A while back, a viral social media post advised changing your voicemail greeting to let others know where you are if you become lost or stranded.
However, if you have an iPhone or Android, a better option could be to share your location with family or friends and text them to let them know that you need their help. This alternative method helps ensure that people get promptly notified that you need help versus relying on others to call and listen to your voicemail greeting.
It's important to note that you need a cellphone signal to change your voicemail greeting or share your location.
While you may already know this information, others may not. Please share this article with family and friends to help ensure that others are also aware of ways to share their location when they need others to find them.
Listed below are various ways to share your location with others.
Sharing Your Location through Google Maps:
This is the best way to share your location with someone who may not have the same type of phone as you. For example, this method allows iPhone users to share their location with Android users.
iPhone users:
If you have an iPhone, download Google Maps from the App store if you don’t already have the app.
Open Google Maps and enable location services by selecting Allow While Using App if you're prompted.
Tap the blue location dot
Select Share your Location
You can choose how long to share your location (starting with 1 hour), or Until you turn this off.
Select More Options, then select Share to share the link to your location. You’ll then be able to indicate how you’d like to share (text, email, Facebook, etc.). If you want to share via text, select Messages and then type in the name of the contacts or phone numbers that you’d like to text the link to your location.
Android users:
Open Google Maps
Tap your profile picture or initial at the top right
Select Location Sharing
Select New Share and how long you want to share your location
Choose who from your contacts you want to share your location with
Or select Copy to Clipboard and you can then paste the link into an email or text
Sharing Your Location Through iPhone to iPhone:
Share with people
Open the Find My app and select the People tab.
Select Share My Location or Start Sharing Location.
Enter the name or phone number of the person you want to see your location.
Select Send.
Choose to share your location for One Hour, Until End of Day, or Share Indefinitely.
Select OK.
OR
Share your location in the Messages app
Open the Messages app on your iPhone and select a message.
Click on the name of the person at the top of the conversation.
Select Send My Current Location. Your recipient will see your location on the map. Or choose Share My Location. Then select the length of time that you want to share your location.