How to Share Your Location Temporarily on iPhone, Android and WhatsApp
You want someone to see where you are for the next hour, not forever. Here is how temporary location sharing works on iPhone, Android and WhatsApp, how to stop it, and what to use for a whole group.
Short answer
iPhone (Messages or Find My) lets you share for one hour, until the end of the day, or indefinitely. Google Maps lets you choose a duration or "until you turn this off". WhatsApp live location runs for 15 minutes, 1 hour or 8 hours. For a whole group on one map, use a temporary group room such as a RevSignal convoy.
By RevSignal (Editorial team)
Why share temporarily?
Most of the time you only need someone to see where you are for a short while: until you arrive, during a walk home, or for a day trip. Temporary sharing ends automatically, so you do not have to remember to switch it off.
The menus below change from time to time with app updates, but the options have been stable for several years.
iPhone: Messages or Find My
- Open the conversation with the person in Messages, tap their name at the top, then Share My Location. Or open Find My, go to People, and tap Share My Location.
- Choose Share for One Hour, Share Until End of Day or Share Indefinitely.
To stop: in Find My, open People, tap the person, and choose Stop Sharing My Location.
Android and iPhone: Google Maps
- Open Google Maps, tap your profile picture, then Location sharing.
- Tap Share location (or New share).
- Choose a duration, or Until you turn this off.
- Pick a contact, or share a link.
To stop: go back to Location sharing, tap the person, and tap Stop.
WhatsApp live location
- Open the chat (one person or a group).
- Tap the attachment icon, then Location, then Share live location.
- Choose 15 minutes, 1 hour or 8 hours.
To stop: tap Stop sharing in the chat.
In a WhatsApp group, each person shares their own live location separately. You can see everyone who is sharing, but each person has to start (and stop) it themselves.
When a group map works better
The options above are designed mainly for one person sharing with one person, or each person sharing separately. For a group travelling together (a convoy of cars, a group ride, friends finding each other at a festival), it is easier when everyone joins one shared map.
A RevSignal convoy does this:
- One person taps Start Convoy and shares the link.
- Everyone opens it in their phone browser and types a nickname. No app, no account.
- Everyone sees everyone on one map. Up to 50 people.
- The room is deleted 24 hours after its last activity.
Read more in sharing live location with a group without an app.
Sharing safely
- Share with people you know, or in a group you trust.
- Prefer time limits to "indefinitely".
- Protect your home. Do not leave sharing on when you get home if you do not want people to learn where you live. On RevSignal, the optional Home Safe Zone hides your position within 500 m of the home location you set.
- Check who can still see you now and then, and remove old shares.
- Do not look at your phone while driving or riding. Set sharing up before you leave.
More privacy answers are on the FAQ.