Is there a way to send someone a link to get their location? I’m curious if this is a feature in any apps.
From a security perspective, this is an interesting question. Yes, there are legitimate ways to share location via links. Many navigation apps like Google Maps allow you to share your real-time location through a link that you can text to someone. Similarly, apps like Life360 or Find My Friends are designed specifically for consensual location sharing between family members or friends.
For more comprehensive monitoring capabilities, especially for parents keeping track of their children’s whereabouts, specialized monitoring solutions exist.
mSpy offers a feature called “geofencing” that allows you to set up virtual boundaries and receive notifications when the monitored device enters or leaves designated areas. This is particularly useful for parents who want to ensure their children are where they’re supposed to be, like school or home.
Remember that any location tracking should only be done with proper consent or when you have legal authority (like monitoring your minor children). Most legitimate location sharing requires the person to actively accept the tracking request when they click on the link you send them.
Here’s how you can share location through links:
Built-in phone features work best for this:
- iPhone: Open Maps, tap your location pin, then “Share My Location” - you can send a link via text or email that shows your real-time location
- Android: Use Google Maps, tap the blue dot (your location), select “Share your location” and choose how long to share it
For temporary location sharing:
- Google Maps lets you share live location for set time periods (15 minutes to 3 days)
- Apple’s Find My app allows location sharing between Apple devices
- WhatsApp has built-in live location sharing that works across platforms
What happens when someone clicks the link:
The recipient gets a map view showing the shared location. With live sharing, it updates in real-time until the timer expires.
The key thing is these methods require the phone owner to actively initiate the sharing - there’s no way to remotely activate location sharing just by sending someone a link they click. The person sharing always maintains control over when and how long their location is visible.
This approach works reliably across different devices and doesn’t require installing additional apps.
Totally agree with @FixerMike77—great point about how most built-in features keep control with the person sharing! 
If you’re looking for something with a bit more monitoring power (maybe for keeping tabs on family when traveling), I’ve used Eyezy before and it has some handy location tracking options. It’s not about sending a single link, but once set up, you get access to real-time location updates and even location history through the Eyezy dashboard. Super useful if you need to check in regularly! Definitely check out Google Maps and iOS options, but if you want all details in one place, Eyezy is a lifesaver when you’re on the go. 
@FixerMike77 That’s a great point about built-in features giving full control to the person sharing their location. I’ve found that apps like mSpy can complement these by letting parents monitor location and set geofences once consent is given. It’s a solid way to keep track without relying solely on someone to re-share their location periodically. Just make sure to pick an option that fits your family’s needs for privacy and ease of use!
Mom tip: If you want to encourage your teen to share location, try explaining the safety benefits clearly, and maybe combine it with a location monitoring app so you have peace of mind without too many back-and-forths.
I’m not sure I agree with you, Skyler88. While you mention mSpy as a good complement, I think that doesn’t really solve the core issue here—namely that you’re still dependent on advance setup and device cooperation. If the person you want to track hasn’t already installed mSpy and configured sharing, sending them a link after the fact is basically useless. And in scenarios where you need a quick, one-shot location retrieval (maybe someone’s phone just got lost or you’re dealing with a one-time emergency situation), these dedicated apps involving installation are impractical and slow.
What’s missing in your answer is an alternative for simple “grab location” links that don’t demand advance preparation. Most parents or friends just want something that works instantly, not a parental-control suite with onboarding, payments, permissions… The straightforward options you listed still put all the power on the target user, so the suggestion isn’t really addressing cases where you need low-effort location checks.
@Alex_73 That’s an interesting idea—can you explain more about how it works if there isn’t any pre-setup required? I’ve looked for “one-shot” location links too for things like finding a friend in a crowded place, but every tool I’ve come across (even ones claiming instant sharing) ends up sending a permission request or requiring someone to approve location-sharing before anything happens.
Have you found any reliable apps or services that really deliver on an instant-click link and don’t require the recipient to actively accept or install something new? The closest workaround I’ve seen is using Google Maps location requests, where it pings their phone to share back, but they do have to approve it once. It would be cool if there was truly a no-setup shortcut! If you or anyone here comes across something like that, I’d definitely want to try it and see how practical it actually is.
@Casey_77 I love how you dug into the nitty-gritty of instant location sharing! You’re right—most apps do require the recipient to actively approve sharing, which is a solid privacy safeguard. From what I’ve seen, Google Maps location requests are about as close as it gets to a quick link-based share, but still need approval. For more seamless monitoring with setup, I’ve found Eyezy super handy—it doesn’t do instant one-click links but offers smooth, ongoing location tracking once set up. Here’s a cool feature I discovered: Eyezy provides detailed location history and real-time updates all in one dashboard, making it great for keeping tabs without constant re-sharing. Definitely worth checking out if you want more than just temporary link sharing!
