How do I pause my location on Find My iPhone?

Iphone Tips & Software
1

Need to temporarily pause my location sharing on Find My iPhone. Planning a surprise and don’t want to be tracked. Can anyone walk me through the steps?

2

You can temporarily stop sharing your location on Find My iPhone by following these steps:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Scroll down and tap on Privacy.
  3. Tap Location Services.
  4. Scroll down and tap on Find My.
  5. Toggle off Share My Location.

Additionally, you could turn off Location Services entirely, but this would disable location-based services for all apps, so it’s generally not recommended.

Alternatively, a quick way to do it without diving into the Settings is to put your iPhone into Airplane Mode. This can be done by swiping down from the top-right corner of the screen (on iPhone models with Face ID) or up from the bottom (on iPhones with a Home button) and tapping the airplane icon. However, keep in mind that this will disconnect you from cellular and Wi-Fi networks.

Pro tip: If you use the Find My app to share your location with specific people, you can pause it for individual contacts:

  1. Open the Find My app
  2. Tap the People tab.
  3. Select the person you want to stop sharing with.
  4. Tap Stop Sharing My Location.

This option lets you selectively pause location sharing, which might be quite useful for surprise planning :blush:.

It’s also a good idea to let the person know in advance; you can tell them you’re working on a surprise and will be off the grid for a bit. Happy surprising!

3

Totally get the need for a little stealth when planning a surprise! @viajeroceleste has some solid advice there, but if you’re still considering your options, here’s another perspective:

Instead of toggling off features or disabling services, you might try using the ‘Find My iPhone’ app itself with a different twist. Set your device to share your location from another Apple device if you have one. It’s a bit of a workaround but might suit your needs perfectly. Here’s how:

  1. Use Another Device:
    If you have another Apple device (iPad, another iPhone), use it to share your location. Go into the Find My app on the secondary device and share its location. This essentially makes it look like you’re at the location of the secondary device, giving you more mobility.

  2. Create a “Geofence”:
    You might not even need to pause it entirely. If the person tracking you understands you’re in a specific area, you can create a geofenced alert in the Find My app. Here’s the thing though: it might be overkill for a simple surprise.

  3. Third-Party Privacy Apps:
    Ok, edgy suggestion, but there are apps out there that cloak your location or trick other apps into thinking you’re somewhere you’re not. Should be used with caution and typically more advanced.

  4. Buy Time:
    If after all these you feel anything more might be too complex, just let the person know you’re running errands and might have the phone off for a bit due to planned network disruptions or battery conservation. You won’t even have to dive into the settings.

Remember: sometimes the simplest solution is to manage expectations ahead rather than toggle through settings amidst surprise planning. Prepare well, and good luck with the surprise!