Track Someone’s Location and Share Yours on Google Maps

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Share your location and find out where your contacts are

Written by Travis Boylls

Last Updated: July 30, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Tracking Locations on Mobile
|
• Tracking Locations on Desktop
|
• Sharing Your Location
|
• Frequently Asked Questions
|
• Video

|Show more |Show less

If you have Google Maps on your phone, someone can share their location with you on Google Maps, allowing you to keep an eye on their whereabouts. It is not, however, a feature to track someone without their knowledge or approval. This wikiHow will teach you how to track someone in Google Maps after they've shared their location with you, as well as how to share your location.

Quick Steps

1. Open the Google Maps app.
2. Tap your profile picture in the upper-right corner.
3. Tap Location Sharing.
4. Tap the name of the person you want to track.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Tracking Locations on Mobile

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1. 
   1
   Open Google Maps. It looks like a multicolored map pin. This app icon is located either on your homepage or in the Apps menu on Android. It may be in a Google folder.

   • The person you want to track must be sharing their location with you to be able to view them.
2. 
   2
   Tap your profile picture. It’s in the upper-right corner of the screen. If you haven’t set a profile picture, it will appear as your initial inside a colored circle. Tapping this will display a menu.
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3. 
   3
   Tap Location Sharing. It’s next to an icon that resembles a person speaking.
4. 
   4
   Tap the person you want to track. You see a list of persons who are currently sharing their location with you at the bottom of the screen. This will display their location on the map.https://support.google.com/maps/answer/7326816

   • To request someone share their location with you, tap their name at the bottom of the “Location Sharing” menu. Then tap Request.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Tracking Locations on Desktop

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1. 
   1
   Go to maps.google.com in a web browser. This is the website you can use to view Google Maps on a desktop computer.

   • If you are not logged in to Google Maps, go ahead and sign in with the email address and password associated with your Google account.
2. 
   2
   Click ☰. It’s the icon with three dots in the upper-left corner of the page. This displays the menu to the left.
3. 
   3
   Click Location Sharing. It’s in the menu to the left. It’s next to an icon that resembles a person speaking.
4. 
   4
   Click the person you want to track. This displays their location on the map.

   • The person must be sharing their location with you to be able to view their location on the map.
   • You cannot share your location via an internet browser. You can only do so using the mobile app.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Sharing Your Location

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1. 
   1
   Open Google Maps. It looks like a multicolored map pin. This app icon is located either on your homepage or in the Apps menu on Android. It may be in a Google folder.

   • You can’t share your real-time location using a web browser. You need the mobile app to do so.
2. 
   2
   Tap your profile picture. It’s in the upper-right corner of the screen. If you haven’t set a profile picture, it will appear as your initial inside a colored circle. Tapping this will display a menu.
3. 
   3
   Tap Location Sharing. It’s next to an icon that resembles a person speaking. This displays the menu.
4. 
   4
   Tap New Share. It’s the blue button in the lower-right corner of the map. It’s next to an icon that resembles a person with a plus sign next to them.

   • You may be asked to allow Google Maps to access your contacts if you haven’t already done so. Tap Allow while using the app to continue.
5. 
   5
   Select how long you want to share your location. To do so, you can tap the radio option next to “For 1 hour” or “Until you turn this off.” To adjust the time, tap the plus (+) or minus (-) icons next to the “For 1 hour.”
6. 
   6
   Select a contact. Tap the profile icon or the name of the person you wish to share your location with. This places a checkmark in that person’s profile pic. You can select more than one person.
7. 
   7
   Tap {{MacButton|Share||. It’s the blue button in the pop-up. This shares your location with the person(s).

   • To stop sharing your location with this person, tap their name at the bottom of the “Location Sharing” menu. Then tap Stop.
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Frequently Asked Questions

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1. 1
   What information is shared in Location Sharing? Location Sharing shares the following information:

   • Your name.
   • Your location.
   • Your profile picture.
   • Your device's battery status.
   • Where you’ve recently been.
   • How you are traveling (by car, bicycle, on foot, etc).
2. 2
   Can I see someone’s location without them knowing? No, participants must opt in for you to see their information.
3. 3
   Can I see where my kids are? Yes, if your kids’ Google accounts are managed by a parent account, you can enable their Location Sharing settings using the Family Link app.
4. 4
   Why isn’t someone showing up in Location Sharing? They may not have Location Sharing enabled, or they may not have a Google account.
5. 5
   Why can’t I see my coworkers on Google Maps? Location Sharing may not be available for Google Workplace domains. Your administrator can decide if they want to allow this feature or not.
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