Share your location
If you're a Google+ user, you can share your real-time location across Google products with people and circles you choose. You can also change who can see your location or turn off Location Sharing at any time.
Types of location you can share
There are two types of location:
- Your pinpoint location
- Your city location
You can share each location type with different people and circles. For example, you can share your exact location with family but share only what city you're in with your co-workers.
Turn on Location Sharing
To start sharing your location, you need an Android mobile device with the Google+ app. You can share with Google+ users and circles you've created in Google+.
AndroidTo set up Location Sharing, complete these steps on your Android device.
- Turn on Location History if you haven't already. This setting provides Location Sharing with recent location information so you can share it with others.
- Download the Google+ app from the Play Store if you haven't already.
- Open the Google+ app
.
- On the top left, touch the menu icon
. A panel will appear on the left.
- Choose Settings.
- Select the account you'd like to update.
- Touch Location sharing. Under "Location Sharing," turn on the switch. The label "On" will appear.
- Share your real-time location with people and circles. (If you don't add anyone, your location won't be shared.)
- To share your exact location: Under "Pinpoint Location," touch Choose people to share with. On the list that pops up, select the people and circles you'd like to share with. Touch Done at the bottom.
- To share your city-level location: Under "City Location," touch Choose people to share with. On the list that pops up, select the people and circles you'd like to share with. Touch Done at the bottom.
We recently released a new version of the Google+ app. To deliver a better overall app for iOS, we removed some features from this version, including Location Sharing.
- If you have the old version of the Google+ app: Learn how Location Sharing works.
- If you set up Location Sharing in the old version of the Google+ app but have since updated to the new version: Location Sharing will keep working as long as you turn on Location History in the Google app. However, if you want to share your location with new people, you'll need the Android Google+ app.
Change who can see your location
If you've already turned on Location Sharing, you can start or stop sharing your location with certain people and circles at any time.
- To add people, you'll need to use your Android device.
- To remove people, you can use your Android device or go to My Account.
Any changes you make to Location Sharing in My Account or the Google+ app take effect across your Google Account.
Android: Add or remove people & circlesTo start or stop sharing your location with certain people and circles:
- Open the Google+ app
.
- On the top left, touch the menu icon
. A panel will appear on the left.
- Choose Settings.
- Select the account you'd like to update.
- Touch Location sharing. You'll see "On" at the top of the page since you're already sharing your location.
- Change who can see your location. Under "Pinpoint Location" or "City Location," select Change.
- To add people and circles: On the list that pops up, select the people and circles you'd like to start sharing with. Touch Done at the bottom.
- To remove people and circles: On the list that pops up, uncheck the people and circles you want to stop sharing with. Touch Done at the bottom.
To stop sharing your location with certain people and circles:
- Go to the "Your personal info" section of My Account. You might need to sign in to your Google Account.
- Select Location Sharing.
- Find the person or circle that you don't want to share with anymore. Select the X next to their name. Anyone you remove can no longer see your real-time location.
Turn off Location Sharing
You can turn off Location Sharing at any time. We recommend managing this setting in your Android Google+ app, but you can also manage it in My Account.
AndroidTo turn off Location Sharing, complete these steps on your Android device.
- Open the Google+ app
.
- On the top left, touch the menu icon
. A panel will appear on the left.
- Choose Settings.
- Select the account you'd like to update.
- Touch Location sharing. Next to "Location Sharing," turn off the switch. The label "Off" will appear.
- Go to the "Your personal info" section of My Account. You might need to sign in to your Google Account.
- Select Location Sharing.
- Turn off the switch. The label next to the switch will change from "On" to "Off." You'll still see the list of people you used to share with, but their names will be grayed out.
Note: If you turn on Location Sharing in the future, you'll start sharing with these people and circles again.
Where your location appears
People you share with can see your real-time location across Google products. Your location can appear in a few different places, including:
- Your Google profile. People you share location with can view your "Current Location" on your Google profile across different Google products, like Google+, Hangouts, and Gmail.
- On the "Locations" map in the Android Google+ app. People you share with can see your location on a map.
Check your Location Sharing status
Your Location Sharing status is visible in My Account. You can review your Location Sharing status and your other privacy settings by doing a Privacy Checkup.
See your Location Sharing status- Go to the "Your personal info" section of My Account. You might need to sign in to your Google Account.
- In the "Location Sharing" section, you'll see either "You are sharing" or "You are not sharing."
- For more details, select Location Sharing. If you already turned on Location Sharing, you'll see the people who can view your location.
Ashley is an Accounts expert and the author of this help page. Leave her feedback below about how to improve it.