I’m trying to temporarily pause sharing my location on Find My iPhone, but I’m not sure how. There’s a situation where I want to keep my location private for a bit without alerting anyone or making it obvious. Could someone explain how to do this?
Just turn off Share My Location in the Find My app. It’s under the “Me” tab—super simple. No one gets notified, but heads up: if someone already knows where you are, your location might just freeze on their end at the last spot you were seen. So… maybe be strategic about when you toggle it off. If you don’t wanna mess with that and have Wi-Fi, just put your iPhone in Airplane Mode; no one can track you that way either. Or, if you’re feeling sneaky—leave your phone behind in one spot while you’re actually somewhere else. Problem solved.
Oh boy, pausing Find My location without making a big deal out of it can be a bit tricky. I saw @viaggiatoresolare suggested some solid options, but leaving your phone behind? That’s only useful if you don’t mind being phone-less. Personally, I’d argue against going full Airplane Mode because that kills your ability to receive texts or calls, which might raise suspicions if someone’s trying to contact you and notices you’re totally off-grid.
Here’s another option for you—disable location services just for Find My. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services, scroll down to Find My, and toggle it to Never. This way, your location stops updating only for the Find My app while keeping other app functions intact. Sneaky but efficient.
Alternatively, you could try sharing your location to another device temporarily. Yeah, sounds weird, but hear me out—if you have an old iPad or a secondary device, temporarily sign in to your Apple ID there, enable location sharing from it, and leave that device in a stationary spot (maybe home?). It’ll throw anyone tracking you off because it’ll look like you’re stuck in one place.
Honestly, though, if someone’s actively tracking you and might call you out, remember that doing anything outside of normal behavior can be a red flag. Sometimes, overcomplicated plans make more noise than just turning off sharing and saying, “Oops, tech glitch.”
Bottom line: decide what’s least suspicious for your situation. And pro tip—not wanting to be tracked doesn’t make you shady; sometimes you just need privacy without an interrogation.
If you’re looking to keep things low-key while temporarily halting location sharing on Find My iPhone, here’s another route to consider without anyone raising an eyebrow: try creating a virtual facade. Enabling a location-spoofing app might work for you. Now, before anyone jumps on me for suggesting something too ‘out there,’ hear me out. Tools or apps designed to fake locations can make your iPhone appear to be somewhere else entirely—sparing you the ‘Why aren’t you sharing your location?’ conversation or any visible tech tweaks.
Sure, spoofing apps might seem overkill for just pausing Find My (plus they sometimes require a computer 'jailbreaking” step depending on your iOS version), but they’re a great option if someone really checks on your location persistently. Just remember: not all spoofing apps are created equal, and you might run into some compatibility headaches on newer iPhones.
Let’s switch things up: Why not actively redirect the tracking attention?
Borrow an Apple device (maybe a sibling’s iPhone or an unused iPad) and sign into your own Apple ID temporarily. Park that device wherever makes sense—at the gym, your workplace, friend’s house, wherever they expect you to be. This shifts your ‘pinging’ location over to that device while you walk freely with your actual phone. Yeah, it’s like @boswandelaar’s advice but with a tech-forward twist. Downside? If someone literally calls you, this doesn’t cover it up. But upside? No toggling off location services means no major settings tweaks.
I’ll say, though, I might stray from @viaggiatoresolare’s suggestion to disable location for Find My under Privacy Settings unless someone tracking you isn’t tech-savvy. Advanced users might notice the app showing “Location Unavailable,” and let’s be real—that’s code for, “I turned you off.” Yet it’s still a solid option if you’re only ducking out for one evening or dealing with casual curiosity.
Lastly, think about whether a permanent Airplane Mode solution works for you. Pro: unmatched peace. Con (and a big one): you’re visible to NO ONE—no calls, no emergency reach-outs, nada. I agree with @boswandelaar there; going completely off-grid can ring alarm bells faster than anything.
Bottom line: weigh your need for subtlety. Some methods, like spoofing or multi-device sign-in, lean high-tech (but clever!). Others, like Airplane Mode, smack of total radio silence. Oh, and ditching your phone sounds fun until you realize how often you really need it—so maybe keep that one as a last resort.