Traveling solo? Share your location with your family and friends. On iPhone, open the Find My app and tap People (bottom of the screen) > + (plus icon) > Share My Location. Then, select a contact, hit Send and choose the duration. In Google Maps, tap your profile icon (top right) > Location sharing > New Share and send the link through your messaging app. Safe travels!
Privacy tip: Make sure you're not accidentally sharing your location with apps or people
Ever text a picture to an acquaintance or someone you just met? Depending on your phone and camera’s settings, you may have inadvertently sent where you live, too. This is what someone can see from just a photo.
One good thing about social media is that most platforms wipe out this data. Still, they’re exposing you in other ways. Here’s how to check everything Facebook collects.
Your devices and apps know where you are, too, but you can stop that.
Location, location, location
Your GPS app must know where you are to guide you to your destination. Your social media apps want to know where you are to serve you with more relevant ads. You can fiddle with these settings as needed but you must be thorough.
Say you turn off location tracking on your phone but don’t do the same with your laptop. It defeats the purpose.
Let’s start with your device and account settings.
Your Google account is tied to various apps and services, making it a great place to start.
Location History
Location History saves your location wherever you take your smartphone. It’s off by default, but you may have turned it on and forgotten about it. No problem. Here’s how to turn it off:
- Sign into your account at myaccount.google.com or through the Google app.
- Go to Data & privacy > Location History.
- Click Turn off and confirm your selection.
- While you’re here, make sure Auto-delete is On.
How to get ahold of someone whose iPhone is on Do Not Disturb
Do Not Disturb mode has been standard on smartphones for a long time, and it’s excellent for keeping distractions at bay. It’s a great feature, but people avoid using it for fear of missing important calls and messages from certain people. Not to worry!
How to use your iPhone to send your exact location to someone
Remember the days of printing directions from MapQuest? Thankfully, technology has evolved. Tap or click here for map apps better than Google if you have multiple stops. If you have a cell phone, getting lost should be a thing of the past. Just activate Apple or Google Maps, and you are on your way.
Get through to your family even when their phones are on Do Not Disturb
You can’t predict emergencies (that’s what makes them emergencies). But thanks to smartphone tech, you can be prepared. Check these settings on your iPhone before you need them.
Your phone’s Do Not Disturb mode is handy when you’re busy at work or want some peace and quiet. It silences calls, alerts and notifications while your phone is locked.
What are you doing in there? Open the Google Maps app and tap your profile. Tap Location sharing. If you’re sharing your location with anyone, you’ll see their names here. Tap a profile, then tap Stop to quit sharing with them.
Protect your privacy: How to stop apps and people from tracking your every move
Imagine if a data broker knows your phone is on a nightstand next to another phone six nights a week and across town on the seventh night. That data broker also knows everywhere you go and how long you stay there. Creepy.
8 Google Maps tips to ease your holiday travels
Have you done all your holiday shopping? We’ve got you covered if you’re having trouble finding the perfect gift for that special someone. Tap or click here for 10 great gift options to spoil your favorite person.
December is flying by, and you’re probably making holiday travel plans. Whether you’re flying or driving, it always helps to be prepared.
Twitter shares your location when you tweet - Take this step now
Social media is a great way to keep in touch with friends and family. Thanks to privacy settings, you can easily share stories and photos only with people you know. Even with the latest privacy tools, people still tend to overshare.
How to use Skype to make an emergency phone call
An emergency requires quick thinking, and split-second decisions can mean the difference between life and death. Unless you’re a qualified doctor, first responders must arrive as quickly as possible to assist someone in dire need.
Android 12 security settings to update ASAP
Apple fans have been enjoying impressive new updates for the latest iPhones for some time, packed with fun new features. However, the highlights of the iPhone updates were the updated security settings.
Despite an additional launch in October, Android users have waited patiently for Android 12 to roll out similar updates. Originally the update went out just to Google Pixel phones. Tap or click here for seven things you didn’t know your Android could do.
4 free ways to keep track of your friends and family with your smartphone
As GPS trackers become more commonplace with devices like Apple AirTags, we are developing a constant need to know where everything and everyone is at all times. Tap or click here to find out the difference between Tile trackers and Apple AirTags.
True or false: Your contacts know when you turn off location sharing
GPS was amazing when it came out. No more mapping out routes on paper or printing directions from Google Maps. Simply turn on your GPS and go. Tap or click here for a Google Maps feature that takes navigation to the next level.
This location-sharing app could save your life
Navigation apps come with every smartphone, but using them can be a pain if you don’t have an exact address or know exactly where you’re going. It’s even worse if you’re in a new place and want someone to meet you.
How can you point them in your direction if you don’t know where you are? It’s not as if you could say some magic words and make them appear in front of you. Well, maybe you can.
8 must-have Android apps you'll use again and again
Although your mobile device comes pre-loaded with several essential applications like the flashlight and calculator, there’s some you could do without. Some contain bloatware that you should delete the minute you open up your Android for the first time because they bog down your system and track your browsing behavior and bombard you with ads.