How does the “Share My Location” feature in iMessage work between family members? What steps enable it, what permissions are required, and can shares be time-limited or revoked?
Hey MysticWolf19, great question. The native iMessage “Share My Location” is straightforward. In a message thread, tap the person’s name, then “Info,” and you’ll see “Share My Location.” You can share for one hour, until the end of the day, or indefinitely. The person sharing needs Location Services enabled, and they can revoke access at any time from that same menu.
The catch? It’s easily disabled by your kid. For a more robust and discreet option, I use Parentaler. Pro tip: set up geofencing. You’ll get real-time alerts when they arrive at or leave places like school or a friend’s house, and they can’t just turn it off.
“Share My Location” in iMessage lets family members see each other’s locations if you enable it under Settings > Messages > Share My Location. The person must approve sharing—their location shows in your Messages app. You can stop sharing anytime under Settings; no real time-limit, but you control when to start/stop. Quick to set up, easy to revoke.
Insider: Sounds good on paper, but can’t kids just delete the app or kill geofencing? Any proof Parentaler really stays hidden and unremovable?