How to Share Your Location on iPhone or iPad

Location Sharing is built into the Family Sharing feature of the iOS, the operating system that runs the iPhone and iPad. You'll need Location Services turned on and Family Sharing set up, but if you've got that done, follow these steps: 

1. Tap Settings.
2. Tap your name (in earlier versions of the iOS, skip this step).
3. Tap Family Sharing or iCloud (in iOS 10 and 11) or Share My Location (in iOS 12).
4. Tap Share My Location or Location Sharing (which you see depends on whether you chose Family Sharing or iCloud in step 3). In iOS 12, skip this step.
5. Move the Share My Location slider to on/green.

To stop location sharing, move the slider back to off/white.

​Messages, the texting app that comes pre-installed with the iOS, lets you share your location, too. This makes it easy to send a simple "meet me here" message for a meet up. Here's how:

1. Tap Messages.
2. Tap the conversation with the person who you want to share your location with.
3. Tap the i icon in the top right corner (in iOS 10 and 11) and skip to the next step. In iOS 12, tap the name of the person at the top of the screen.
4. In iOS 12, tap the Info icon.
5. Tap either Send My Current Location or Share My Location. The first option shares your location at the moment you send it, while the second lets you send your location as you move over a defined period of time (step 7 has more on this)
6. If you tap Send My Current Location, a map with your location on it will be sent by text in the conversation.
7. If you tap Share My Location, choose the duration for sharing your location in the pop-up menu: One Hour, Until End of Day, or Indefinitely.

The Maps app that comes with the iPhone and iPad lets you share your location. This makes it easy to get turn-by-turn directions. Here's what to do:

1. Tap Maps.
2. Tap the location arrow in the top right corner to make sure your location is precise.
3. Tap the blue dot that represents your location.
4. In the window that pops up, tap Share My Location.
5. In the sharing sheet that pops up, select the way that you'd like to share your location (Messages, Mail, etc.).
6. Include the recipient or address information needed to share your location.

Lots of third-party apps support location sharing, too. When using those, it makes sense to use popular apps that a lot of people you want to share with may also use. Tons of people have Facebook Messenger on their phones and use it to coordinate getting together. Just follow these steps:

1. Tap Facebook Messenger to open it.
2. Tap the conversation with the person who you want to share your location with.
3. Tap the + icon on the left.
4. Tap Location.
5. Tap Share Live Location for 60 Minutes.

Even if you prefer Google Maps over Apple Maps, sharing your location is an option for you. Do it by following these instructions:

1. Tap Google Maps to open It.
2. Tap the three-line menu icon in the top left corner.
3. Tap Location Sharing.
4. Control how long to share your location by tapping the + and - icons. You can also set location sharing to run Until you turn this off to share indefinitely.
5. Choose how to share your location: 
   1. Select People to share with your contacts.
   2. Tap Message to share via text message.
   3. Choose More to enable other options.