How to Share Your Location with Family on Android

Share your real-time location with family members through Google Maps so loved ones know where you are — especially useful for seniors living alone.

In this guide (5 steps):

1.Open Google Maps
2.Share your location
3.Choose who to share with
4.View someone's location who's sharing with you
5.Stop sharing your location

Open Google Maps

~15s

Open the Google Maps app on your Android phone. Tap your profile photo or initial circle in the top right corner. In the menu that appears, tap "Location sharing."

Share your location

~15s

Tap "Share location." Google Maps will ask how long you want to share — choose "Until you turn this off" for ongoing family location sharing, or a specific time period for a temporary share. Tap "Next."

Choose who to share with

~24s

Search for the person's name from your Google contacts, enter their email address, or choose them from your suggested contacts. The person will receive a notification or email that you're sharing your location with them. They can accept to see your location on their Maps.

Quick Tip

If the person uses an iPhone, they can still see your location in the Google Maps app on their iPhone — they don't need an Android phone.

View someone's location who's sharing with you

~17s

When someone shares their location with you, open Google Maps and tap your profile iconLocation Sharing. You'll see a list of people sharing their location with you and a mini map showing where each person is. Tap a person to zoom in to their location.

Stop sharing your location

~21s

To stop sharing with a specific person, go to Google MapsProfile iconLocation Sharing. Tap the person's name and tap "Stop sharing." Your location immediately becomes invisible to them.

Quick Tip

To share location using Apple devices instead, use the "Share My Location" feature in the Find My app — iPhone and Android can share locations with each other through Google Maps.

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Google Maps allows you to share your real-time location with specific people for a set amount of time or indefinitely. The person you share with can open Google Maps and see exactly where you are on a live map.

This feature is popular for safety and peace of mind. Many seniors who live alone share their location with an adult child so the family knows they're home safe. Parents and adult children often share locations with each other. It's also useful when coordinating meetups — "I'm in the parking lot" becomes visible rather than having to text coordinates.

Location sharing only goes to the specific people you choose. Your location is not visible to the public, to Google users in general, or to anyone you haven't explicitly selected. You can stop sharing at any time.

The person receiving your location needs a Google account and the Google Maps app to see it. Both people must agree to share — you can't see someone else's location unless they've shared it with you.

Location sharing uses a small amount of battery life and mobile data when active. This is worth considering if battery life is a concern.

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