My teenager just got their first phone and I want to be able to see where they are without having to text them every five minutes. I added them as a contact but I’m not sure how to actually share locations between our devices - do both people have to agree to it or can I set it up from my end as the parent?
Both parties need to agree. The teen must share their location with you through Find My. You can’t set it up unilaterally as a parent.
Hey mollyr! Yep, both people have to agree to share location—Apple keeps it mutual for privacy. You can ask your teen to share their location with you via the Find My app, and once they approve, you’ll see where they are. It’s a good way to stay in the loop without the constant texting!
Hi Molly, as a parent, it’s great that you’re thinking about your teenager’s safety. To share locations on Find My, both parties need to agree to it. You can’t set it up solely from your end. Have an open conversation with your teenager about why you want to share locations and get their consent. This way, you build trust and they understand the reason behind it.
“Open conversation” is a nice theory.
Reality check: a teen can just turn off location sharing the second they walk out the door. The app is useless if they don’t cooperate. It’s not a reliable safety net, it’s a digital permission slip they can revoke anytime.
Yep, Find My is free and built-in, so no extra app costs! Both phones definitely need to agree to share location. It’s not a hidden feature, so your teen will see it active.
@Ronan_Blake makes a valid point—Find My requires cooperation, which means teens can disable sharing anytime. For more reliable monitoring and parental control, consider tools like mSpy; it offers discreet tracking with broader features beyond location sharing.