How to stop or pause sharing your location
To stop sharing your location on iPhone, open Find My, tap Me and turn off Share My Location (everyone), or tap People, a name and Stop Sharing My Location (one person); Hide Location pauses for the rest of the day. On Android, open Google Maps > profile picture > Location sharing > the person > Stop, or turn off Google Location Sharing in Settings. Apple says the other person isn't notified. If you want pausing to be honest and normal, Warden (top pick) shows your circle "Paused" instead of a mystery.
Competitor facts as of 7 November 2026, per each vendor's own pages (linked).
Your location is yours, and every app lets you stop sharing it anytime. The right button depends on what you want: a break for tonight, one person off the list, or everything off. This guide covers all of them on iPhone, Android, Samsung, Google Maps, Find Hub, WhatsApp and Life360, and says plainly what the other person sees. Steps follow Apple's iPhone User Guide (iOS 27; iOS 26 reads the same) and Google's help pages, checked 7 November 2026.
Pause, stop or turn off: which one?
| You want | iPhone | Android |
|---|---|---|
| A break from one person, today | Hide Location | Stop that share, start again later |
| Stop sharing with one person | Stop Sharing My Location | Google Maps / Find Hub > Stop |
| Stop sharing with everyone, keep friends | Me > Share My Location off | Google Location Sharing off |
| Stop all location use on the phone | Location Services off (guide) | Use location off |
| Turn off Find My entirely | Turn off Find My | n/a |
Before you switch it off: if you share with someone close, a short "I'm turning location off for a while" saves them a worried evening.
iPhone: stop sharing with everyone
- Open Find My and tap Me.
- Turn off Share My Location (Apple).
Apple calls this "Temporarily stop sharing your location with everyone" and notes: "When you turn on Share My Location again, the people that you've previously shared with will once again be able to see your location" (Apple). It's the same switch as Settings > [your name] > Find My > Share My Location.
iPhone: stop sharing with one person
- Open Find My and tap People.
- Tap the person's name.
- Tap Stop Sharing My Location, then Stop Sharing Location to confirm (Apple).
Apple: "When you stop sharing your location with someone in one app, you stop sharing your location across apps. The person that you stop sharing with won't be notified" (Apple). They stay in your People list, so you can still see them if they share with you.
iPhone: pause for one person (Hide Location)
- In Find My, tap People, then the person.
- Tap the more button, then Hide Location.
Apple says Hide Location stops sharing your location "for the rest of the day" (Apple). Good for a surprise party or a quiet evening.
iPhone: stop sharing in Messages
- Open the conversation.
- Tap the contact icon or name at the top.
- Tap Stop Sharing My Location (or Hide Location for the rest of the day) (Apple).
The earlier location bubble no longer shows a map.
iPhone: stop an ETA in Maps
In Maps, open the route card, tap "Sharing with" at the bottom, then Stop Sharing ETA below each name (Apple).
iPhone: stop sharing with your family group
Settings > Family > Location Sharing, then turn off sharing for a family member (Apple). Teens with parental controls may not be able to change this; Apple says parents can prevent changes to Share My Location settings.
iPhone: remove arrival alerts about you
People you share with can set alerts for when you arrive or leave. To see and delete them: Find My > Me > Notifications About You > a name > the notification > Delete Notification (Apple).
What deleting Find My does (and doesn't)
Apple: "If you delete the Find My app, people that you've shared your location with can still see your location. If you want to stop sharing your location, reinstall Find My and follow the steps to stop sharing" (Apple).
If your safety is at risk: Safety Check
Apple: "If your personal safety is at risk, you can use Safety Check on iPhone to quickly stop sharing your information, including location information" (Apple). It's in Settings > Privacy & Security > Safety Check. More: Check In and Safety Check on iPhone.
Android: stop sharing in Google Maps
- Open Google Maps.
- Tap your profile picture, then Location sharing.
- Tap the profile of the person you don't want to share with anymore.
- Tap Stop (Google).
The same steps work in Google Maps on iPhone. To stop an ETA share while navigating: swipe up on the information card, tap Stop sharing.
Android: stop sharing in Find Hub
- In Find Hub, tap the person you share with.
- Tap Stop sharing, then confirm (Google).
Google: "If you stop a share, it stops for your account, and for all apps using Google Location Sharing, including Find Hub."
Android: stop all Google location sharing
Open Settings > Location > Location Services > Google Location Sharing and turn sharing off (Google). Google says this setting is "device and account-specific", so repeat it on each device you use (Google). You can also stop a specific person on the web: myaccount.google.com > People & sharing > Location Sharing > Manage Location Sharing > the person > Stop.
Android: Google Messages
Open the conversation, tap the message with your location, then Stop next to your name (Google).
Samsung Galaxy
Galaxy phones use the same Google Maps, Find Hub and Google Location Sharing steps. If Location Services looks different on One UI, search Settings for "Google Location Sharing". More: share location on Samsung.
Live Location ends on its own when the time you picked runs out (WhatsApp). To end it early, open the chat and stop sharing from the live location message. Steps: WhatsApp location.
Life360
Life360 lets you pause sharing per Circle or leave a Circle. Step-by-step from Life360's help center: how to pause Life360 and how to leave a Life360 Circle.
What the other person sees
| App | When you stop or pause |
|---|---|
| Find My | Apple: "won't be notified". They may see "No location found" or "Can see your location" (details) |
| Google Maps / Find Hub | You disappear from their sharing list once the share ends |
| The live location in the chat ends | |
| Warden | The circle sees "Paused" |
Warden (top pick): pausing that nobody has to guess about
In most apps, stopping looks like a broken phone to the other side, which leads to worried calls. Warden is built so that pausing is normal and honest:
- Pause: one switch per circle. The circle sees "Paused", with no location and no battery level, and no new locations are stored. SOS and messages keep working.
- Stop sharing with one circle: switch sharing off for that circle only; your other circles stay as they are.
- Leave a circle: anytime. Everyone in the circle is told who joins and who leaves.
- Delete account & data: in the app, anytime.
- See who can see you: always visible.
Warden runs on iPhone (iOS 17 or later) and Android (8.0 or later), in one circle.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Stopped sharing, but they still see you | You stopped in one app but share in another (Google Maps vs Find My); check each |
| Share My Location won't turn off | Parental controls or Screen Time; see share location unavailable |
| Deleted Find My, still shared | Reinstall and stop sharing (Apple) |
| Want to stop seeing them instead | Stop seeing someone's location |
FAQ
How do I stop sharing my location on iPhone?
Open Find My, tap Me and turn off Share My Location to stop for everyone. To stop for one person, tap People, their name, then Stop Sharing My Location.
How do I pause my location on Find My iPhone?
In Find My, tap People, the person, the more button and Hide Location. Apple says this stops sharing your location with them for the rest of the day.
Does someone get notified when you stop sharing your location on iPhone?
Apple says the person you stop sharing with won't be notified. They simply no longer see your current location.
How do I stop sharing my location with one person?
On iPhone, Find My > People > their name > Stop Sharing My Location. On Android, Google Maps > profile picture > Location sharing > the person > Stop.
How do I turn off location sharing on Android?
Open Settings > Location > Location Services > Google Location Sharing and turn it off, or stop each share in Google Maps or Find Hub.
How do I stop sharing location on Google Maps?
Tap your profile picture, then Location sharing, tap the person and tap Stop. During navigation, swipe up on the information card and tap Stop sharing.
Does turning off Location Services stop location sharing?
Yes, without Location Services your iPhone can't send a location to Find My. But it also stops maps and many other features; to stop only sharing, turn off Share My Location instead.
What does my circle see when I pause in Warden?
They see "Paused", with no location and no battery level. No new locations are stored, and SOS and messages still work.
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