Find My Friends: Location issues

Location issues

If you see a “Location Services off” message

If your friends can’t see your location and you see a “Location Services off” message below “Me,” make sure that Location Services is turned on. Also, make sure that Share My Location is turned on for your iCloud account and for your device.

  • Turn on Location Services: Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services, then turn on Location Services.

    Location Services setting in Privacy settings
  • Turn on Share My Location for your iCloud account: Go to Settings > iCloud > Share My Location, then turn on Share My Location.

    When you turn on Share My Location in iCloud, the status is reflected in Privacy settings (Settings > Privacy > Location Services > Share My Location) and Find My Friends (in Me).

    Share My Location setting in iCloud settings
  • Turn on Share My Location for your device: Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services. In Location Services, scroll to the bottom, tap System Services, then turn on Share My Location.

    Share My Location setting in System Services settings

If you can’t see a friend’s location

  • If your friend has multiple devices, make sure that the correct device is sharing his or her location.

  • If Location Not Available is below a friend’s name, ask the friend to make sure that his or her device:

    • Is online (turned on and connected to a data network, such as 3G, 4G, LTE, or Wi-Fi).

    • Is signed in to iCloud.

    • Has Find My Friends turned on in Location Services (Settings > Privacy > Location Services).

    • Is still sharing its location.

  • If you asked to share a friend’s location but the friend doesn’t appear in your Friends list, make sure you sent the invitation to the correct email address. Also, make sure the friend accepted the invitation.

  • Ask your friend to open the Maps app and tap the location arrow in the lower-left corner to find his or her device. If Maps can’t find it, something might be wrong with the device’s Location Services settings. For more information, see the user guide on the Apple Support website.

If friends can’t see your location

Make sure:

  • You’re signed in to iCloud on an iOS device you have with you. If you sign out of iCloud, you’re signed out of Find My Friends.

  • The device you have with you is the one that’s sharing your location.

  • The friend is listed (the friend sent you an invitation and you accepted, or you shared your location).

  • Find My Friends is turned on in Location Services (Settings > Privacy > Location Services). If Find My Friends is dimmed, check Settings > Restrictions to see if the restrictions need to be changed.

  • You haven’t stopped sharing your location (in the Me pane).

  • You can locate your device. Open the Maps app and tap the location arrow in the lower-left corner. If Maps can’t find the device, something might be wrong with its Location Services settings. For more information, see the user guide on the Apple Support website.

For more information about location issues, see the Apple Support article Troubleshooting Find My Friends.

Last Modified: Jun 22, 2016
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