Sharing your location with someone at home when you travel solo is one of the simplest safety steps you can take. It does not require anything complicated, and it means someone knows where you are without you having to send check-in messages every few hours.

The Simplest Option: Google Maps

Google Maps location sharing works across iPhone and Android and does not require both people to have the same type of phone. Open Google Maps, tap your profile picture, select "Location sharing," and choose who to share with and for how long.

You can share for a set period (1 hour, until end of day) or indefinitely until you turn it off. The other person gets a link they can open in a browser or the app, showing your real-time location on the map.

It uses a small amount of data and background GPS, but the battery drain is minimal. This is the most practical option for most solo travellers.

iPhone: Find My

If both you and your contact use iPhones, Find My is cleanly integrated and persistent. Open the Find My app, go to the People tab, and select "Share My Location." You can share indefinitely or set a time limit.

Your contact can see you on a map, and you can see them if they share back. It also works even if you are in airplane mode at the time of checking, as long as other Apple devices nearby can relay the signal (a more passive feature for finding lost devices, but useful context).

Android: Google Find My Device / WhatsApp

On Android, WhatsApp has a built-in live location feature that works well: open a chat with your contact, tap the attachment button, and select "Location," then "Share Live Location" for up to 8 hours. It is temporary by design but easy to set up and reliable.

For persistent sharing, Google's Find My Device or a dedicated family location app like Life360 works across platforms.

What to Share and With Whom

Share your location with one or two people who would actually act on it: a family member, a close friend, or a partner. You do not need to broadcast it widely.

Tell them when you plan to be unreachable (long flights, remote day trips) and roughly when to expect to hear from you. This turns location sharing from a passive background thing into a genuine safety net.

Privacy Considerations

Location sharing with a trusted contact is low-risk. The considerations are practical: make sure you trust the person, turn it off when you are back in a familiar environment if you prefer privacy, and do not use apps that require creating an account with a third-party service you do not know.

Google Maps and Find My are the two most trustworthy options available, require no additional apps, and are already on most phones.

Set it up before you leave, send the link, and then get on with your trip. It takes three minutes and removes a category of worry entirely.