Google Maps can give you peace of mind when it comes to your loved ones. Whether it’s a school – going child or an older family member, you can use Google Maps to find your family or friends.
Keep up with your kids by watching when they get home, or go see a good friend who was traveling. With Google Maps online or on your mobile device, you can see where it is if you are worried.
Request a friend’s or relative’s location
You both need the Google Maps mobile app to share real-time locations between you and your contact. You can download it for free on Android or iPhone. You must also be willing to share your own location with your contact at least once. This is what gets the ball rolling for you to request their location.
Open the Google Maps app on your mobile device to get started with location sharing. You may need to adjust your settings to allow location services for Google Maps if requested.
Tap your profile photo or initials found in the top right corner of the application window and select “Location sharing”.
If you’ve never shared your location on Google Maps, you need to share your location with your contact before you can request it. Tap “New part.”
Before selecting a contact, use the menu to select a time frame. You can share your location for a certain time or until you turn it off.
Then select your contact, or scroll right and tap “More” to see all your contacts. Select one and tap “Share”.
Once you share your location, you can request that you share theirs with you. Select the contact and then tap ‘Request’.
You will see a message that your email address will be shared with them, and you can choose to disable the same message in the future. Also tap “Request” here.
If you have previously shared your location with someone, you will see them at the bottom of the location window. From there, you can share your place with them again or simply request that they share theirs with you.
Tap on your contact at the bottom, select “Request” and then tap “Request” in the next window.
Your contact will be notified by Google Maps and email that you need to share their location.
Find someone with Google Maps
Once someone has agreed to share their location with you, you can easily find it on Google Maps on your mobile device or online.
Find someone on cell phones
Open Google Maps on your mobile device, tap your profile picture or initials in the top right and select “Location sharing”.
You see the contacts sharing their location (s) at the bottom. Tap to see details about their location, get directions to them or simply see their location on the map.
Find someone online
Go to Google Maps online and sign in. Click on the three-line menu in the upper left corner next to the search box and select ‘Location sharing’.
Select the contact who shares their location with you. You will see their photo or initials appear on the map along with the address for their current location on the left.
Hide someone on Google Maps
Just because someone shared their location with you does not mean you want to see them on the map all the time. Maybe you already know that they are safe and healthy, and now you want to examine someone else. Fortunately, you can hide a contact on the card if you want.
Hide someone on mobile devices
Go back to the location sharing screen in the app by tapping on your profile photo or initial and “Location sharing”. Select the contact you want to hide on the map at the bottom.
Tap the three dots in the top right corner of their location details and select ‘Hide [Name] From the map. ”
Tap the contact at the bottom of your location sharing list to open a contact. When the message appears at the top to let you know it’s hidden, tap “Reveal.”
Hide someone online
Return to the Location Sharing area of Google Maps online using Menu> Location Sharing.
Select the contact you want to hide and click “Hide on card” under their name. This will remove their photo or initials from your map view, but it will still appear in your location sharing list.
To hide a contact, hover over their name in your location sharing list and click “Show on map.”
To stop seeing the location of a contact completely and in the future, you have the option to block it. Wait until the time frame for sharing expires or hope they decide to stop sharing their place with you.
You know what they say, part is caring! So if you want to sign up a loved one to make sure they are at home or at the destination, you need to enable Google Maps features.