Find My on my iPhone randomly shows old l… (2024)

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User profile for user: BullwinkleJMoose

BullwinkleJMoose Author

User level: Level1

9 points

Find My on my iPhone is randomly showing old locations of family members. When I open Find My on my Macbook I see the correct, current locations. But on my iPhone I will sometimes get the current location, and sometimes get a location that might be hours or even a day old. When this happens the old location will not update. Sometimes later it will update to the current location, only to revert to the old location. For example, my daughter was in Florida yesterday but is back home. At various times today it showed her in Florida, then back home, then back in Florida, then back home. Similarly, my wife's location was current when I looked an hour ago, but now it shows her in a location from 8 hours ago and will not update. On my Macbook it always showed current locations for both of them. I have tried restarting the phone multiple times. WiFi and cell signal are good, and. It is on the current iOS, 17.2.1.

iPhone XR

Posted on Jan 14, 2024 8:05 PM

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Posted on Apr 12, 2024 6:09 PM

I am having this EXACT same issue. One of my daughter's Find My locations is showing where she was 6 days ago on my iphone 13, but all other family member locations are current. And on my Macbook, all family member locations are current, including that one daughter's. All software is updated. Any suggestions??

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User profile for user: barbeggs

barbeggs

User level: Level1

12 points

Apr 12, 2024 6:09 PM in response to BullwinkleJMoose

I am having this EXACT same issue. One of my daughter's Find My locations is showing where she was 6 days ago on my iphone 13, but all other family member locations are current. And on my Macbook, all family member locations are current, including that one daughter's. All software is updated. Any suggestions??

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User profile for user: SravanKrA

Community+ 2024

User level: Level10

411,564 points

Jan 14, 2024 11:36 PM in response to BullwinkleJMoose

  1. Force quit the Find My app:swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause in the middle.Swipe left or right to find the Find My app,then swipe up on it to close it.
  2. Open the Find My app on your iPhone and pull down to refresh the location. This may force the app to update and display the correct location.
  3. Depending on your model,press and hold different button combinations.You can find specific instructions on Apple's website for your iPhone model.
  4. Ensure that your iPhone has a stable internet connection. Find My relies on internet connectivity to update locations. If you are on a Wi-Fi network, try switching to cellular data or vice versa.
  5. Resetting network settings can resolve connectivity issues. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Reset > Reset Network Settings. Note that this will reset Wi-Fi passwords and other network-related settings.

Additional Tips:

  • Make sure your family members' devices also have the latest software and location services enabled.
  • Ask your family members to open the Find My app on their devices and check if their location is updating correctly.

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User profile for user: BullwinkleJMoose

BullwinkleJMoose Author

User level: Level1

9 points

Jan 15, 2024 5:59 AM in response to SravanKrA

None of this works. I had already tried everything except for reseting network connections but that doesn't do anything. Please note that family members are updating and show current locations when I go to Find My on my Macbook. However, on my phone the location randomly changes from the current location to old locations. For example, late last night my daughter was showing here, then this morning she once again showed that she was in Florida where she was two days ago, and then later this morning showed that she was here. Her location has updated many times since she was in Florida two days ago, only to revert back to one of two places she was in Florida. I am also randomly getting old locations showing on my iPad. I should add that I am finding that iOS 17 is pretty horribly buggy all around. Sigh, for the days when Apple wrote good software, but that has been a while.

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User profile for user: garmit

garmit

User level: Level1

11 points

Apr 16, 2024 10:22 PM in response to BullwinkleJMoose

I had the same problem. Checked my wife's location setting under family and noticed it wasn't set to automatically Share Location even thought in her setup it read share my location .It fixed it for us. Hope that helps others.

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User profile for user: yanin08

yanin08

User level: Level1

8 points

Apr 15, 2024 12:45 PM in response to barbeggs

Where you able to fix it mines been doing the same

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Find My on my iPhone randomly shows old locations of family members

Find My on my iPhone randomly shows old l… (2024)

FAQs

Why is Find My iPhone showing an old location? ›

Ensure that your iPhone has a stable internet connection. Find My relies on internet connectivity to update locations. If you are on a Wi-Fi network, try switching to cellular data or vice versa. Resetting network settings can resolve connectivity issues.

Why is someone's location not updating? ›

If your Find My Friends not updating location, there could be many reasons behind it, such as unstable internet, background app refresh, outdated application or iOS, etc. You can try a few solutions to solve the problem and see if they work.

Does Find My iPhone give false readings? ›

Can Find My iPhone give a false location? Yes, Find My iPhone can give a false location if the device is offline or not connected to WiFi. However, offline finding and Bluetooth signals can help approximate the last known location of your phone.

Why is my location not updating on Find My iPhone? ›

Sometimes, the Location Services may be turned off on your device. In this case, you will not be able to update real-time locations with others. You can solve this issue by going to Settings > Privacy > Location Services. Ensure that you turn on Location Services on the iPhone.

Why is someone's location frozen on Find My iPhone? ›

Keeping the new device in a single location will effectively freeze your location on the Find My app.

What is wrong with my Find My iPhone app? ›

The most common reasons Find My iPhone can't locate a device are no internet connection, Find My disabled, logged out of iCloud, invalid Apple ID, or iPhone powered off. Check these items first.

How do I know if someone turned their location off on Find My iPhone? ›

When someone stops sharing their location on their iPhone, you'll see a message in the Find My app that reads “No Location Available” and will need to re-request access. Location sharing on Apple devices is a valuable feature that allows you to track the location of your friends, family, coworkers, and more.

How often is Find My iPhone wrong? ›

It is a highly accurate tool that can locate your device with a precision of up to 3 meters, depending on the availability and quality of GPS signals, Wi-Fi hotspots, internet connections, cell sites, and Bluetooth. However, like any technology, it is not infallible.

Can you check how many times someone checks your location? ›

When you share your location permanently through Google Maps with someone, once a month Google sends you an email to remind you that you are doing it. That's all, in no case do they inform you of how many times your location has been tracked by that person.

How to tell if someone stopped sharing location? ›

Search For A “Not Sharing Location” Message. Another way to know if someone stopped sharing their location is to search for a “Not Sharing Location” message. This usually appears under the target's contact.

What does it mean when someone's location is flashing green on an iPhone? ›

If their location is immediately available, you'll see "live" instead of the time. If someone's location is live, you'll also see a green pulse around their profile picture on the map when you select them in the People tab.

Why is Find My iPhone showing a different location? ›

Step 1: Navigate to “Settings > Privacy > Location Services”. Step 2: Turn location service on to fix iPhone wrong location problem. Step 3: If the location service is already enabled, you can refresh this feature. Turn it off and wait for about 20 seconds or several minutes and then turn it back on.

Why is someones current location not updating? ›

The latest Android devices come with native app refresh functionality. Mostly, this setting is off, so you'll need to turn it on in your settings to get the latest location-sharing updates. Step 1: Open Settings, select Connections, and tap on Data usage. Step 2: Tap on Wi-Fi data usage, find and select Google Maps.

Why isn t my daughter's iPhone location updating? ›

Cellular data is depleted or disabled. Check your child's device data settings. Your child is on a phone call. Some cell carriers (e.g., Sprint, US Carrier, Verizon) disable cellular connections during active phone calls.

How to stop sharing location without them knowing? ›

If you turn on Airplane Mode or turn off Location Services, the other person will not be notified that you have stopped sharing your location. However, they will be notified if you go to the Find My app and stop sharing your location with the person.

Why is Find My iPhone showing old location? ›

Location Caching: One common reason is location caching. iPhones often store location data to optimize app performance and reduce battery drain. This cached data could sometimes cause your device to display an older location even when you've moved.

How do I pause your location on Find My iPhone without them knowing? ›

Turning on Airplane mode on your iPhone is probably the simplest approach to stop the location without alerting others. It is a built-in feature in every iPhone.

Can someone still see your location when your phone is off on Find My iPhone? ›

Yes, someone can see your location if your phone is off. Your device probably transmitted its last known location, which others might access. Disabling location services on your mobile device will help you hide your location—including when your phone is off.

Why is a device location not updating on Find My iPhone? ›

On the device that doesn't seem to send it's live location, go to settings > privacy & security > location services > scroll down to system services > scroll down and make sure 'share my location' is turned on. This solved the problem for me.

Why can't I see someone's current location on Find My iPhone? ›

Ask your friend to make sure their phone is connected to WiFi or cellular, they're currently sharing their location, and that location services are enabled. If their phone seems properly configured, try to toggle your own wireless connection, restart the Find My app, and restart your phone.

How inaccurate is Find My iPhone? ›

'Find My' accuracy largely depends on the device's hardware, signal strength, and environmental conditions. In ideal situations, such as open outdoor areas with clear visibility to GPS satellites, 'Find My' can provide highly accurate location data, often within a few meters.

Why is my iPhone showing the wrong location on Find My? ›

Fortunately, there's a simple fix you can try. Follow the steps below to toggle on your iPhone's Location Services: Step 1: Go to "Settings > Privacy > Location Services". Step 2: Enable the location service to address the problem of your iPhone displaying the wrong location.

Why does someone's location disappear on iPhone? ›

If your friend's location isn't available on your iPhone, it's most likely that the problem is on your friend's phone. The most likely problem, for example, is that the other iPhone might not have cellular or WiFi reception.

Why does my location say I'm at my old house? ›

Our phones connect to the same router, with the same MAC address and the same SSID, and so Google's servers tell our phones that we're at our old house. Google apparently has no way for people to update the location of their WiFi hotspot.

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