Revealing your location to somebody else could be a privacy violation — or it could be useful. If you want to make sure a friend knows you’re on your way, or that your spouse knows that you’re stuck in traffic (and you don’t want to call them while you’re driving), then an active location tracker could be a real help. Show
In this article, we’ll run through how to set location tracking in an Android phone. This is using a Pixel phone running Android 10; your mileage may vary depending on the manufacturer. And one thing to be aware of: you are the only person who can give others permission to track your location, and you can cancel it at any time.
Now you can select who you will share your location with and how long you will share it. The pre-selection is “For one hour,” but you can tap on the plus / minus keys to adjust the timing. If you want the person to have unlimited access to your location, then select “Until you turn this off.” You’ll then be presented with icons for your favorite and / or most used contacts. If the person you want to give access to isn’t there, swipe left and tap on the three dots labeled “More” to access all your contacts. Either way, when you’ve found the right person, tap on “Share.” Go to “Location sharing” in your Maps app. Select the person you want to share your location with. The person you’re sharing with will now be listed at the bottom of the “Location sharing” screen. They will be notified that they now have access to your location. To stop sharing your location, go to the “Location sharing” page, tap on the person’s name, and tap on the “Stop” button. On this same page, by the way, you can also request that the person you’re sharing your location with share their location with you in turn. You will be notified who can see your location. Tap on the name to stop the location sharing. Once you’ve stopped sharing your location, the person’s name will still be there, but there will be a notification that you are not sharing your location with them. This is in case you might want to share again; you won’t have to go through the entire process again — just tap on their name and select the blue “Share location with <person’s name>” button. If you don’t think you’ll ever want to share with them again, and want to remove their name, tap on the three dots in the upper right corner of the list, and select “Remove from list.” It’s simple to re-share you location with your contact. You can also remove that name from your list of shares. Google Maps location sharing allows your friends, relatives to know your exact location. Despite the fact that in most cases this function works smoothly and accurately, on some devices there are problems are observed. Basically, this error is inherent in mobile devices Android (Samsung Galaxy S21 - S22 and older models), as well as on the iPhone 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and later. So, let's figure out how to make your location available so that you don't get any errors on your device or on the phone you're sharing the location from. Table of ContentsPart 1. Google Maps location sharing says person is offlineTypically, this error occurs if the user has changed devices or disabled their Google account. Users report that on one mobile device the user sees the location of another, while on the second user's screen the message: person is offline. The first way to fix the error:
Second way:
The third way:
Part 2. How accurate is Google Maps location sharing?The accuracy of location calculation is about 20 - 25 meters. In addition, the correctness of the location sharing depends on the specific location of the user at that moment. For example, indoors, communication with GPS satellites may be unstable, which will affect the accuracy of positioning. In open terrain, as a rule, the accuracy of coordinates is the already mentioned 20 meters. If you use Wi-Fi or mobile data on Android or iOS, Google Maps can improve the accuracy of geolocation measurement. Part 3. How to know if someone stopped sharing location Google MapsAs soon as the user stops sharing location on Android or iOS, a notification appears on the screen. However, the user's nickname will still be available on the screen, and you will still see their status when you resume location tracking. To activate the sharing location function again, tap the Share location with... button in Google Maps. To remove a user from the list, tap the button with three horizontal dots and use the Remove from list command. This user will no longer be able to follow your movements. Part 4. Google Maps location sharing not updating: a fix1. Turn off Power mode on your phoneIf you use Power mode on your phone, some of Google's background services will be unloaded. Accordingly, location determination may not work steadily and fully. Solution. You can easily fix the Google Maps error by putting your phone into default power mode. Note that your phone's battery will drain faster. Instructions for Android:
For iPhone:
2. Restarting the phoneProbably, there was an unexplained failure of Google Maps app or the phone lost connection with the satellite. This error is common for both iOS and Android. Solution. The easiest way to fix "Google Maps Location Sharing Not Updating" error is to reboot your phone. If Google Maps cache occupies too much space, the app will not work correctly. Solution. You can fix the error by clearing the cache. It's a safe action that won't take long. Instructions for Android:
Instructions for iOS:
We also advise to clear system cache. Enable / disable Location serviceThe Location service must be manually enabled on your iPhone with iOS 11, 12, or 13. In some cases, iOS apps (for example, iOS Maps) use the wi-fi network to determine your location, providing inaccurate information. How to fix Make sure that the GPS connection on iPhone is enabled. How to do this: 3. Tap Location Services option. 4. Disable Location Services by tapping the Disable button.
The method is quite simple, but it works on older versions of iOS (14, 12), where you sometimes see a similar service signing off and need rebooting it in the way described. Make sure that offline mode on iOS is turned offSimilar to the above method, try to use the "Airplane" mode. If you forget to deactivate it, all wireless connections, mobile network and GPS will be unavailable. Most likely, a notification will appear on the screen informing that "location service unavailable." or “user is offline” How to fix You can disable offline mode on your iPhone the next way:
This solution is also applicable in many other situations, not only in case of location services failure on Google Maps. |