPad, the battery impact is minimal — Find My uses your device's existing location services rather than turning on GPS constantly. You will not notice a significant difference in battery life.

If I turn off location sharing on my Mac, does it turn off on my iPhone too?

No. Each device has its own location sharing setting. If you turn off sharing on your Mac, your iPhone can still share its location independently. You control each device separately in the Find My app.

Can I schedule location sharing to turn on and off at certain times?

Find My does not have a built-in scheduling feature. You have to turn location sharing on or off manually each time. If you want to automate it, you can create a shortcut in the Shortcuts app that toggles Find My settings, but this requires some setup.