‘Find My iPhone’ and ‘Find My Friends’ are two popular apps developed by Apple that have revolutionized the way we locate and stay connected with our devices and loved ones. ‘Find My iPhone’ allows users to track their lost or stolen iPhone, iPad, or Mac computer, while ‘Find My Friends’ allows users to share their location with their friends and family in real time.
In 2013, Find My Friends and Find My iPhone were combined into one software named Find My. These apps have become essential tools for many iPhone and iPad users. To keep the precise position of the person you are watching on your phone, Apple’s servers update the location of that individual.
But have you ever wondered what does live mean on find my iPhone? The ‘Live’ function provides real-time location information about other iPhone users. You can easily watch them, so you are not dependent on Apple’s servers for location updates and refreshes. You may view every stop made by your friends or relatives whenever the ‘Live’ feature is available.
Prerequisites To Enable Live Location On Find My
To use the LIVE location feature in the Find My app on an iPhone, you must meet the following prerequisites:
- An iPhone running iOS: The LIVE location feature is available on iPhones running the latest version of Apple’s OS. Make sure your iPhone is updated to the latest version before attempting to use the LIVE location feature.
- Apple ID/iCloud: To use the LIVE location feature, you need to have an Apple ID. If you don’t already have an Apple ID, you can create one on the Apple website or directly through your iPhone during the setup process. You can use iCloud to access your iPhone on the Web browser.
- Enable Location Services: The LIVE location feature requires that Location Services to be enabled on your iPhone.
- Find My app: The LIVE location feature is part of the Find My app on your iPhone. Make sure you have the Find My app installed and set up with your Apple ID.
- Sharing settings: To use the LIVE location feature & to share your location with someone else or see someone else’s location in real-time, you must have their permission to share their location, and they must have granted you access to their location.
Also Read: FedEx Delivery Exception ‘future delivery requested’: Actual Meaning & Associated Causes
Enable The Location Services To Use ‘LIVE’ On Find My
- Step 1: First open the ‘Settings’ app and choose ‘Privacy’ option from the list
- Step 2: Go to ‘Location Services’ and activate the ‘Location Services’ box by pressing the button next to it until it turns green setting your present location to active
- Step 3: After activating location services you need to use your ID to enable ‘Find My’ . To accomplish this, select ‘Your Name’ from the settings menu.
- Step 4: Navigate the ‘Find My’ application name and tap on it
- Step 5: Now you need to locate the ‘Find My iPhone’ section and toggle the switch to make it green
- Step 6: Tap the switch to make it green in the ‘Find my iPhone’ section
- Step 7: Once you activate the app, the next thing to do is to grant it access to GPS. Open ‘Settings’ and select the ‘Privacy’ option
- Step 8: Next open the ‘Location Services’ and navigate to the ‘Find My’ option
- Step 9: You can also expand the menu that determines when the platform has location access. Out of the three options it is recommended to choose ‘While Using This App’ option
How To Enable Live Location On Find My & Share Your Location
- Step 1: You need to open your ‘Find My’ application and tap on the ‘Me’ button located in the lower part of the screen
- Step 2: You will see a prompt saying ‘Share My Location’ tap on it
- Step 3: Next you need to restart your application and tap the ‘+’ symbol next to the ‘People’ section
- Step 4: Tap on the ‘Share My Location’ option
- Step 5: In the ‘To’ text box type the name or number of the person to whom you will give access to your location. Hit the ‘Send’ option after adding the necessary friends or families you have shared your location with
- Step 6: You need to choose the location visibility limit, go for the preferred option, and then the app will start sharing your location. The person with whom you’re sharing the location you’ll see that their name appears in the ‘People’ panel. It should say that person has access to your location as well.
Also Read: Effective Technique to Delete Google Maps Search History in iPhone
Pros & Cons Of Using ‘LIVE’ Feature In Find My Application
While the LIVE function in the Find My app on an iPhone provides many benefits as well as there are also some potential disadvantages to using it. Here are some of them.
| Merits | Demerits |
| Real-time location update | Battery drain |
| Precise location tracking | Privacy concerns |
| Improved accuracy indoors | Increased data usage |
| Notification when location changes | Limited availability |
| More control over location sharing | Increased dependence on technology |
Find People You Know Through LIVE In Find My Application
You may keep track of each other’s whereabouts in real-time by sharing your location with friends and family using the Find My app on the iPhone. Here’s how to use the LIVE feature of the ‘Find My’ app to locate people you know.
- Step 1: The first step is to unlock your iPhone and open the ‘Find My’ application
- Step 2: Look for the ‘People’ section on the screen and tap on the name you want to find the LIVE location
- Step 3: After you tap on the name your map will show you the location and also provides you with some details about that person
Learn How To Turn Off ‘LIVE’ In Find My iPhone
If you no longer want to share your location in real-time using the LIVE function in the Find My app on your iPhone, you can turn it off using the following steps:
- Step 1: Firstly open the ‘Find My’ application on your device
- Step 2: Now, you need to open the ‘People’ window visible on the down screen
- Step 3: You have to select the person from which you want to hide the location from
- Step 4: On doing so, tap on the ‘Stop Sharing Location’ option
- Step 5: If you want to share your location with everyone you can open the ‘Me’ window and toggle the ‘Share My Location’ this will show your location to everyone except the one with who you have stopped sharing the location in Step 3.
Also Read: Location Secrecy: How To Freeze Location On Find My Friend
Conclusion
Even when they are switched off, iPhones may still be tracked. This is since they are always logged on to the internet via cellular or Wi-Fi networks. You can locate your phone even while it is off thanks to an Apple function called Find My iPhone. As a software program, no matter how wonderful it is, it will inevitably contain defects. You should keep an eye on your surroundings rather than relying on such applications. This may initially assist you in keeping the iPhone protected.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
Q) How precise is the Locate My iPhone live feature?
Ans: The precision of the Locate My iPhone live feature depends on several factors, including the accuracy of the iPhone’s GPS receiver and the availability of nearby Wi-Fi and cellular networks. Finding a lost or stolen cell phone with Find My iPhone is highly accurate. With Find My iPhone, the device may be located as long as it is on and linked to the internet.
Q) Is it possible to see if someone is using their phone to locate my iPhone?
Ans: Using Locate My iPhone, you can determine if someone is using their phone. Your account’s connected devices will be listed when you launch the app. The term ‘Online’ will display next to the gadget’s name if it is connected to the internet. The phrase “Offline” will be present next to the device name if it is offline.
