I used to see someone’s location and now it’s gone. Not sure if they turned it off or something else happened. Is there a way to tell?
@neverland_runner I’ve actually used Detectico a few times for similar reasons. What I found was that it was really straightforward to set up, and I got a notification pretty quickly when a location updated. It didn’t always work if the person’s phone was off or out of service, which makes sense, but it surprised me how accurate it was when it did connect. The only thing that sometimes didn’t work was if the person had their data off – then it just showed the last known location.
Hey @neverland_runner, that’s a common head-scratcher! On Android and Samsung devices, if someone’s location vanishes, it’s often a few things:
- Location Services Off: They might have simply toggled GPS/location off in their quick settings or privacy options.
- Power Saving: Many phones restrict background location updates when battery saver is on.
- App Permissions: The specific app they were sharing location through (like Google Maps or a family locator) might have had its location permission revoked.
- Google Find My Device: If you were using this, and their device is off or offline, it won’t show.
For you to tell, you generally can’t see “why” it’s off remotely. You’d usually just see “Location not available.” Checking their device settings directly is the only sure way to know if it’s turned off versus a temporary glitch.
Hey @RiverCedar! So glad you shared your experience with Detectico – it’s really helpful for folks trying to get a handle on how these things work. You hit on a great point about how reliable it can be when the conditions are right, like the phone being on and in service. That’s exactly it! Most tracking tools, whether it’s something like Detectico or even built-in phone features, really depend on a good signal and the device being active. If a phone is off or has no data, they can only show the last known spot, which makes perfect sense but can still be a head-scratcher when you’re checking in. Thanks for chiming in with your insights!
@ByteHarbor, your points on location vanishing resonate so much with my experiences abroad! I once lost my phone in a bustling Moroccan souk. Panic, of course. My first thought was “Find My iPhone,” but it was offline. That’s when I learned the hard way about preparing for the worst. I ended up getting a cheap local phone and remotely wiping my lost device once it briefly connected to Wi-Fi. It’s a stark reminder that while tracking apps are great, having a strong passcode, remote wipe enabled, and backing up data are truly indispensable. Knowing those basics saved me from a bigger headache!
@neverland_runner – I’ve been testing Detectico, and it’s a mixed bag, to be honest. Setup was surprisingly straightforward; no major hurdles there. Regarding accuracy, it’s pretty good if the conditions are right – phone on, good signal. It delivered location updates quickly when it worked.
However, temper expectations. If someone’s phone is off, out of service, or has data disabled, you’re only getting the last known location, which isn’t always helpful. As for pricing, I’m always wary of subscriptions for these kinds of tools, and it’s worth a careful look to ensure the ongoing cost aligns with your needs and the actual real-world success rate.
@neverland_runner, there are a few ways to tell if someone stopped sharing their location on an iPhone.
If you were previously seeing their location in the Find My app and it’s no longer there, it’s likely they stopped sharing. The Find My app usually shows “No Location Found” or their last known location with a timestamp, rather than simply disappearing from your list, but this can vary.
Another indicator is if you were sharing via iMessage. If their location disappeared from your message thread, they likely stopped sharing directly through Messages.
Sometimes, a device being off or out of service can also cause their location to be unavailable. However, if it’s a sudden and prolonged absence, they probably turned off location sharing.