You can turn off location sharing on most devices without sending a notification

On iPhone, Android, and most messaging apps, you can stop sharing your location by straightforward turning it off in settings — the other person won't get a message saying you did it. What they will see is that your location is no longer updating. If you've been sharing live location in a group chat or with a specific contact, the share will just end when you disable it. Some apps handle this differently, so the exact steps depend on what you're using and what kind of location sharing you set up in the first place.

The key difference is between active location sharing (you're actively sending your location right now) and location permissions (an app is allowed to see your location whenever it wants). Stopping active sharing is invisible. Changing permissions might be visible depending on the app, but most don't notify the other person when you revoke access.

Key Takeaways

  • Ending active location sharing in Messages, WhatsApp, or Google Maps doesn't send a notification — the other person just sees the share has stopped.
  • Turning off location permission for an app in your phone's settings is invisible to the other person in most cases.
  • Some apps like Life360 or Google Family Link are designed to alert the other person when location sharing stops, so check the app's settings first.
  • If someone else set up location sharing on your device (like a parent or partner), you may need to remove the app or account entirely to stop it.

How to stop sharing on iPhone

In the Messages app, open the conversation where you're sharing your location. Tap the person's name or the group name at the top, then scroll down to "Share My Location." Tap "Stop Sharing My Location." That's it — no notification is sent. The other person will see that your location is no longer available, but they won't get an alert that you turned it off.

If you're using Find My to share your location with family or friends, open the Find My app, tap the "People" tab, find the person you're sharing with, and tap "Stop Sharing My Location." Again, no notification. If you want to stop an app from accessing your location entirely, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services, find the app, and change it from "Always" or "While Using" to "Never." The app won't know you changed it unless it tries to use your location and fails.

How to stop sharing on Android

In Google Messages or most messaging apps, open the conversation and look for the location icon (usually a pin or map). Tap it and select "Stop Sharing Location." No notification is sent. If you're using Google Maps to share your location, open the app, tap your profile picture, go to "Location sharing," find the person you're sharing with, and tap the X or "Stop" button.

To revoke location permission for any app, go to Settings > Apps > Permissions > Location, find the app, and tap it. Change the setting from "Allow all the time" to "Don't allow" or "Allow only while using the app." The app won't be notified of the change. Some Android phones organize this slightly differently — if you can't find it under Apps, try Settings > Privacy > Permission Manager > Location.

Apps that do send notifications when you stop sharing

Life360, a family location app, is designed to alert family members when someone stops sharing their location or turns off location services. Google Family Link also notifies parents if a child's location becomes unavailable. If you're using either of these apps and want to stop sharing without notification, you'll need to uninstall the app or remove your account from it entirely — and the other person will likely notice that you're no longer in the app.

Before you turn anything off, check the app's settings to see whether it sends notifications. Look for a "Notifications" or "Alerts" section and see what it says about location sharing changes. Some apps let you disable notifications for location changes specifically, even if you keep sharing on.

If someone else set up location sharing on your device

If a parent, partner, or someone else installed a location-tracking app on your phone or set up Family Link or Find My on your device, you have a few options. The most direct is to uninstall the app or remove your account from it. Go to Settings > Apps, find the app, and tap "Uninstall." If it's a built-in feature like Find My or Family Link, you can remove the account it's linked to, which will stop the sharing.

If you can't uninstall it because the device is managed by someone else (like a work phone or a device with parental controls), you may not have the ability to stop location sharing without their permission. In that case, you can turn off location services entirely for your whole phone (Settings > Location > turn it off), but this will affect all apps and may be visible to the person managing the device.

What the other person actually sees

When you stop sharing your location, the other person doesn't get a pop-up notification or a message. What they see depends on where they were looking for your location. If they were watching your live location in a chat, that map will show "Location unavailable" or straightforward stop updating. If they were checking Find My or a family app, your location will disappear from their list or show as "Location not available."

They might notice the change right away if they're actively looking for your location, or they might not notice for hours or days. If they ask why your location disappeared, you can say your phone ran out of battery, you turned off location services, or you stopped sharing — it's up to you what you tell them. The technical fact is that they won't get an automatic alert unless you're using an app specifically designed to send one.

Turning off location services entirely

If you want to stop all location sharing at once, you can turn off location services for your entire phone. On iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and toggle it off. On Android, go to Settings > Location and toggle it off. This stops every app from accessing your location, not just the ones you're actively sharing with.

The downside is that maps won't work, weather apps won't know your location, and any app that relies on location will either not work or work poorly. It's also visible — if someone is checking your location and you turn off location services, they'll see that your location is unavailable. If you only want to stop sharing with one person or app, the steps above are more precise.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the other person get a notification if I turn off location sharing?

No, not in most apps. They'll see that your location is no longer available, but they won't get a notification saying you turned it off. The exception is apps like Life360 or Google Family Link, which are designed to alert the other person when location sharing stops.

Can someone tell if I turned off location or if my phone just died?

Not really. If your location suddenly becomes unavailable, they can't tell whether you turned it off, your phone died, you lost signal, or you turned off location services. They'll just see "Location unavailable." You can tell them whatever you want.

What if I want to stop sharing but keep the app installed?

Open the app, find the location sharing settings, and tap "Stop Sharing" or the equivalent button. The app will stay on your phone, but location sharing will be off. You can turn it back on anytime from the same place.

If I revoke location permission in settings, will the app still work?

The app will still work for most features, but anything that needs your location won't work. Maps won't show where you are, weather won't be location-specific, and ride-sharing apps won't know where to pick you up. The app won't notify the other person that you revoked permission — it will just fail silently when it tries to access your location.

Can I stop sharing location with one person but keep sharing with another?

Yes. In Messages, Find My, or most messaging apps, you can manage location sharing per conversation or per contact. Open the conversation with the person you want to stop sharing with and turn off location sharing for just that chat. Other shares will stay active.