You can search for someone else's iPhone through Find My iPhone if they have shared their location with you or added you as a trusted contact
Find My iPhone works in two main ways when you want to locate another person's device. The first is location sharing, where the iPhone owner deliberately turns on sharing for specific people. The second is Family Sharing, which lets parents or guardians see where family members' devices are located. Both require the other person to have set this up beforehand — you cannot remotely enable location sharing on someone else's phone.
If the iPhone owner has already shared their location with you, you can open the Find My app on your own iPhone, tap the People tab, and their name will appear in your list. If they have not shared with you yet, you will need to ask them to do so through their own settings.
Key Takeaways
- Location sharing only works if the iPhone owner has turned it on for you in their own Find My settings — you cannot enable it remotely.
- Family Sharing lets parents see children's device locations, but the child's account must be part of the family group first.
- The Find My app shows location history for up to 24 hours, and you can see whether the person is currently sharing or has stopped.
- If someone stops sharing their location with you, their name disappears from your People list in Find My.
How to view a shared location in Find My iPhone
Open the Find My app on your iPhone and tap the People tab at the bottom of the screen. If someone has shared their location with you, their name will appear in this list. Tap their name to see their current location on a map, along with the address and the time their location was last updated.
The map shows a blue dot for their current location. You can zoom in and out to see more or less detail around them. If they have stopped sharing their location, their name will no longer appear in the People list, and you will see a message saying they are not sharing.
How to ask someone to share their location with you
If the person you want to locate has not yet shared their location, you need to ask them to turn it on. They can do this by opening Find My on their iPhone, tapping the People tab, tapping the plus sign in the top right, and selecting your name from their contacts. They then choose how long to share — options include one hour, until end of day, or indefinitely.
Once they have shared, you will see their name appear in your People list within a few seconds. If they choose a time limit like one hour or until end of day, the sharing will automatically stop when that time expires, and their name will disappear from your list.
Using Family Sharing to see family members' locations
If you have set up Family Sharing on your Apple account, you can see the locations of family members who are part of your group. This requires that their Apple ID is linked to your family group and that location sharing is turned on in the family settings.
To view family member locations, open Find My, tap the People tab, and look for names under the Family section. Tap a family member's name to see their location on the map. Parents can set up Family Sharing through Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing, then add family members and enable location sharing for each person.
Family members can turn off location sharing at any time through their own Find My settings, even if they are part of your family group. When they do, you will no longer see their location.
What happens when someone stops sharing their location
If someone you were tracking stops sharing their location, their name disappears from your People list in Find My. You will not receive a notification that they have stopped sharing — you will only notice when you open the app and their name is gone.
Some people stop sharing intentionally, while others may have straightforward turned off location services on their device or signed out of iCloud. If you need to know their location again, you will need to ask them to turn sharing back on.
Location history and real-time updates in Find My
Find My shows a person's current location in real time when they are actively sharing with you. The app also displays the time their location was last updated, which is usually within the last few minutes if their phone is on and connected to the internet.
You can see location history for up to 24 hours by tapping on a person's name and scrolling through the timeline. This shows where they have been throughout the day, though the detail depends on how often their phone has updated its location. If their phone is off or not connected to the internet, the last known location will be shown, and the timestamp will reflect when that location was recorded.
Privacy and what the other person can see
When someone shares their location with you through Find My, they can see that you are viewing their location. They can also see exactly when you last looked at their location in some cases, depending on their iOS version. This is a two-way visibility feature — it is not a hidden tracking tool.
The person sharing their location can stop sharing at any time, and they can also see a list of everyone they are currently sharing with. If you are concerned about privacy, remember that location sharing is always voluntary and can be turned off when ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I find someone's iPhone if they have not shared their location with me?
No. Find My only shows locations for people who have deliberately turned on sharing for you. If someone has not shared their location, you cannot see where their device is, even if you know their Apple ID. The only exception is Family Sharing, which requires the person to be part of your family group first.
What if the person's iPhone is turned off?
If their iPhone is off, Find My will show their last known location — the place where their phone was when it was last on and connected to the internet. The timestamp will show when that location was recorded. Once they turn their phone back on and it connects to the internet, their real-time location will update.
Does the other person know I am looking at their location?
They can see that you are sharing with them and that location sharing is active, but they may not know the exact moment you check their location, depending on their iOS version. If you want to be transparent, it is best to tell them you are using Find My to stay connected.
Can I track someone without their knowledge?
No. Find My requires the other person to actively turn on location sharing for you. You cannot enable it remotely or without their knowledge. Any attempt to track someone without their consent would violate their privacy and may be illegal depending on your location and relationship.
What if someone shares their location and then changes their mind?
They can stop sharing at any time through their Find My settings. When they do, their name will disappear from your People list, and you will no longer see their location. They do not need your permission to stop sharing.