How to Share Your Location With Family Using Google Maps

A lot of family peace of mind comes down to one simple question: is everyone where they said they would be? Google Maps has a free tool built right in that answers it without a phone call.

It is called Location Sharing. Once it is turned on between you and a family member, either of you can open Google Maps and see the other’s live spot on the map, no texting “I’m here” required.

This guide walks through turning it on, choosing how long to share for, checking who can currently see you, and turning it off again. It takes about 5 minutes to set up the first time.

Families use this in different ways. Some turn it on between a grown child and an aging parent, so a quick glance at the map answers “did Mum get to her appointment” without a phone call. Others use it around a specific trip, like a teenager driving somewhere new, or a solo walk after dark. There is no single right way to use it. What matters is that both people know it is turned on and are comfortable with it.

What you need before you start

• Both phones need the Google Maps app installed and signed in with a Google Account.
• The phone doing the sharing needs location services (GPS) turned on.
• You need to know the other person’s name or email as it appears in your Google Contacts, or be ready to send them a link instead.

How do I share my location with family in Google Maps?

Open Google Maps, tap your profile picture, tap Location sharing, then New share, and choose a person and a length of time. Here is the full walkthrough.

1. Open the Google Maps app on your phone.
2. Make sure you are signed in with your Google Account (your profile picture shows in the top right corner).
3. Tap your profile picture.
4. Tap Location sharing.
5. Tap New share.
6. Choose how long you want to share for (more on the choices below).
7. Pick the family member from your contacts, or choose to share a link instead.
8. Tap Share.

That’s it. The family member gets a notification (or a link) and can open Maps, or their browser, to see where you are on a map.

Choosing how long to share your location

When you set up a new share, Google Maps asks how long it should last. You will typically see a few timed choices, such as a set number of hours, and an option to share until you turn it off.

For family peace of mind, the “until you turn it off” choice is the one most people end up using with a spouse, an adult child, or a parent, since it keeps working day after day without you setting it up again. Shorter timed options suit one-off situations, like sharing your route on a single trip.

Changed your mind about how long?

If a timed share is about to run out and you want it to keep going, the simplest fix is to set up a new share with the same person and choose the ongoing option this time. It takes the same few taps as the first time, and there is no limit on how many times you can start a new share with the same family member.

Seeing who you are currently sharing with

To check who can see your location right now:

1. Open Google Maps.
2. Tap your profile picture.
3. Tap Location sharing.

You will see a list of everyone you are sharing with, and anyone who is sharing their location with you. Tap a person’s name to see more, including how long is left on a timed share.

Turning off location sharing

You can stop sharing with one person, or turn everything off at once.

To stop sharing with one person:

1. Open Google Maps and tap your profile picture.
2. Tap Location sharing.
3. Tap the person’s name.
4. Tap Stop sharing your location.

This does not affect anyone else you are still sharing with, and they will not automatically be told why, so it is worth a quick text or call if a family member is expecting to still see you.

Sharing with someone who does not use Google Maps

Not every family member needs the app installed. When you set up a new share, choose the link option instead of picking a contact. Anyone with the link can open it in a phone or computer browser and watch your location update, no app or Google Account needed on their end.

This link option is handy for a grown child who wants a grandparent to be able to check the family’s location during a road trip, without asking them to set up a new account first.

Is it safe to share your location with family in Google Maps?

Location sharing only shows your position to the specific people (or link) you chose. It is not visible to strangers, and it is not the same as posting your location publicly on social media.

Because sharing is easy to turn off again, some families use it only around specific situations, such as a hospital visit, a solo drive, or a parent living alone, rather than leaving it on all the time. Either approach works. What matters is that everyone involved knows it is on and agreed to it.

It is also worth remembering what location sharing is not. It does not record a log of everywhere someone has been over the past week, and it does not alert anyone automatically if a person stops moving or leaves an area. If you are looking for something closer to an emergency check-in tool for a parent living alone, that is a separate conversation worth having with them directly, rather than something Google Maps does on its own.

A quick recap

• Turn it on from your profile picture in Google Maps, under Location sharing.
• Choose how long, from a few hours up to an ongoing share you turn off yourself.
• Check who can see you any time from the same Location sharing menu.
• Stop sharing with one person, or everyone, in a couple of taps.
• No Google Maps app on the other end? Share a link instead.

If a parent or grandparent finds the phone itself a bit fiddly, it may be worth going through basic navigation together first. Our guide on helping a parent with their phone remotely covers a few ways to walk someone through settings like this one over a call. If their Android phone still needs a proper setup pass, setting up a phone for an elderly parent is a good place to start.

Location sharing pairs well with other tools built into Android, like Family Link, for finding a lost Android phone. And if scam calls are more of a worry than getting lost, our piece on setting up a family safe word covers a different kind of family safety net worth having in place.

We also hear from families who like knowing they can just glance at a map instead of relying on a text message that might not get answered right away. If that sounds useful, our Scam-Stopper Kit (free when you join our email letter) has a few more simple checks worth setting up alongside it.

Where to go from here

Location sharing is one small setting, but it is the kind of thing that quietly makes a family feel more connected day to day. It costs nothing, takes a few minutes to set up, and either person can turn it off the moment it is no longer needed.

If you found this useful, it is worth spending a few more minutes going through your Android phone’s other everyday settings while you have it in hand, especially if it was recently set up for the first time. Our book Your Android Phone walks through those settings at a comfortable pace, one step at a time, with the same large-print style as this guide.