Tips for Users

04/15/25

8 min

A Friend Is Missing! Why Is Find My Friends not Updating Location

Are you worried that the "Locator" shows the devil knows what, and not where your closed is now? Wondering: why is my friends location not updating on find my, or even worse – why isn't my friends location updating?

Are you worried that the "Locator" shows the devil knows what, and not where your closed is now? Wondering: why is my friends location not updating on find my, or even worse – why isn't my friends location updating?

Be calm!

  • Many iPhone users are faced with the fact that why won't my friends location update, and in a panic they are looking for an answer to the question: why can't I see my friends location? 

  • If your "Locator" shows yesterday, and why is my friends location not updating on iPhone is the main thought in your head, you are in the right place. In this article, we'll look at the most common causes, from the banal (like GPS turned off) to the more insidious, like "hidden" geolocation and ways to track location with phone number.

Why Is the Friend's Location not Being Updated

If instead of a joyful meeting, the Locator shows you only outdated information about your friend's geolocation, and questions like "why does my friends location not update?" are spinning in your head. or "location won't update on Find My Friends", don't panic! Let's look at the most common causes in more detail. Now you will know how to see friends location on iPhone.

The hand holds the phone on the street. There is asphalt in the background. A question mark above the Locator icon on the iPhone screen. It doesn't work.

Connection Problems

Situation

Wi-Fi and mobile data

Locator is a network–dependent application. It constantly communicates with Apple's servers to determine and display the movements of your closed.

If the Internet connection is unstable, weak, or nonexistent, updating the geolocation becomes impossible.

Imagine a postman without an address – he simply won't be able to deliver a package. Similarly, a "Locator" without network access loses the ability to "see" your closed.

The pitfalls of Wi-Fi

Some networks may block certain types of traffic, which prevents the normal operation of the Locator.

Connecting to public Wi-Fi may be unreliable. The signal may be weak and the connection may be unstable due to network congestion. 

Mobile Data

Even if mobile data is available, it can be disabled for the "Locator" in order to save traffic.

Also, if you are in an area with poor coverage (for example, in a basement, in a rural area, or in another roaming country), data transmission may be difficult.

Solution

Check the connection

Make sure that you and your closed have an active and stable connection to Wi-Fi or mobile data. Try opening a web page or using another application that requires an internet connection to check if it is working properly.

Restart your router

If you are using Wi-Fi, restart your router. This can help fix temporary network issues.

Switch between networks

Try switching from Wi-Fi to mobile data (or vice versa) to see if the situation improves.

Check the settings

Make sure that mobile data is enabled for the "Locator" in the device settings ("Cellular" -> "Locator")

Roaming

If your friend is abroad, make sure that he has roaming enabled and has a valid tariff plan for data transmission abroad.

Screenshot from iPhone settings, Locator settings

Disabled Geolocation Services

  • The impact of disabling GPS 

Disabling geolocation services makes it impossible for the Locator to receive data about your friend's movements. In this case, it makes perfect sense that you see the message what does no location found mean on Find My Friends. And don't be surprised when why does it say no location found on Find My Friends, because a friend's phone simply doesn't report its location!

  • Energy Saving Modes

Some devices automatically turn off or limit the use of geolocation services in energy saving mode to extend battery life.

  • Intentional shutdown

Your friend may have intentionally disabled geolocation services for privacy or to save battery power. If why does Find My Friends say no location found occurs all the time, it may have become a habit.

Solution

  • Check the settings

Make sure that geolocation services are enabled in your closed's device settings (Privacy -> Geolocation Services).

  • Check the settings of the "Locator"

Make sure that the "Locator" has access to geolocation services ("Privacy" -> "Geolocation Services" -> "Locator").

  • Disable Power Saving Mode

Disable power saving mode to ensure that it does not restrict the use of geolocation services.

  • Ask directly

If the problem persists, just ask a closed one if they turned off geolocation services intentionally. If why does my friends location say no location found only occurs to you, it's worth making sure that your friend shares their location specifically with you. For example, you can ask to see friends location on Facebook. 

Privacy Secrets

The iOS operating system allows users to control which apps have access to their movements and how often they can do so. Incorrect privacy settings may limit the access of the "Locator" to your friend's location. There are three types of permissions for geolocation services.

Screenshot from iPhone settings, types of permissions for geolocation services


Never

The app has no access at all.

While using the app

The app only gets access when it is actively in use.

Always

The app has access even in the background. This parameter is necessary for the correct operation of the Locator. 


  • It is important to remember that if "When using the application" is selected, then why can't my friends see my location will become a legitimate question as soon as a closed one turns off the "Locator".

  • Location Sharing

    • Even if the Locator has access to geolocation services, your friend may have disabled location sharing for you or for everyone. If what does it mean when it says no location found on Find My Friends, this may be exactly the reason. 

    • And by the way, if I turn off location services will it notify my friends? No, iOS doesn't send a notification if you just disable geolocation services altogether. 

    • However, if you stop sharing your location specifically through the "Locator", then most likely it does Find My Friends notify when you stop sharing location.

  • Approximate geolocation

    • It is also important to understand that the "Locator" can show what is approximate location on Find My Friends, especially if a friend has the appropriate setting enabled. 

    • This does not mean that the location is not being updated, but simply indicates a deliberate decrease in accuracy.

  • Temporary anomalies

    • If why does my friends location say 2 days ago, it most likely indicates a serious problem with connectivity or geolocation services. However, if why does Find My Friends location bounce around, it may be due to an inaccurate GPS signal, especially in urban areas. 

    • And no, don't think that you can tell when someone checks your movements to Find My Friends, the Locator doesn't tell you who viewed your location and when.

screenshot with notification that location cannot be shared

How to Hide Location on Find My Friends

The easiest way to freeze location on Find My Friends is to temporarily disable "Share location" in the Locator settings for a specific contact or for everyone. It's like hitting the "pause" button: how to pause location on Find My Friends, and you temporarily disappear from the radar. Or you can just turn off Geolocation Services to freeze Find My Friends location?

An alternative option is to set up "Do not share with" for specific people.

  • Possible consequences

Obviously, your friends will stop seeing your movements. They may display "Location not found", which, as we have already found out, raises a lot of questions.

  • Resume sharing

To become "visible" again, simply enable "Share geolocation" in the "Locator" settings for the desired contacts.

Make sure that Geolocation Services are enabled and the Locator has access to them.

  • Important

Misuse of methods describing how to fake location on Find My Friends or how to change location on Find My Friends can lead to undesirable consequences. It's about managing your privacy, not cheating. 

Remember that how to freeze location on Find My Friends without them knowing is more a matter of ethics than technical capabilities.

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