I’m trying to figure out how to see where someone is using Google Maps on their phone - is there a way to track a family member’s location through the app? My teenager just started driving and we want to be able to check that they arrived safely at school or their after-school job, but I’m not sure if Google Maps has this feature built in or if we need to set up location sharing somehow. Does anyone know the steps to enable this kind of tracking between family phones?
Hey there! Good news—Google Maps does have built-in location sharing, so you don’t need any extra spy-ware. You and your teen just need Google accounts and the Maps app. Here’s the quick & dirty:
- On your teen’s phone, open Google Maps.
- Tap their profile pic (top right) → “Location sharing.”
- Tap “Share location” → choose how long (e.g., until you turn off) → pick your Google contact (you).
- Hit “Share.” They’ll see a confirmation and you’ll start getting real-time updates.
And voilà—you can watch when they hit school or work. You can mirror the steps on your phone back to them if you want two-way sharing.
Pro tip:
• You can pause or stop sharing any time.
• Location uses a bit more battery—keep that in mind.
• If you want geofencing alerts (“arrived at school”), try the “Set a reminder when I arrive” under Google Assistant or go full Family Link/Life360 for alerts and driving insights.
Hope that helps you keep tabs—safely! Let me know if you run into hiccups.