How to Set Up Location Sharing on a Kid's Phone

Location sharing is one of the main reasons parents want a first connected phone. It can work without a traditional phone number, but it needs the right account setup and an active internet connection.

iPhone: Find My

For iPhone, use Apple's Find My.

1. Create or sign in to the child's Apple ID.
2. Add the child to Family Sharing.
3. Open Settings → [child's name] → Find My.
4. Turn on location sharing.
5. Confirm the parent can see the device from the Find My app.

Find My works over Wi-Fi or cellular data. It does not need a traditional phone number.

Android: Find My Device

For Android, use Google's Find My Device.

1. Create or sign in to the child's Google Account.
2. Supervise it with Family Link.
3. Open Settings → Google → Find My Device.
4. Turn on Find My Device.
5. Confirm the parent can locate the device from their own account.

Find My Device uses the Google Account and internet connection, not a cellular phone number.

Samsung: SmartThings Find

Samsung phones can also use SmartThings Find. Some families enable both Google's Find My Device and Samsung's SmartThings Find for extra coverage.

This requires a Samsung account and the SmartThings Find feature enabled on the device.

Cross-platform: Google Maps location sharing

Google Maps location sharing can work across iPhone and Android if both parent and child use Google accounts.

This can be helpful for mixed-device families, but it is app-based and depends on Google account settings, app permissions, and battery.

What location sharing needs

Location sharing usually needs:

• Battery power.
• Location services enabled.
• Internet access through Wi-Fi or cellular data.
• The right account signed in.
• App permissions enabled.

If the phone is powered off, out of battery, has no signal, or has location disabled, location may be stale or unavailable.

Test before relying on it

Before your child carries the phone:

1. Turn off Wi-Fi.
2. Leave the house or walk around the block.
3. Confirm the parent can see the device location.
4. Send a message from the child device.
5. Make sure battery saving settings are not blocking location.

Location sharing is not supervision by itself

Location sharing is useful, but it is not a full safety plan. Pair it with clear family rules, app limits, and a plan for what your child should do if they need help.