How To Stop Sharing Location Without Someone Knowing

August 24, 2025August 24, 2025 by SHABL

We’re pretty used to sharing our location with people we trust—it’s nice knowing someone has your back and knows where you are.

Still, there are moments when you just want a little space, no drama. Maybe you’re planning a surprise or just feel like having a low-key day to yourself.

The tricky part? Turning off location sharing can sometimes alert others, since many apps are quick to send notifications when settings are changed.

Good news: there are a few simple ways to pause sharing without setting off any red flags. Let’s walk through how to protect your privacy while keeping things smooth and stress-free.

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How To Stop Sharing Location Without Them Knowing

If you cut off location sharing out of the blue and someone gets a notification, it can lead to awkward questions or concerns you didn’t plan to deal with.

The good news is, you can pause location sharing quietly—no pings, no alerts—so you stay in control of who sees your whereabouts without drawing attention.

Up next, we’ll walk you through four reliable methods that work across any device. After that, we’ll dive into specific app-based options that might work even better, depending on what you’re using.

Turn on Airplane Mode

One of the simplest ways to temporarily stop sharing your location is by switching on Airplane Mode.

This disables all wireless signals—cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth—so your device can’t transmit your real-time location.

When you use Airplane Mode, no one gets notified that location sharing has stopped, and there’s no obvious sign that anything’s been paused.

Just keep in mind: if someone checks an app like Find My, they’ll see your last location with a timestamp like “xx minutes ago” instead of a live update.

Here’s how to turn on Airplane Mode on an iPhone:

Open Control Center
- On iPhone X or later: Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen.
- On iPhone 8 or earlier: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
Tap the Airplane icon
- When it turns orange, Airplane Mode is active. Your iPhone will disconnect from cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.
To turn it off
- Tap the icon again. Your connections will be restored automatically.

Here’s how to turn on Airplane Mode on an Android device:

Open Quick Settings
- Swipe down from the top of the screen. On some Android phones, you may need to swipe down a second time to see all available options.
Tap the Airplane Mode icon
- Once active, the icon will change color or style to show it’s turned on.
Confirm it’s on
- Look for a small airplane icon in the status bar at the top of your screen. That means Airplane Mode is active.

Turning off Location Services via settings

Turning off Location Services in your phone’s settings completely stops your device from sharing location data with any app.

When disabled, your location sharing quietly ends—no alerts, no notifications—so others won’t know you’ve made any changes.

Keep in mind, though: if someone tries to check your location in an app like Find My, they’ll see a message like “No Location Found” instead of a live update.

If you’re comfortable with this option, here’s how to turn off Location Services on iPhone:

Open the Settings app
Tap “Privacy & Security”
Tap “Location Services”
Toggle off “Location Services”
- This turns off all location access for apps and system features.

Here’s how to turn off Location Services on Android using Quick Settings:

Swipe down from the top of the screen
- This opens the Quick Settings panel. You may need to swipe down again to see all icons.
Find the Location icon
- It usually looks like a pin or a compass needle.
Tap the icon to turn it off
- If it’s highlighted, that means location is on. Tapping it will disable location access for your device.

Block and Unblock a Contact

If you’re using an iPhone, one clever workaround is to block and then unblock the contact. This trick—popularized on Reddit—lets you quietly stop sharing your location without triggering a notification.

Blocking someone immediately halts location updates. When you unblock them, your location stays hidden, and they won’t receive any alerts about the change.

Just be aware: if they check the Find My app, they might notice you’re no longer listed under friends. And in iMessage, they’ll see a note saying your location has expired.

Here’s how to do it:

Open the Contacts app on your iPhone.
Find the contact you want to stop sharing with and tap their name.
Scroll down and tap Block Caller.
Wait for a second, then tap Unblock Caller.

Fake location apps

If you’re looking to protect your location privacy by showing a different location, fake location apps can do the job. These tools let you “spoof” your location, making it appear as if you’re somewhere else.

It’s a useful way to keep your real whereabouts private without turning off location sharing entirely. That said, these apps come with some limitations and quirks, so they’re not always 100% reliable

How fake location apps work

Fake location apps work by temporarily overriding your device’s GPS signal, letting you set a custom, virtual location. Once active, apps that track your location—like social media, Find My, or Google Maps—will display this new location instead of your actual one.

If you’re thinking about giving this a try, here are a few apps worth considering:

Dr. Fone—Virtual Location: This option works on both platforms and offers a range of settings to simulate movement between different points.

iToolab AnyGo: Works on iOS and Android. Lets you jump to any spot or move along a route with joystick control. Handy for games and location-based apps.

LocaChange: For iOS only. Simple setup via computer, lets you instantly drop your pin anywhere with reliable accuracy.

PoGoskill: Built for gamers. Offers walking, cycling, or driving modes on both iOS and Android, with realistic route planning to stay under the radar.

iTools: iTools offers a virtual location feature for iPhone users. This feature requires connecting to a computer but is reliable for spoofing.

How to Stop Location Sharing in Specific Apps

If you want to stop sharing your location within specific apps, here’s how to do it on three of the most popular ones: Apple Find My, Life360 and Google Maps. Each method lets you quietly pause or turn off location sharing—without sending any notifications to others.

Find My App

On iPhone, you can stop sharing your location with a specific person using the built-in Find My app. This Apple service is designed to help you locate devices, keep tabs on family and friends, and track down lost or stolen products.

To stop sharing your location with someone in the Find My app:

Open the Find My app on your iPhone.
Tap the “People” tab at the bottom of the screen.
Find and tap the person’s name you want to stop sharing with.
Scroll down and tap “Stop Sharing My Location.”

Once you’ve stopped sharing, your location will no longer update on their end—and they won’t get any notification that it’s been turned off. However, if they open the app, they’ll see your last known location with a timestamp instead of a “Live” update.

How to Fully Disable Real-Time Location Sharing in the Find My App

To completely turn off location sharing in the Find My app via iPhone settings:

Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Scroll down and tap Privacy & Security.
Tap Location Services at the top.
Scroll down and select Find My from the app list.
Tap Never to stop all location access for the Find My app.
? This disables all location sharing through Find My across your devices.

How to Use Another Device to Change Your Location in Find My

If you have a second iPhone or iPad linked to the same Apple ID, you can use it to change your location in the Find Myapp—without triggering any notifications. By switching your shared location to another device, you control what others see when they check your location.

Here’s how to change your shared location using a second iPhone or iPad:

Open the Settings app on your primary iPhone and tap your Apple ID profile at the top.
Tap Find My and make sure Share My Location is turned on.
On your second iPhone or iPad, open the Find My app.
Tap the “Me” tab at the bottom of the screen.
Tap “Use This iPhone/iPad as My Location.”

Once this option is enabled, your second device becomes the one sharing its location—replacing your primary iPhone. It’s a simple way to protect your privacy by showing the location of your backup device instead of where you actually are.

Google Maps

To stop sharing your live location on Google Maps, follow the steps below. This method is especially effective for Android users, since Google Maps is the primary tool for location sharing on those devices.

To stop sharing your location on Google Maps:

Open the Google Maps app on your device.
Tap your profile picture or initial in the top-right corner.
Tap Location sharing.
Select the person you want to stop sharing with.
Tap Stop to end location sharing.

Life 360

Stopping location sharing on Life360 can be a bit more involved compared to other apps, since it’s built for continuous family tracking. Still, there are a few ways you can pause or disable it, depending on what works best for you.

To disable location sharing for a specific Circle in Life360:

Open the Life360 app.
Tap Settings in the bottom-right corner.
Tap Circle Switcher and select the Circle you want to stop sharing with.
Tap Location Sharing.
Toggle the switch off to stop sharing your location with that Circle.

To block Life360 from accessing your location via iPhone settings:

Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services.
Scroll down and tap on Life360.
Select Never to completely prevent the app from accessing your location.

This method blocks Life360 from accessing your phone’s location entirely, effectively stopping location sharing—without needing to adjust anything within the app itself.

To turn off Life360 location access on an Android device:

Tap the Settings icon on your home screen.
Select Location from the menu.
Scroll down and tap Life360.
Tap Location Access, then choose Don’t Allow or Deny.
Confirm the change if prompted.

“Location Paused” Methods
If you need a temporary and less noticeable way to pause your location sharing in Life360, try these tricks:

Enable Data Saving Mode
- Turning on your phone’s data saver can restrict background activity and limit Life360’s ability to update your location, often resulting in a “Location paused” message.
Turn Off Wi-Fi
- Disabling Wi-Fi can interfere with location tracking and may cause Life360 to pause your location updates, especially if mobile data is weak or limited.

Privacy is Peace of Mind

Taking control of your location privacy can give you peace of mind—whether you’re carving out personal space or simply prefer to keep your whereabouts to yourself.

With the right approach—like using Airplane Mode, tweaking app settings, blocking and unblocking contacts, or even using fake location tools—you can stop sharing your location quietly and without setting off any alerts.

If privacy is a top priority, it’s also important to make sure your phone is free from hidden tracking apps or spyware. Tools like Avast or BitDefender for iPhone and Android let you quickly scan your device for any hidden threats that could compromise your location privacy. This way you can feel confident that both your device and your whereabouts are secure.

Key Points to Remember

1 – Turning off Location Services blocks all apps from accessing your location, which can limit functionality in apps that depend on it—like maps, weather, ride-sharing, and fitness tracking.

2 – While fake location apps can be useful, they’re not always reliable. Some apps can detect spoofing attempts, and services like Find My Friends may still show your actual location if the app refreshes in the background.

Additionally, using a fake location can interfere with location-based services such as maps, ride-sharing, and delivery apps, which depend on accurate GPS data to function properly.

3 – To stop sharing your location with everyone in Google Maps, simply toggle off the “Location Sharing” setting. This immediately ends location sharing across all contacts—no one will be able to see your location.