<p><img src="https://static6.businessinsider.com/image/5ffcac0bbde805001980c39e-2400/GettyImages-1208999514.jpg" border="0" alt="GettyImages 1208999514" data-mce-source="Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images"></p><p></p><bi-shortcode id="summary-shortcode" data-type="summary-shortcode" class="mceNonEditable" contenteditable="false">Summary List Placement</bi-shortcode><p>If you and your close contacts use <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/google-maps">Google Maps</a>, you might want to use the app's location sharing feature.</p><p>Using this optional tool, friends, co-workers and family can share their location with each other and see their locations on the map in real-time.</p><p>That makes it easy to track someone on Google Maps, with a caveat: the person you want to track must opt into sharing their location, so it's (thankfully) not possible to track anyone without their knowledge or consent. </p><h2><strong>How to track someone on Google Maps</strong></h2><p><strong>1. </strong>Start Google Maps on your iPhone or Android. </p><p><strong>2. </strong>Tap your account avatar at the top right of the screen. In the pop-up menu, tap "Location sharing."</p><p><strong>3. </strong>You'll see a list of everyone who is currently sharing their location with you at the bottom of the screen. To see someone's precise location, tap the entry and the map will zoom into their position. </p><p><img src="https://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5ffcaeaad184b30018aae24c-1242/HowtotracksomeoneonGoogleMaps-3.png" border="0" alt="How_to_track_someone_on_Google_Maps 3" data-mce-source="Dave Johnson/Business Insider" data-mce-caption="You can see everyone who is sharing their location with you from the Location sharing menu in Google Maps."></p><p>If you want to track someone using Google Maps in a web browser on a computer, the process is essentially the same. Open Google Maps in a browser and then click the three horizontal lines at the top left of the web page (the "hamburger menu"). Then click "Location sharing" to see your contacts on the map. </p><h2><strong>How to share your location on Google Maps</strong></h2><p>The person you want to track on Google Maps must enable location sharing before you can follow them. You don't need to share your own location to track someone else, but you might need to help the other person turn on their location sharing. </p><p><strong>1. </strong>Using the Google Maps app on Android or iPhone, tap your account avatar at the top right of the screen. In the pop-up menu, tap "Location sharing."</p><p><img src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5ffcaedbd184b30018aae24d-1242/How to track someone on Google Maps-1.png" border="0" alt="How to track someone on Google Maps 1" data-mce-source="Dave Johnson/Business Insider" data-mce-caption="To share your location with someone, start by opening the menu from your account avatar."></p><p><strong>2. </strong>If this is the first time you're sharing your location, you'll need to tap "Share location" on the Stay connected screen. Otherwise, tap "New share."</p><p><strong>3. </strong>Choose the contact you want to share your location with and select how long to share or until you manually turn off location sharing. </p><p><strong>4. </strong>Tap "Share."</p><p><img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5ffcafc0d184b30018aae253-1242/HowtotracksomeoneonGoogleMaps-2.png" border="0" alt="How_to_track_someone_on_Google_Maps 2" data-mce-source="Dave Johnson/Business Insider" data-mce-caption="Choose how long you want to share your location and who you want to share with, then tap &quotShare.&quot"></p><h2><strong>How to ask someone to let you track them</strong></h2><p>If someone has already shared their location with you in the past, you can ask them to share again. To do that:</p><p><strong>1. </strong>Start Google Maps on your iPhone or Android. </p><p><strong>2. </strong>Tap your account avatar at the top right of the screen. In the pop-up menu, tap "Location sharing."</p><p><strong>3. </strong>Tap a contact in the list and then tap "Request." The contact will receive this request on their phone and can choose to accept or deny it. </p><p><img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5ffcb01cd184b30018aae257-1242/How to track someone on Google Maps-4.png" border="0" alt="How to track someone on Google Maps 4" data-mce-source="Dave Johnson/Business Insider" data-mce-caption="You can ask someone to share their location with you from Google Maps."></p><h2><strong>How to stop tracking someone on Google Maps on your phone</strong></h2><p>If you no longer want to see someone's location on your map, you can ask them to stop sharing their location with you. Alternatively, you can hide them from view in Google Maps. </p><p><strong>1. </strong>Start Google Maps on your iPhone or Android. </p><p><strong>2. </strong>Tap your account avatar at the top right of the screen. In the pop-up menu, tap "Location sharing."</p><p><strong>3. </strong>In the list of shared contacts at the bottom of the screen, tap the person you want to stop tracking.</p><p><strong>4. </strong>Tap the three dots at the right side of the screen and then tap "Hide [contact] from map."</p><p><img src="https://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5ffcb074bde805001980c3ba-1440/How to track someone on Google Maps-5.jpg" border="0" alt="How to track someone on Google Maps 5" data-mce-source="Dave Johnson/Business Insider" data-mce-caption="Tap the three-dot menu and then choose to hide the contact."></p><p>To do this in a web browser on your computer, open the Location sharing menu and click the contact you want to stop tracking. Then click "Hide on map."</p><p><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5ffcb11dbde805001980c3c4-2311/HowtotracksomeoneonGoogleMaps-6.png" border="0" alt="How_to_track_someone_on_Google_Maps 6" data-mce-source="Dave Johnson/Business Insider" data-mce-caption="You can also hide contacts from your map in a web browser."></p><h2>Related coverage from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tech-reference" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-analytics-post-depth="100" data-uri="4c86c1c3a45644bf07d168dc4c802e5e">Tech Reference</a>:</h2><ul><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-calibrate-google-maps" data-analytics-post-depth="100" data-uri="408912a21654380744b6ce93925e6cf6">How to calibrate your Google Maps app to give more accurate directions, on iPhone or Android</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-stop-google-tracking-android" data-analytics-post-depth="100" data-uri="ffaca9529d1c399435c055feed25a600">How to stop Google from tracking your Android's location</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-check-traffic-on-google-maps" data-analytics-post-depth="100" data-uri="52c7fe9bcdaba8a287fb08da787b945f">How to check the traffic around you on Google Maps in 2 ways, so that you know which routes to avoid</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/where-is-find-my-friends-on-ios-13" data-analytics-post-depth="100" data-uri="f667d31bd1dc7f255ee425d0b7476535">Find My Friends is just called 'Find My' in iOS 13here's how to access and use it on your iPhone</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-send-location-on-snapchat" data-analytics-post-depth="100" data-uri="ffcd6c4a9e750ebd5a0aaf91b7184682">How to send your location on Snapchat to your friends through the app's Snap Map feature</a></h3></li></ul><p><strong>SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-smartphone'tht" >The best smartphones</a></strong></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-track-someone-on-google-maps#comments">Join the conversation about this story »</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/candy-corn-ingredients-made-of-gelatin-lac-resin-halloween-sugar-syrup-2017-10">What candy corn is actually made of</a></p>
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