How do you share your location temporarily without being tracked forever?

Last updated: October 28, 2026

Pick an end time before you share. Google Maps location sharing lets you choose how long; iPhone Find My and Messages offer an hour, until the end of the day, or indefinitely; and a one-time pin shows only where you are now. For a group outing, a Laiki room always has an end time and closes on its own.

First, decide what kind of sharing you need

• "I'm here": send a single location. The other person can't follow where you go next.
• "I'm on my way": share until you arrive.
• "Watch for me for a while": choose a time limit that ends on its own, not "until you turn this off" or "indefinitely".

Google Maps: choose how long to share

1. Open Google Maps and make sure you're signed in to your Google Account.
2. Tap your profile picture, then Location sharing, then New share.
3. Choose how long you want to share your location, pick the person, and tap Share.

The list also includes "Until you turn this off", which keeps sharing until you stop it yourself. The recipient needs a Google Account; for someone without one, share a link instead, which lasts up to 24 hours. While navigating by car, foot, or bike, Share trip progress stops sharing when you arrive or end navigation.

iPhone: three time limits in Find My or Messages

1. In Find My, tap the Me tab and turn on Share My Location, then add a person in the People tab. Or in a Messages conversation, tap the Plus button, then Location.
2. Choose to share for an hour, until the end of the day, or indefinitely.

For short-term sharing, pick an hour or until the end of the day. Live Location requires both people to have an iPhone with iOS 15 or later, so Android friends can't view it. Dropping a pin in Messages shares only that one location, and the other person can't follow you as you move.

LINE: send one place

If your group uses LINE, tap "+" in the chat, then Location, pick a place, and send. The recipient gets the one place you picked, which is fine for "I'm here" or "meet here" but doesn't update as you move.

For a group outing: open a Laiki room that ends

1. Open a room in Laiki and choose how long it stays open (from 1 hour) and how precise locations are.
2. Post the room link or join code in your group text, and everyone joins with the app.
3. The room closes on its own when time is up; with End automatically on, your location sharing stops when the room ends.

Precision options are Precise location (about 10 m), Approximate location (about 300 m), or Ghost mode to view others without sharing yourself. Live locations are never stored in your account and are cleared when the room ends. iPhone and Android users share one room, and people without the app can view the room map in a browser. On the free plan, rooms last up to 3 days with up to 8 people.

The options compared