How To See Someone’s Location on iPhone: 5 Methods
You want to track someone’s location for several reasons. Like you may suspect that someone you care for is in trouble or want to monitor your children, or you may have lost your phone. There are various methods you can use to find a person’s exact location on the iPhone.
In this article, you will learn different methods to find the location of your children or other members of your family.
Method 1: Using mSpy (Third-Party Tool)
You can use the mSpy app to track iPhone locations. This app acts as a safety tool for parents and can monitor young family members’ calls, text messages, and SMS. It is ideal for keeping children safe from the dangers of the internet. mSpy is available in the app store or through the platform’s website.
mSpy can determine the iPhone location of your child or family members. It also logs the iPhone’s current location through GPS. You can also check latitude, longitude, nearest address, and location time.
Features:
- Physical Location Tracking: mSpy allows you to see exactly where the target phone is straight from your dashboard.
- Geo-Fencing: Create unlimited or forbidden zones for your child or the target iPhone.
- Keyword Alerts: You will get notified anytime your child uses one of your predetermined keywords, such as alcohol, sex, porn, or drugs.
- Website Monitoring: Monitor websites your child visits and block websites you don’t want your child accessing.
- Communication Monitoring: Monitor your child’s use of text messages, email, and in-app communications.
| 👍 Pros | 👎 Cons |
|---|---|
| Monitor SMS and instant messaging from various social media sites. | Requires a separate subscription for each device you want to monitor. |
| It is one of the mobile phone tracker apps that offers location services and location history. | |
| It can work while being undetected by the target iPhone. |
How to get location using mSpy?
Installing mSpy on Your iPhone Without Jailbreaking
Step 1) Visit the mSpy website and register for an account.
Step 2) Choose your subscription package and select the version.
Step 3) Confirm your mSpy account via the email you supplied.
Step 4) Get your child’s iCloud credentials and enter them in your mSpy dashboard.
Step 5) Allow mSpy to sync the data.
Step 6) Monitor your child’s activity in real time.
Method 2: Using the Native iPhone App Find My iPhone
Find my iPhone app can save customers great stress when they lose their iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac laptop.
Find My iPhone is a free feature included with new iPhones and other Apple devices. All iPhones operating on iOS 6 or later will have Lost Mode included with Find my iPhone. This mode automatically locks your device with a passcode, and the app will display a message on the phone with contact information.
How to get location using Find My iPhone?
Follow these steps to set things up:
Step 1) Open the Settings menu.
Step 2) Click on your Apple ID and select Find My iPhone.
Step 3) Turn on the Share My Location feature.
Step 4) Click on Find My iPhone and enable it.
Features:
- Remote Abilities: You can lock your iPhone remotely and have it play a sound or display a message to anybody who finds it.
- Driving Directions: The app will also provide directions to your iPhone’s location.
- View Battery Life: This phone tracker app lets you see your iPhone’s battery charge.
- Record location history: Lost Mode also records the location history to track where your iPhone has been.
- Language Availability: iOS is currently available in over 30 languages worldwide.
| 👍 Pros | 👎 Cons |
|---|---|
| Location sharing shows your device on a map. | Other users can find your location. |
| App records location history for tracking previous locations. | Precise locations are not always accurate in the app. |
| You can install this app on one of your IOS devices to find your lost phone and protect your data. |
Method 3: FindMe
FindMe lets you locate people you know, making it an ideal app for family members and friends who want to keep track of each other. You can also use this app to locate a lost iPhone.
An important safety feature on FindMe is that you must enable sharing before your friends can see your location. When you and a friend enable sharing, you can set up to receive alerts, like when they arrive at a destination.
How to get a location using FindMe Apps?
You will need IOS 15 or higher for the latest features of FindMe.
Step 1) On your iPhone device, go to Settings
Step 2) Click [Your Name] > Find My > Find My iPhone to turn on the feature.
Step 3) Enable Find My Network if you want your device tracked when it is offline.
Features:
- Alerts: Receive location-based notifications and alerts.
- Parental Restrictions: These include parental restrictions to protect kids.
- Temporary Sharing: You can choose to temporarily share your location with somebody.
- Invitations: Use a phone number or email address to invite friends or family.
| 👍 Pros | 👎 Cons |
|---|---|
| This app is straightforward to set up and use. | GPS accuracy is not great |
| It features safety protocols that let you stop location-sharing if necessary. | You might get location-sharing requests from unknown people. |
| The app allows you to send your most recent location when your battery runs low. | |
| You can get up-to-date location info. |
Method 4: Using iMessage Services
If you use iMessage, you do not need an app for location services, though you can only share significant locations with other iPhone owners. You may use this if you are meeting friends and want them to know where you are or if you get lost in a new area and need directions.
How to track location using iMessage Services:
The system is easy to set up by following these steps:
Step 1) You must enable your location services by going to Settings and finding Privacy.
Step 2) Turn on Location Services.
Step 3) Go to your Contacts or Messages app and select the person you want to share your location.
Step 4) Click on Send My Current Location.
Step 5) Select the sharing duration (one hour, end of the day, indefinitely).
The iPhone will send the location immediately. When the other person receives your location, they will receive a location-sharing request.
Features:
- Real Time Location: Easily share your iPhone location with family and friends in real time. You can share the location for an hour or indefinitely until the end of the day.
- Media Sharing: Use iMessage for texting, sharing images, contacts, documents, videos, and location sharing.
- Transparency: Using iMessage for location sharing is not incognito, meaning that you and the other person are aware when it’s enabled.
| 👍 Pros | 👎 Cons |
|---|---|
| Sharing your location through iMessage can be very efficient in an emergency. | There have been issues with people taking advantage of the feature to harass or stalk others. |
| It’s easy to keep track of family and friends without additional apps or tools. | Users can disable the feature. |
| You have control over who sees your location. | |
| It’s a helpful feature if you get lost. |
Method 5: Use Apple Maps to See Someone’s Location
You can also track iPhone locations by using Apple Maps, but you must ask them to share their location as a link in Apple Maps.
How to track location using Apple Maps?
Step 1) Open the Apple Maps app.
Step 2) Drag handle from the bottom of the screen and tap Share My Location.
Step 3) The person needs to send the location link through a message or email app.
Step 4) When you receive the location link, tap on it to view the person’s location on Apple Maps.
Features:
- Standard App: Apple Maps comes standard on iPhones and works with email or iMessages.
- Share Real Time Location: It’s perfect for one-time location-sharing, like when arriving at an airport.
- Advanced Maps: Apple Maps includes indoor building maps to help users navigate.
- Save Locations: Maps allows you to save your favorite locations for easy sharing and navigation.
| 👍 Pros | 👎 Cons |
|---|---|
| It gives the users complete control over location sharing. | It’s not the fastest or most efficient way to share a location in an emergency. |
| You can add significant locations, like home, to your favorites. | |
| Users can get directions to a location by clicking on the Directions button | |
| It’s useful for meeting up with friends and family. |
FAQs
❓ Why do you want to track someone’s location on your iPhone?
There are several reasons you want to see someone’s location. They may not have cell or Wi-Fi service, and the phone may be turned off, or the person may have turned off the location services, or the person may be lost in some unknown places.
🏅 How do I see my location’s history on my iPhone?
If you have misplaced your phone or it was lost, please check your location history once it has been found.
Here are steps to see someone’s location using your iPhone:
Step 1) Go to Settings and select Privacy.
Step 2) Click on Location Services and then choose System Services, which you will find at the bottom.
Step 3) Finally, select Frequent Locations or Significant Locations, and the location history of your cell phone will be listed.
⚡ Can you track someone’s iPhone without permission legally?
The only person you can legally track without permission is your child if they are under eighteen. It is acceptable to track their iPhone to protect a child living under your roof. Otherwise, you must legally have permission to track anyone else’s iPhone and explicitly ask for consent to avoid breaking privacy laws.
Employers tracking employee iPhones typically have them sign agreements that allow the company to monitor their phone activity. In that case, they can legally monitor their communications and locations.
