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What you need before sharing
The procedure works on Android phones and tablets with Google Maps installed. Sign in to the Google Account that should provide the location, and make sure the device can determine its location. For the direct person-to-person method, add the recipient’s Gmail address to Google Contacts first; this makes the person easier to select in Maps.
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- Google Maps: Use the current Android app. Labels can change after an update.
- A signed-in account: Location sharing is tied to the Google Account and device you are using.
- Contacts access: Maps may ask for permission to read contacts when you select a person.
- Account eligibility: Location sharing can be restricted by country or region, age, account-management settings, or an administrator on a Google Workspace domain.
- Android version: Some Google Play services location-sharing functions require Android 8.1 or later.
If the feature is not visible, check the profile menu in Maps and install the latest available app update before assuming that your account or device cannot use it.
A quick privacy checklist
Decide who should have access, how long they need it, and whether they need a general live location or only trip details. A selected contact is narrower than a link, and a trip-progress share is narrower in time than an open-ended location share. Also remember that the recipient can see more than your position: Google Maps may show your name and photo, recent device location, battery level, and charging state.
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How do I share my location on Google Maps?
Use these steps for a direct share with a particular person:
- Open Google Maps on your Android phone or tablet and sign in.
- Tap your profile picture or initial in the top-right corner.
- Tap Location sharing.
- Tap New share or Add people, depending on the label shown in your version of Maps.
- Choose how long the location should remain available. The menu can offer a set period or Until you turn this off.
- Select the recipient. If Maps asks to access contacts, allow that permission, then choose the intended person.
- Tap Share.
The recipient receives access according to the duration and method you selected. A direct share is person-specific rather than a public map post, so review the name before confirming.
If the recipient does not appear
Confirm that the person’s Gmail address is saved in Google Contacts and that Maps has contact permission. You can also use the link option described below when the person does not use a Google Account or is not available as a direct contact.
Sharing with more than one person
Repeat the share flow for each intended contact and review each duration separately. The person-specific stop control applies to the contact you select, so ending one share does not automatically end every other active share. If several people need access for the same short journey, trip-progress sharing can be simpler because it is tied to the navigation session.
Choose the right sharing method
Google Maps offers three different controls. They are not interchangeable: they differ in account requirements, who can access the information, and when access ends.
| Method | Recipient requirement | Duration and end condition | Who can see the location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct location share | Select a person in Maps; Google’s troubleshooting guidance for shares longer than 24 hours refers to a recipient with a Gmail account. | You choose a period, or use Until you turn this off where available. You can stop it manually. | The selected person or people. |
| Link share | No Google Account is required. | Up to 24 hours for a real-time link share, or until you stop it sooner. | Anyone who possesses the link. |
| Share trip progress | Choose a recipient while navigation is active. | Ends when navigation stops or the destination is reached; you can end it earlier. | The people you selected for that navigation session. |
Direct sharing with a person
Direct sharing is the best fit when one or more known people should follow your location for a chosen period. The duration control is set in the Maps sharing screen. Google documents an Until you turn this off option, but account, region, or service limitations can prevent that option from behaving as expected. If you need a share longer than one day, use a recipient account that meets Google’s Gmail requirement and verify that the long-duration option is actually available before sending.
A direct share is also the appropriate method when the recipient may later configure an arrival or departure notification. Those notifications are tied to eligible person-specific sharing, not to a link. Tell the recipient what period you selected so both of you know when access should end.
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Sharing a link with someone without a Google Account
From the same location-sharing flow, choose the option to copy a link instead of selecting a Google contact. Send the copied link through text message, email, or another messaging app. A link share can expose your live location for up to 24 hours, and access is based on possession of the link: anyone who obtains it may be able to view the location during that window. Send it only through a channel you trust, and stop the share when the recipient no longer needs it.
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Link access is not limited to the person you intended if the message is forwarded, displayed on a shared screen, or stored in an account someone else can open. If the link reaches the wrong person, stop the active share from Maps rather than relying on the unwanted recipient to delete the message. You can then create a new link for the intended person.
Sharing trip progress during navigation
Trip-progress sharing is designed for a journey rather than an open-ended location history. Start car, walking, or bicycle navigation in Google Maps, then:
- Open the navigation information card.
- Tap Share trip progress.
- Choose a recipient and send the share.
The recipient can follow your current location, destination, and estimated arrival time for that trip. Maps ends the share automatically when you stop navigation or reach the destination. You can stop it earlier from the same information card.
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This option is useful when someone only needs to know that you are on the way. It avoids leaving a general location share active after the journey, but it will not continue once navigation ends. If plans change and you begin a new route, check the information card again rather than assuming the previous trip share carries over.
How long does Google Maps location sharing last?
For a direct share, Maps presents a duration choice. Select the shortest period that covers the situation, or use Until you turn this off only when ongoing access is genuinely needed and the option is available for your account and recipient. A share ends when its selected period expires or when you stop it manually.
A copied link has a different limit: real-time link sharing is available for up to 24 hours. It is not equivalent to an indefinite direct share, even if the recipient does not have a Google Account. Trip-progress sharing lasts only for the active navigation session and ends when you stop navigation or arrive at the destination.
What information does the recipient see?
Location sharing is more than a moving dot on a map. Before you confirm a share, consider the associated information Google Maps can provide.
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|---|---|
| Name and profile photo | The recipient can identify the Google Account that is sharing. |
| Recent device location | Maps can show the device’s recent location even when Google apps are not currently open. |
| Battery level | The recipient may see the device’s current battery level. |
| Charging state | Maps can indicate whether the device is charging. |
| Arrival or departure updates | If an eligible recipient configures a Location Sharing notification, they can receive updates for the places and events they selected. |
Google states that “Location Sharing works even when Timeline is turned off.” Turning off Timeline therefore does not disable this separate real-time sharing control. Timeline and Location Sharing should be treated as separate settings: disabling one is not a substitute for stopping the other.
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How do I stop sharing my location?
Stop sharing with one person
To end a person-specific share in Google Maps:
- Tap your profile picture or initial.
- Tap Location sharing.
- Select the person whose access should end.
- Tap Stop.
This removes that person’s active location-sharing access. Repeat the process for each person whose access you want to end. If you created a link, stop that active link share as well; deleting the message from your own phone does not by itself revoke a link that is still active.
Pause updates without deleting existing shares
Android’s Google Location Sharing settings also include a pause control. Pausing stops recipients from receiving updated real-time location, but it does not delete the existing shares. When you turn sharing back on, the existing arrangements can resume according to their original settings.
The pause setting is account- and device-specific. If you are signed in on more than one Android device, you may need to manage the setting separately on each device. Use a person-specific Stop action when you want to remove access rather than temporarily suspend updates.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsPause and stop solve different problems. Pause is useful when you want a temporary break without rebuilding the share later. Stop is the safer choice when the recipient should no longer have access, when a link was sent incorrectly, or when a planned sharing period is over.
Arrival and departure notifications
Google Maps can let a person who already has location access configure optional arrival or departure notifications. Availability varies by account, and these notifications are not available for link-based sharing. Google allows up to five such notifications per person. The person sharing their location receives an email when one is added, and the notifications stop automatically when location sharing stops.
Because notification availability depends on the account and sharing method, do not promise a place alert when you have sent a link. For a notification-based arrangement, use direct person-specific sharing and check that the recipient’s Maps account offers the notification control. A notification can reveal when you reach or leave a selected place, so discuss whether that extra information is necessary before enabling it.
Account, device, and availability limits
Location Sharing may not be offered everywhere or for every account. Google lists country and regional restrictions, age-related limits, and account-management conditions. A parent- or guardian-managed account may be controlled through Family Link. On a Google Workspace account, an administrator may need to enable the feature before it appears.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11The service is tied to both the Google Account and the device providing the location. If the same account is signed in on multiple Android devices, check which device is supplying updates and manage each device’s pause setting as needed. Google Play services also affects location-sharing functions, and some capabilities work only on Android 8.1 or later.
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Troubleshooting common problems
“Location sharing” is missing from the menu
- Open the profile menu rather than the main map controls; the setting is under your profile picture or initial.
- Check the Google Maps version and install an available update.
- Verify that the account and device are eligible. Google lists regional restrictions, age and account-management limits, and Google Workspace administrator controls as possible reasons for unavailability.
- On a parent- or guardian-managed account, location controls may be administered through Family Link.
- Check the Android version and Google Play services. Some sharing functions require Android 8.1 or newer.
The person cannot be selected
Save the recipient’s Gmail address in Google Contacts and grant Maps contact permission when prompted. If the person does not use a Google Account, switch to the copy-link method instead of trying to force a direct contact share.
The “Until you turn this off” option does not work
Google documents the option, but availability can depend on the account, recipient, region, and service conditions. For shares expected to last longer than 24 hours, confirm that the recipient uses a Gmail account and that Maps actually offers the setting on your device. If it does not, choose the longest available period and create a new share when necessary.
The recipient stopped receiving updates
- Check whether you paused Google Location Sharing in Android settings. Pausing leaves the share in place but withholds new location updates.
- If you use more than one device, check the pause state on the device that is supposed to provide the location.
- For a link share, remember that the link is limited to 24 hours. Send a new link if the period has ended.
- For trip progress, confirm that navigation is still running and that the destination has not been reached.
A link was sent to the wrong person
Because access follows possession of the link, treat a copied location link as sensitive. Stop the active share from Maps, then create a new share only for the intended recipient. Do not rely on the recipient deleting the message as your only control.
The recipient sees an old location
First check whether sharing was paused, whether the link’s 24-hour window expired, or whether navigation ended for a trip-progress share. For an account used on more than one device, verify the device-specific setting and the device intended to provide updates. If the selected duration ended, start a new share with the appropriate method.
Privacy decisions to make before tapping Share
- Choose the narrowest audience: Use direct sharing for a known person; use a link only when the recipient lacks a Google Account or cannot be selected directly.
- Set a definite end time: A short duration or trip-progress share avoids leaving an open-ended share active by mistake.
- Check the visible data: The recipient may see your name, photo, recent location, battery level, and charging state, not just your position.
- Review notifications: Arrival and departure notifications can reveal when you reach or leave a place. They are unavailable for some accounts and for link shares.
- Stop or pause deliberately: Use Stop to remove a person’s access; use the Android pause control only when you want to suspend updates while retaining the existing share.
- Consider managed accounts: Workspace administrators, Family Link supervisors, age restrictions, and regional rules can change which controls appear.
- Protect copied links: Send them privately, avoid posting them in group spaces, and revoke the active share if the link may have been exposed.
Which option should you use?
For family or a trusted contact
Use direct location sharing, select the person, and choose a duration that matches the need. This keeps access tied to the selected recipient and lets you stop that person’s share from the Location sharing screen.
For an occasional recipient without a Google Account
Copy a link and send it privately. Tell the recipient that the link works for up to 24 hours and that anyone who obtains it may be able to view the live location during that period.
For a single journey
Use Share trip progress from the navigation card. It includes destination and estimated arrival information and ends automatically when the trip ends, unlike a general location share.
When you need place alerts
Use direct person-specific sharing and have the eligible recipient configure an arrival or departure notification. Link-based sharing does not support those notifications, and up to five notifications can be added per person.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I share my location from Android?
Open Google Maps, tap your profile picture or initial, choose Location sharing, tap New share or Add people, select a duration, choose the contact, and tap Share. Save the recipient’s Gmail address in Google Contacts first if the person does not appear.
Can I share my location with someone who doesn’t have a Google Account?
Yes. Choose the copy-link option in the Location sharing flow and send the link by text, email, or another trusted messaging app. Anyone who obtains the link may see the real-time location for up to 24 hours, so treat it as sensitive.
How do I stop sharing my location?
In Google Maps, open the profile menu, tap Location sharing, select the person, and tap Stop. Repeat for other people. If you only want to suspend updates while keeping the share configured, use Android’s Google Location Sharing pause control instead.
What is the difference between pausing and stopping?
Stop removes a selected person’s active access. Pausing suspends new real-time updates but leaves existing shares in place; turning sharing back on can resume those arrangements. Pause is account- and device-specific, so check each Android device used with the account.
Can someone see my battery level when I share my location?
Google Maps can show the recipient your device’s battery level and whether it is charging, along with your name, photo, and recent location. Review that broader visibility before sharing, especially with a link.
How long does a location link work?
A real-time link share works for up to 24 hours, unless you stop it sooner. After that window, create and send a new link if access is still needed. Anyone with the active link may be able to view the location.
Why can’t I find Location sharing in Google Maps?
Check the profile menu, update Maps, and verify Google Play services and Android version. Availability can also depend on region, age, Family Link or other account management, and Google Workspace administrator settings. Some functions require Android 8.1 or later.
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Can I share only during a trip?
Yes. Start car, walking, or bicycle navigation, open the navigation information card, and tap Share trip progress. The recipient gets your destination, estimated arrival time, and current location until you stop navigation or reach the destination.
Can the recipient set an arrival notification?
Eligible recipients with direct person-specific access may configure arrival or departure notifications. They are unavailable for link-based sharing, vary by account, and are limited to up to five per person. The person sharing location receives an email when one is added.
The Bottom Line
To share from Android, open Google Maps and go to Profile picture or initial → Location sharing → New share/Add people. Use a direct share for a selected contact, a link for someone without a Google Account, or Share trip progress for one navigation session. A link can expose your live location to anyone who gets it for up to 24 hours. Use Stop to remove access and Android’s pause control only when you want to suspend updates without deleting existing shares.
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