Location Sharing Duration in iOS 15 Messages

Apple’s iOS 15 allows users to broadcast their real-time whereabouts to friends and family directly within the Messages app using the integrated Find My network. Rather than broadcasting indefinitely by default, the system requires you to select a specific duration to balance convenience with user privacy and battery consumption. This guide explains how the duration settings work, the differences between static and continuous sharing, and how to stop sharing early.

Static vs. Continuous Location Sharing

When you tap a contact's name at the top of a Messages thread and select the info icon, iOS 15 provides two distinct sharing methods:

  • Send My Current Location: Sends a one-time, static map pin of your exact coordinates at that moment. This feature has no duration and does not track your movement.
  • Share My Location: Initiates dynamic, real-time tracking that updates your position continuously as you move. Selecting this option prompts you to choose an active duration.

Available Duration Options

When initiating live tracking in iOS 15 Messages, you must choose from three distinct timeframes:

  1. Share for One Hour: The tracking connection remains active for exactly 60 minutes from the moment you tap it. Once the hour elapses, iOS automatically severs the feed, removing your live pin from the recipient’s map without requiring manual intervention.
  2. Share Until End of Day: The live broadcast remains active until 11:59 PM in your local time zone. At midnight, sharing automatically terminates. This option is designed for day-long outings, travel, or coordinating plans with others throughout a single day.
  3. Share Indefinitely: Your location streams continuously to the recipient with no automated expiration date. It remains active across device reboots and software updates until you manually revoke access.

How Tracking Operates During the Active Period

Once a duration is chosen, the recipient sees a live map directly inside the conversation details screen in Messages, as well as in their native Find My app.

iOS manages background updates automatically. When you are stationary, the system throttles GPS ping intervals to conserve battery. When movement is detected, updates become more frequent to provide accurate route tracing. If your device loses cellular service or runs out of battery, the recipient sees your last known location alongside a timestamp indicating when the signal was lost.

How to Stop Sharing Before the Duration Expires

You can terminate location sharing at any point before your selected timeframe runs out:

  1. Open the specific conversation in the Messages app.
  2. Tap the contact's profile photo or name at the top of the screen.
  3. Tap Stop Sharing My Location.
  4. Confirm your selection in the pop-up prompt.

Alternatively, you can open the Find My app, select the People tab, tap the recipient's name, and select Stop Sharing My Location to cancel the duration immediately.