I can't share my location to new people

Ever since iOS 17, Apple has required that you have "lock" capability on your phone in order to be able to share your location. In other words, you cannot use an iOS 17 iPhone to share location unless you have it locked with a passcode, touch ID, or facial ID. So the first thing to do to be able to share your location is to setup a passcode so you can lock your phone. Do this under settings-> Touch ID and Passcode.

Then once this is enabled, you need to turn on "Find My network" under Settings. Tap on your Apple ID at the very top of settings. Then tap "Find MY", then tap "Find My iPhone". On that screen, you will see a setting for "Find My network." Make sure this is ON, as well as the other 2 settings on that screen.

Note: You cannot turn on the "Find My network" setting unless your phone requires passcode, facial ID, or touch ID on the lock screen.

If your iPhone is "unlocked", meaning that you never setup a passcode for your lock screen, then you will not be able to share your location using iOS 17.

I tied almost everything possible that everyone saying multiple times. Last thing I tried finally fixed it.

-Settings

-Privacy & Security

-Location Services

-Share My Location

-Find My iPhone

Turn on the "Find My network"

First It asked me to create passcode which I did not have previously. After I created one It let me turn it "ON"

I tried to send my location via Messages app to person I want to share and finally let me do it and did not received “Share location unavailable. Please try again later” error.

Seems like Apple introduced this option in iOS 17 (might be earlier) and also introduced this very very frustrating bug. All these frustrations and confusions started when iCloud started with Apple. They supposed to make things simple for everyone to operate and ease life but seems like it is going far away from that everyday.

This is all after 5 hours of trying.

Hope this will help someone and save a headache.

Solved!! You need to add a passcode to your phone, then it would allow you to share your location.

FYI - you can remove the passcode afterwards and it will still share location to whom you shared with prior

Hi saniya284,

If you are having trouble sharing your location, you can try some basic troubleshooting steps:

• Restart your iPhone. Restart your iPhone
• Check your Location Service settings for Messages and Find My by going to Settings > Location Services> [App]. Update your iPhone or iPad
• As the app updates with the iOS, make sure you are fully up to date Turn Location Services and GPS on or off on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

If it continues, as you've done what you can on your end, contact Apple for support as it is their app - Get Support.

Take care.

I tried everything. Even sat with customer support forever trying to figure it out. I finally was just clicking everything and what finally worked for me:

settings

apple ID suggestions

Resume Data Sync

then it started working again. This was the same problem for my boyfriend as well. Hope it helps anyone!

If you have the most recent update, and you don’t have a passcode on your phone, that’s likely why you cannot share your location to new people. I had tried everything and then got in contact with Apple support and this was my issue.

Yup. That was it. Set the passcode. Unfortunately, my elderly Father hates a passcode and demands it be taken off his phone. Fortunately, if you remove passcode after successfully location sharing set to indefinite, it does not break the current established sharing.

This only appears as an alert under Apple ID when some data is not syncing, in alternate to this sign out and re sign in on your iPhone ( I am talking about apple id in settings ) this will automatically sync data

 Turn off Find my App service in settings, then Force restart your iPhone , check the steps from apple guide: how to force restart iPhone, now turn back your phone and see if location can be shared. If issue is still there check out steps from this guide aswell: How to Fix Location Sharing Not Working on iPhone

So in the settings of your iphone, there should be a red badge saying "resume data sync" just below your name in the settings of your iphone and then you will be under "Apple id suggestions page" and then you just need to hit "resume data sync" and it will be resolve the issue.

what worked for me was going into a the find my settings under Apple ID then going into the find my iPhone settings and turning on Find My network.

I do have a passcode on my phone and I have the most recent update. I was on the phone with Verizon for over an hour who then transferred me to Apple support. I was on the phone with them for an hour & a half, as well, nothing worked. they said I would need to bring it into an Apple store or Best Buy and have my phone completely reset and re-synced.

On the new iOS, go to the person you want to share your location with in messages. Hit the plus sign next to the message bar, select location, select how long you want to share it. It will then pop up in the find my app

nothing else worked for us and I tried all these suggestions

I spent at least an hour on the phone with support. Nothing worked. I saw this from josephrodd and it worked. Turn off find my in settings and then do the forced restart.

thanks

Of course this doesn't seem to be a network error, still: if you are on a cellular network, switch over to Wi-Fi and see if it works, but I still believe this won't be the culprit. Hmm.. can you try this: Go to Find My (it would already be toggled On ) here check if Find my Network is also toggled on. If still not solved, try to sign out Apple ID and sign in again, refreshing Data Sync. Hope this will work.

[Edited by Moderator]