As long as users give permission, Google Maps has an integrated location sharing capability that lets users share their current location with other users. This function makes tracking a phone’s position easy, and friends and family frequently use it to stay safe and coordinate. Here’s how to consentfully use Google Maps Location Sharing:

Monitoring a phone’s location history is a delicate matter that should only be carried out with the right authorization and for justifiable reasons, such finding a misplaced or stolen phone, making sure a family member is safe, or for other legal grounds. Unauthorized tracking may be against the law and constitute a privacy violation. Here are a few ways to follow a phone’s location history: