Find my friend shared location please help!

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Level 1

8 points

Find my friend shared location please help!

Hi! For many years my husband and I have been sharing each other's location through Find My Friend using the same apple id. A few days ago I had to log out iCloud to troubleshoot an issue with Safari (was and still is not synchronizing with my Mac). Then I signed in again. Since then we are not able to track both phones at the same time. The app only tracks the phone that is selected under "Share My Location From". Whenever one of us changes it into "From This Device", it changes on the other phone as well and so if he selects from his phone, then I see him at the right location, but he sees me at his location (even if I'm not there), and vice-versa. Also, that "Me" icon at the bottom of the screen changed: on his phone it shows my picture, while on my phone it shows his picture and only one phone shows the red warning "location shared by another device". Meantime, Find My Phone tracks both phones at the correct locations. Although, my phone's dot on the list of the tracked devices is blue (and his dot is green), while on his phone both mine and his dots are green. We have iOS12. Please help me! I don't want to start a family share, everything was fine with the same apple id until I signed out for a few minutes.

Posted on May 20, 2020 11:50 AM

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Answer 1

deggie

Level 10

167,525 points

May 20, 2020 11:57 AM in response to Sa021

You were lucky for quite some time but now you have found out why Apple says don't share Apple ID's. One of you needs to create a new one.

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Answer 2

deggie

Level 10

167,525 points

May 20, 2020 2:02 PM in response to Sa021

In Apple's opinion, the only one that counts, you should not share an Apple ID. Apple makes changes to their systems all based on the premise that people are following that recommendation, don't share an Apple ID. So sometimes when things happen like you are describing it is because Apple made a change and they do based upon not sharing an Apple ID.

If you don't want to go with Apple's opinion don't use any of their systems that are based on that. They set up the whole family sharing system some time back for this very purpose. I didn't give you my opinion I gave you Apple's. There are ways around this but we aren't allowed to discuss that here.

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Answer 3

deggie

Level 10

167,525 points

May 20, 2020 1:05 PM in response to Sa021

Because after you logged back in it went through an entire setup process that was different than before. You will also find other things that don't work like it used to. The right direction is to not share an Apple ID. Possibly someone will come along and steer you in the wrong direction.

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Answer 4

Sa021 Author

Level 1

8 points

May 20, 2020 1:02 PM in response to deggie

I still don't get why a simple log out changes the dynamic. I don't want to give up without finding out why and without trying. Plus, I don't see why now that "me" at the bottom of the screen is switched: now that "me' his my husband and on his phone, his "me" it's me. I still hope someone will steer me in the right direction.

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Answer 5

Sa021 Author

Level 1

8 points

May 20, 2020 1:58 PM in response to deggie

Yes, that I get. I just don't see why Apple lets me carry on my set up from an older system but then, the moment I log out I loose that. Technically it was possible, since I did it up to the log out. Plus, that still doesn't explain the switch that occurred. Right, wrong, it's a matter of opinion. I don't see anything wrong in sharing the same apple id when it is consensual. So now to use find my friends with my ipad I have to create a new apple id for it as well? If I own two or more devices why can't I use the same apple id to see them on Find My Friends as I do on Find My Iphone instead? Anyway, thank your for your opinion and for your time. If nobody will chime in I guess I'll find another app that will let me keep doing what I need.

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Answer 6

deggie

Level 10

167,525 points

May 20, 2020 7:28 PM in response to Sa021

No, to achieve what you want would require jailbreaking your iPhone, which I don't recommend and neither does Apple and even then some of what you want still will not work. But your devices will be much less secure. And If you are going to use Apple's infrastructure then yes there's is the only opinion that count. It would be far easier if you created a new Apple ID and set up Family Sharing.

But good luck to you whatever route you take.

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Answer 7

Sa021 Author

Level 1

8 points

May 20, 2020 7:17 PM in response to deggie

I'm not sure Apples' opinion is the only one that counts. Plus, quitting using their system just because I don't agree with some of their choices seems a little too drastic. Better finding a way around it than quitting after many and many years of using their products. Are you allowed to name some places where I can find the help I need?

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Answer 8

Sa021 Author

Level 1

8 points

May 20, 2020 8:13 PM in response to deggie

Oh! Definitely I don't want to jailbreak it. I will find an app that lets me do that. I only want to be able to track two devices simultaneously as Find My Phone lets me do. I'm sure some app will let me do that. Again, Apple's opinion is not the only one that counts. Some times its consumers asked and obtained change. I just thought there was something I was missing in the settings (especially because now my husband and I are inverted in the "me" section) or that a restore from a backup would have fixed it. Thank you again for your time.

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Find my friend shared location please help!

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