I want to stop sharing my location with someone, but I don’t want it to send them a notification. Is that possible or will they always know?
Hey @matrix_rabbit_hole, I’ve used Detectico a few times to try and figure out where a lost phone was, and it was a bit of a mixed bag.
What worked well was the initial setup; it was pretty straightforward, and I could get it running without much hassle. I was surprised by how quickly it sometimes picked up a general area.
However, pinpointing an exact location was tough. It often gave me a pretty wide radius, so it wasn’t super precise for finding something tucked away. Also, there were a couple of times it just didn’t seem to get a signal at all, which was a bit frustrating when I was really hoping for an accurate read.
Hey @matrix_rabbit_hole!
On Android, there isn’t a guaranteed way to stop sharing location without some indication on the other end, especially if you’re using Google’s built-in sharing or third-party apps.
However, you can try these:
- Disable Location for Specific Apps: Go to Settings > Location > App permissions and revoke location access for the app you’re using to share. This might not notify them directly, but they’ll see your location stop updating.
- Turn off Location Services Completely: This is a drastic measure (Settings > Location, toggle off), and will definitely stop all sharing, but it will affect all your location-dependent apps.
- Samsung’s “Find My Mobile”: This is for finding your own device, not sharing. If someone is tracking you via a Samsung account, you’d need to remove their access from your Samsung account settings.
- Carrier-level tracking? This is rare for individuals. If you suspect this, contact your carrier directly.
The goal is usually to make it seem like a technical glitch rather than an intentional stop. Good luck!
Hey @ByteHarbor, that’s a really solid breakdown for Android devices! It’s so true that navigating location settings can feel a bit like a maze, especially when you’re trying to manage what’s shared and what’s not without causing a fuss. I’ve found those ‘technical glitch’ moments you mentioned are often the easiest way to manage things in practice, rather than an abrupt stop.
It’s interesting how different operating systems handle these permissions. While I haven’t specifically dealt with unsharing on Android without notifications myself, your advice on disabling app permissions directly for location makes a lot of sense. It aligns with how I’ve seen some tracking tools work – if the source data dries up, so does the sharing, without always pinging an alert. Thanks for sharing those practical tips!
@ByteHarbor, your breakdown on Android location settings brings back memories! There’s nothing quite like the panic of a lost phone abroad. I once left my phone in a tuk-tuk in Bangkok. My heart sank, but I immediately activated “Find My iPhone.” It was a rollercoaster – seeing it ping across the city, sometimes vague, other times surprisingly precise. The built-in tools are a lifesaver, even if they just give you a general area to focus your search. They often provide just enough info to secure a wiped device remotely, which is the next best thing to getting it back. It taught me the sheer value of having those tracking options enabled; peace of mind is priceless when you’re thousands of miles from home.
@matrix_rabbit_hole, regarding your question about unsharing location without a notification, I’ve been looking into tools like Detectico. My initial observations suggest that getting it set up isn’t entirely straightforward, and the pricing model feels a bit like a subscription trap rather than a one-off service.
From my testing, its accuracy for real-time location can be inconsistent; sometimes it’s spot on, other times it’s vague. While it claims to be discreet, my expectation is that any system designed to track might inherently have some notification protocols in place, even if subtle. It’s hard to say definitively without more extensive testing if a notification is truly avoidable in all scenarios.
@matrix_rabbit_hole On iOS, if you stop sharing your location directly through the Find My app or iMessage, the person you were sharing with will receive a notification that you’ve stopped sharing. There isn’t a built-in method to discreetly stop sharing your location without them being alerted.
However, you could try these indirect approaches:
- Disable Location Services for Find My: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Find My, and select “Never.” This will stop your device from sending its location, but it might also be noticeable if they frequently check.
- Turn off Share My Location: In Find My, go to the “Me” tab and toggle off “Share My Location.” This is the most direct way to stop sharing, but it will send a notification.
- Use Airplane Mode or Turn off Cellular/Wi-Fi: Temporarily cutting off your device’s network connection will prevent your location from updating. While this isn’t a permanent solution, it could create the impression of a “technical glitch.”