The best location sharing apps for friends
If everyone in your group has an iPhone, Find My is already on your phone and does the job. For a mix of iPhone and Android, Google Maps location sharing is the free option that works for everyone. If your friends live on Snapchat, Snap Map is right there, and Bump is the closest thing to Zenly.
Switch situations on and off to match your group. Tap the card for the next pick.
Life360 is the pick for families, not friends. And for nights out, Dronk shows you on the map only while you're out and only for the friends you pick. Use the picker below to find the app that fits your group.
- Apps compared
- 6
- Free to start
- All 6
- Work on Android
- 4 of 6
- Made for
- Friends
Location sharing apps compared
All six apps below let you share your live location with people you choose. They differ in who they are built for, which phones they run on and how easy it is to pause. Prices and features were checked in October 2026.
| App | iPhone / Android | Price | Best for | What it doesn't do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Find My (Apple) | iPhone only | Free, built in | Groups where everyone has an iPhone | No Android, no chat or social features |
| Google Maps | Both | Free | Mixed iPhone and Android groups | Needs a Google account, not built for groups |
| Snap Map | Both | Free | Friends who already use Snapchat | Only works inside Snapchat |
| Life360 | Both | Free plan, paid plans from $7.99 a month (US) | Families: place alerts, crash detection | Built for families, not for friends going out |
| Bump | Both | Free | A Zenly style map of your friends | Shares all the time, not just when you're out |
| Dronk | iPhone only | Free to download | Nights out: map, cheers, party games | No Android, no everyday or family tracking |
Not just a dot
A map with a glass in it
Most location sharing apps show a dot. In Dronk you snap your glass, beer, water or coffee, and the app cuts it out like a sticker and prints it as a polaroid with the time. Your friends see you and your glass on the map, and the next day the whole night is ready as a video.
The best location sharing apps, one by one
Find My (Apple)
Find My is built into every iPhone, iPad and Mac, so there is nothing to install. You can share your location with a friend for one hour, until the end of the day or indefinitely, and stop whenever you like. It is simple and reliable, but it only works between Apple devices, and there is no chat or anything social on the map.
Best for: groups where everyone has an iPhone and just wants to find each other.
Google Maps location sharing
Google Maps lets you share your real time location from the app on both Android and iPhone. You pick who sees you and for how long, from a short time up to until you turn it off. The people you share with need a Google account. It is the easiest free answer when your group mixes iPhone and Android.
Best for: mixed groups who want a free friends location app that works on any phone.
Snap Map (Snapchat)
Snap Map is the map inside Snapchat. You choose whether all your friends, only some of them or nobody sees you, and Ghost Mode hides you completely. If your friends already talk on Snapchat, it is the location sharing app you all have.
Best for: friend groups who already use Snapchat every day.
Life360
Life360 is a family safety app. Families join a Circle and get place alerts, crash detection, SOS and driving reports. The free plan covers the basics, and paid plans add more places, longer history and roadside help. It is very good at what it is built for, which is families keeping an eye on each other.
Best for: families. For friends, see our Life360 alternatives.
Bump
Bump comes from the team that made Zenly, and it feels like it: a live map of your friends with battery level, chat, a scratch map of where you have been and the places you go. It is free on iPhone and Android. Location sharing is always on by default, with a per friend ghost mode when you need a break.
Best for: former Zenly users who want a friend finder app that is always on.
Dronk
Dronk is a party game app with 16 games and a map for nights out. You land on the map when you snap your first glass, and you are only visible while you're out, for the friends you pick. From the map you can send a cheers, ask people to come over or write to them. It is on iPhone only, and it is not meant for keeping track of anyone during the day.
Best for: nights out with friends, from the first bar to the last game at the table.
Also popular: whoo and NauNau
In Japan, two apps took off when Zenly closed. whoo, made by the Japanese startup LinQ, launched in December 2022 and passed 30 million downloads by September 2025. NauNau launched in October 2022 and went to the top of the free app chart in Japan the day after Zenly announced its closing date there.
Which location sharing app should you pick?
These are the same picks as in the card at the top of the page, sorted by situation.
Everyone has an iPhone
3- Find My: already on every iPhone, share for an hour, a day or indefinitely
- Dronk: a map only for nights out, with cheers, come over and 16 party games
- Bump: if you want chat and a live friend map that is always on
iPhone and Android in the same group
3- Google Maps: free, works on both, the people you share with need a Google account
- Snap Map: works on both if everyone already uses Snapchat
- Bump: free on both, the closest thing to Zenly
Just for a night out
3- Dronk: visible only while you're out, for the friends you pick, with polaroids of every glass
- Find My for one hour: a quick share that switches itself off
- Google Maps for a few hours: pick a time and it stops by itself
For family, not friends
2- Life360: place alerts, crash detection and SOS for the whole family
- Find My with Family Sharing: free if the family is all on iPhone
How to share your location with friends on iPhone and Android
You do not need a new app to share your location with a friend. Here is how to do it with the apps that are already on your phone.
On iPhone, with Find My
- Open Find MyTap the People tab, then the plus button, then Share My Location.
- Pick your friendType their name or number and tap Send.
- Choose how longShare for one hour, until the end of the day or indefinitely.
- Stop when you wantTap the person in People and choose Stop Sharing My Location.
On Android or iPhone, with Google Maps
- Open Google MapsTap your profile picture, then Location sharing.
- Start a new shareTap New share and pick how long: a set time or until you turn it off.
- Pick your friendChoose a contact with a Google account, or send a link, and tap Share.
- Stop when you wantGo back to Location sharing, tap the person and tap Stop.
Share where you are tonight, not all week
In Dronk you snap your glass and land on the map for the friends you pick. They can see which bar you're in, send a cheers or ask you to come over. When you go home, so does your dot, and the next day your night is ready as a video.
Get Dronk free on iPhone
Sharing your location with friends: keep it about consent
Location sharing between friends works when everyone chose it. It goes wrong when it turns into checking up on people. A few simple rules keep it on the right side.
- Ask, don't add. Only share with people who asked for it or said yes.
- Share for a time. An hour, a night or a trip is usually enough.
- Make it mutual. If you can see a friend, they should be able to see you.
- Pausing is normal. Nobody owes anyone their location. See our guide to ghost mode and pausing.
- Never install an app on someone else's phone to see where they are. That is not location sharing.
Questions people ask
What is the best location sharing app?
It depends on your group. Find My if everyone has an iPhone, Google Maps for mixed iPhone and Android groups, Bump for a Zenly style friend map, Life360 for families and Dronk for nights out.
What is the best free location sharing app?
Find My on iPhone and Google Maps on any phone are free and already installed for most people. Snap Map and Bump are also free.
How do I share my location with friends on iPhone?
Open Find My, tap People, tap the plus button and choose Share My Location. Pick your friend and choose one hour, until the end of the day or indefinitely.
Can iPhone and Android share location with each other?
Yes, with Google Maps, Snap Map, Bump or Life360. Apple's Find My only works between Apple devices.
What app replaced Zenly?
Bump, made by the original Zenly team, is the closest replacement. Many users also moved to Snap Map, Find My or, in Japan, whoo. See our Zenly alternatives.
Is Dronk on Android?
No, Dronk is iPhone only for now. If your group mixes iPhone and Android, Google Maps location sharing is the free option that works for everyone.
Keep the night going
Updated