How to See Someone's Location on iPhone? Easy in 3 Steps

Key Takeaways

Go to the Find My app and tap on the People tab.
On the People tab, please select the name of the person sharing their location with you.
Select Directions to open Maps and follow the directions to arrive at your friend’s location.

IPhones come with the technology to determine the location of devices. You can use this technology to determine the location of friends and family. You could also rely on this technology to find your lost or misplaced device.

So, how do you see someone’s location on iPhone?

Table Of Contents

1 How To See Someone’s Location on iPhone Messages
2 How Can I Check Someone’s Location on My iPhone Without Them Knowing for Free?
3 Why Can’t I See Someone’s Location on My iPhone?
4 Why Can’t I See Someone’s Location After They Shared it With Me?
5 Track iPhone Location by Phone Number
6 How To Check iPhone Location History
7 How To Track an iPhone Location
8 How To Track an iPhone’s Location From Another iPhone
9 Conclusion

How To See Someone’s Location on iPhone Messages

An iPhone allows people to share their location through messages.

You can request your friend to send you their location through the Messages app. Follow the directions on the Map to meet your friend.

Here is what they will do:

Your friend will open the Messages app on their iPhone.
They will then select to create a message.
They will pick your contact as the preferred recipient.
They will then tap on Send My location.
You can see their location on the map when they send the message.

They can set a time for how long you can view their location. Some iPhones, such as those with iOS 16 allow you to label a friend’s location. The label will then appear alongside your friend’s name whenever they are at that location.

To set a label, follow these steps:

Go to People at the bottom of your iPhone’s screen.
Select the contact you want to set a location label for.
Select Edit Location name.
Add a label.
You can tap the Add Custom label for a new tag by entering your preferred name.
Tap on Done.

How Can I Check Someone’s Location on My iPhone Without Them Knowing for Free?

You can track someone’s location on your iPhone without them knowing. You will need to use the Find My iPhone app to do this. The app is natively designed to help you find your iPhone when you misplace it or if it is stolen.

However, you could still use the app to find a friend’s or family’s iPhone. You need to know their device before doing it.

Please note that we do not recommend tracking your loved ones using this method without them knowing because it violates their privacy.

This is what you need to do:

Log into your iPhone.
Go to the Find My iPhone app.
Select the phone you need to track from the list of devices.
You can now follow the iPhone’s live location or its location history.

Using your iPhone, you could also use third-party apps to track someone’s location. The person is unlikely to know they are being followed unless they have enabled the Play Sound option or selected an alert option.

Why Can’t I See Someone’s Location on My iPhone?

Sometimes you might be unable to see someone’s location on your iPhone. The most common reason is that your friend has not allowed their iPhone to share their location. If this is the case, you cannot find them using the Find My iPhone app.

They could also have shared their location with you, but their iPhone is turned off. It is also likely that they do not have an internet connection through cellular data or Wi-Fi.

Why Can’t I See Someone’s Location After They Shared it With Me?

If you cannot see someone’s location after they have shared it with you, the following are possible reasons for that:

Stopped sharing location – Your friend may have stopped sharing their location with you. If this is the case, you cannot find them using the Find My iPhone app. Consider asking them to share their location again.
Their iPhone could have turned off – Maybe they ran out of battery or switched off their iPhone. Consider reaching them through other means and asking them to find out more.
No internet connection – It is also likely that they do not have an internet connection through cellular data or Wi-Fi.
Incorrect date on their iPhone – The other likely cause is their device’s date is not set correctly. This can cause you to fail to find their location.
Out of service – It is also worth considering that your friend’s location is without service.
They hid their location – Your friend could also have chosen to hide their location. When you select Hide My location, it is impossible to track you using your device.
GPS malfunctioning – The problem could be your GPS. We recommend restarting your Find My app.

Track iPhone Location by Phone Number

Knowing how to track your iPhone might come in handy when you lose it and need to establish its location. The Find My iPhone application lets you use iCloud to track your device using your phone number. The application uses Google Maps to let you know your iPhone’s location.

The app also allows you to send a message to the person holding your device. It also lets you notify them it is lost and how they can find you. Also, you can set a password to protect your sensitive data or delete it so it doesn’t get into the wrong hands.

This method is free of charge.

Follow the following steps to track your iPhone Location using a phone number:

Go to the iCloud website and log in using your Apple ID and password.
Locate the Find My iPhone and open it. It will lead you to a map.
Press the “i” beside your device’s name to get a list of options.
Select “Play Sound or Send Message.” This lets you hear it if you lost it at home. You can also send a message to let someone who has it know it is lost.
You can tap on Remote Lock to lock your device using a 4-digit code.
Go to My Devices and return to iCloud’s home screen.
You can then exit by ending the session.

You can use other third-party apps and websites to track your iPhone.

Consider the following apps:

Find My Friends (Freeware) – The app allows you to find people’s locations by entering their phone numbers or email addresses. If you let them, they can also follow you.
Life360 (Proprietary software) – allows family members to know the real-time location of each of them through a private circle. It also gives location history.
Find My Kids (Proprietary software) – This allows parents to keep tabs on their kids by knowing their location and hearing their child’s surroundings.
Glympse – Locates a device’s location using a phone number. It gives the other person a notification to consent to their location.

How To Check iPhone Location History

You can view the location history on your Google Maps and your iOS. The location of your iPhone has to be turned on.

To find location history on Google Maps, do the following:

Go to your profile and tap on the image
Go to Maps and tap on your data
Tap on See and Delete activity

You could also review your iOS history:

Locate settings
Go to Privacy
Tap on Location Services
Open System Services
Go to Significant locations

How To Track an iPhone Location

Follow the following steps to track an iPhone location:

Log into your iPhone.
Go to Find My iPhone.
Select the phone you need to track from the list of devices.

You can also use third-party apps to locate an iPhone.

How To Track an iPhone’s Location From Another iPhone

It is possible to track your iPhone from another device. All you need is to log into another iPhone and log in. Open the Find My iPhone app and select your iPhone from the listed devices.

Conclusion

You can now track an iPhone device using various strategies outlined here. These tips are essential to locate a lost iPhone device or knowing your loved one’s whereabouts. However, we recommend letting those you track know they are being followed so you do not violate their privacy.

How to See Someone’s Location on iPhone?