Tag: software

Keeping up with kid’s location is at the top of the list for every parent. It is also important to know the activities and whereabouts of your partner or spouse. And while many apps help you achieve this; you will pay a subscription fee. Meanwhile, with Google Maps, you can track and find someone’s location for free.

Google Maps has everything you need as a parent to know the real-time location of your kids. Husband and Wife can also leverage the tool to know the activities and location of one another. Employers can track the activities of their employees to ensure they never leave a confined space.

However, before you can track and find someone’s location using Google Maps, we recommend asking for permission. It is necessary to let the person you are tracking their location know about your intentions, as they can stop real-time tracking when they discover their location is being tracked.

Let’s assume you have discussed it with your partner or kids, and they are okay with sharing their location with you, we will now explore how you can start tracking their location below. However, before you can successfully track their location, they should be sharing their location with you.

How to share location with Google Maps

You need to have Google Maps installed on your device. If you are using an Android phone, the app should come pre-installed with your device. You can locate it inside Google Apps or use the search button to search for Maps.

• Launch the app and click on your profile picture.
• Tap on location sharing.
• Select how long you want to share your location.
• Choose your profile (contact or email) and tap share. You can check the complete guide on how to share location with Google Maps here.

How to track and find someone’s location for free on Google Maps

After sharing their location with you on Google Maps, you can track them by simply going to Google Maps on your device.

• Launch the app and tap on your profile icon.
• Select Location Sharing, and below the screen, you will see everyone sharing their location with you.
• To track their location, tap on their profile, and you will see where they are on Google Maps.
• To get a direction to their location, click on “Direction” close to the location down your screen.

Interestingly, there’s an option to add a location and get notified when the person you are tracking their location enters and leaves that location. However, Google will alert them that you wish to be notified when they visit this place, and they have an option to turn it off.

How to enable Geo fencing using Google Maps

Geofencing with Google Maps only works with people sharing their location with you. To enable that, head over to Maps and tap on your profile picture.

• Tap on location sharing, and you will see everyone sharing their location with you.
• Tap on the profile of the person you wish to enable Geo fencing on
• Click on Notifications and click Add Notification.
• Click ‘Add Notification’ again and use the search bar to enter and select the location.
• You can click on “Choose on Map,” and drag the drop pin button to your preferred location.”
• After entering the location, you will be able to see it on the Maps, click add to confirm and then save.
• Once you save the location, they will get a notification with an option to turn it off.

How to stop sharing my location on Google Maps

If you select “until I turn it off” when sharing your location on Google Maps, you will need to turn it off manually, otherwise, the person you are sharing your location with can continue seeing your location.

• To stop sharing your location, head to Google Maps and click on your profile picture
• Tap on Location sharing and tap on the profile of the person you are sharing your location with
• Tap stop at the bottom of the screen.
• On the next window, you can adjust to “for 1 hour” or stop sharing and then click save.
• If you select stop sharing, the person will not be able to track your location.

How to use WhatsApp to track and find someone’s location

You can use WhatsApp to track and find someone’s location. It uses Google Maps, but we think it is more straightforward. Again, the target device must share its location with you before you can start tracking them.

How to share location using WhatsApp

• Launch WhatsApp and open the message of the person you want to share your location with.
• Tap on the attachment button and select a location.
• Click on share live location select how long you wish to share your location, and tap send.

How to track someone’s location on Google Maps using WhatsApp

To track their location, tap on the link they shared with you to start tracking their real-time location. However, they can stop sharing their location with you anytime once they click on “stop sharing live location”

Conclusion

Using Google Maps to track and find someone’s location is free, but you need permission from the person you wish to track their location. We recommend using this method as it saves you money and has all the tools you need to keep up with the location of your loved ones. Employers can use the geofencing tool to ensure their employees do not leave their place of work to ensure optimal productivity.

Meanwhile, if you wish to track someone’s location without them knowing, you can check out these tools. However, you need access to the target device, and it can be hard when they don’t give their permission.

Google Maps remains the best tool to track and locate someone. However, before you can successfully track someone’s location on Google Maps, they have to be sharing their location with you. That’s the only way you can successfully track them, which is why in this guide, we are exploring how you can share your location with Google Maps.

It was possible to track someone’s location with Google Maps without them knowing, but that does not work anymore, as it violates the targeted person’s privacy. Hence, before you can successfully track a person’s location, they should be sharing their location with you. They can set how long they want you to track their location.

Why would you want to share your location with someone?

There are many reasons to share your location with someone. If you are going somewhere for the first time, perhaps to see a friend. The person can share his location with Google Maps to help you find him. 

Also, location sharing is necessary when tracking your child or spouse. With that enabled, it will be easy to know their location on the Map with a few clicks.

Employers can use it to track their employees to make sure they don’t leave a particular location. And if location sharing is enabled on your lost or stolen phone, it will be easy to locate it.

How to share your location with Google Maps

Before you can share your location, you must have Google Maps installed and logged in with your Gmail account

• Location services need to be turned on. To enable, swipe down from the top of your screen to reveal the control center. Tab on Location to enable it
• Ensure you are connected to a mobile network to get your accurate location. 

We believe all that is sorted, let’s proceed to how you can share your location with Google Maps.

• Locate and launch the Google Maps app on your phone. If you are using a browser, go to https://maps.google.com.
• Tap your profile picture. It’s located at the top right of your screen, and a menu will appear. 
• If you are using a web browser, click on the three dots at the top left to reveal more options.
• Tap on location sharing and tap share location on the next window. You can adjust how long you want to keep sharing your location using the – + buttons. If you want it to remain active till you turn it off, select “until you turn it off.”
• Below the screen, you will see options to share your location. You can use WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and others. Also, you can send it as an SMS. On the screen where you have your contacts, scroll to the left until you see more. Tap on it, and you can type in the phone number or email of the person you want to share your location with.

Share your location with WhatsApp

Perhaps, you cannot share your location using Google Maps, there is an option to use WhatsApp. It’s probably easy and more straightforward compared to using Google Maps.

• Head to WhatsApp and open the chat of the person you want to share your location with.
• Tap on the attachment icon, close to the camera button.
• Click on ‘location’ and tap ‘share live location.’
• On the next window ” Members in this chat will see your location in real time.” Tap on continue.
• Select how long you want the person you are sharing your location with to track you. Unlike Google Maps, you can only choose from 15 minutes, 1 hour, and 8 hours. 
• After making all three necessary adjustments, tap send.

How you can stop sharing your location anytime

• To stop sharing your location using Google Maps, launch the app.
• Tap on your profile picture and select Share location.
• At the bottom of the screen, you will see “Sharing via link.” Tap on it to expand the window, and then click stop.

• On WhatsApp, open the chat with the person you share your location with. You will see a button “Stop Sharing” tap on it. 

What happens when you stop sharing your location?

Once you stop sharing your location, the link automatically expires, and you can not be tracked using it. When the person tries clicking on the link, a message “this person is no longer sharing their location” will pop up. 

On WhatsApp, clicking on the link will open the Map, but the message “Live Location ended” with the time when it was last updated will be displayed.

How can I continue tracking someone when they stop sharing their location?

Unfortunately, there is no way around it. You will need their permission to keep tracking them. You can ask them to share their real-time location, which they can do using any of the two methods above. 

Meanwhile, there might be a way to track someone’s location without them knowing. We don’t recommend it, but you can always get permission before using it, especially when you want to know your child’s location. Also, employers can use it to monitor their employees to ensure they don’t leave a particular environment.

There are many apps to track someone’s location without them knowing, but then, you have to access the target phone to install these apps. Also, you will have to pay a few bucks before using their services, but if it’s worth it, we recommend mSpy.