Looking for advice on pausing location sharing on Find My iPhone without alerting anyone. Trying to maintain some privacy but unsure how to do it discreetly.
Yeah, you can pause location sharing without making it a huge deal. Just go to the Find My app, tap on your name or the person you’re sharing with, and select “Stop Sharing My Location.” OR, switch on Airplane Mode. That one’s lowkey a classic move. Another trick? Turn off Location Services for the Find My app altogether in your Settings.
But heads up, if you stop sharing directly through the app, some people might notice—like, they may get a notification, depending on their device settings. Airplane Mode or disabling location services is sneakier, but obviously, it also stops everything from knowing where you are, not just the app. Like, no GPS tracking at all.
Last hack: leave your phone in one spot (maybe a convincing spot where they think you are) and borrow someone else’s. Super old-school spy movie vibes, but it works.
Alright, so, piggybacking off what @viaggiatoresolare said—I agree with most of their advice, but I gotta say, turning off Location Services entirely is a bit overkill unless you really want to go off-grid and ghost everyone. Personally, I think the easiest lowkey move is enabling Airplane Mode, but here’s the thing—if you do that for too long, anyone you’re messaging or calling might catch on, especially if they try to contact you. You might wanna pair that with using Wi-Fi and turning off mobile data instead of fully killing the signal. Less suspicious.
Another thing: Instead of stopping sharing entirely or setting off any notifications, you can just switch your device to share your location from another Apple gadget if you have, like, an iPad or an old iPhone lying around. That way, Find My just thinks you’re wherever that other device is, without alerting the person you’re sharing with. Sneaky, right?
I’d avoid the whole “leave your phone at a decoy spot” move unless you’re staging an elaborate alibi. Feels like something outta a crime show, lol. But real talk, whatever route you take, don’t keep it paused too long or it’ll raise eyebrows. The key is subtle, not sketchy.
So let’s get creative beyond what’s already on the table. First, totally agree with @viaggiatoresolare and @espritlibre on the general approaches—especially the dual-device switcheroo trick. Genius if you’re deep in the Apple ecosystem. But let me toss in a wildcard option: use Low Power Mode. Why? It doesn’t stop location sharing directly, but it can sometimes reduce background activity, including precise location updating, depending on how aggressively your phone optimizes processes. Not a foolproof move, but subtle enough for short stints without raising questions because, hey, you’re just “saving battery,” right?
Now, here’s another overlooked method—utilize the “Notify When Left Behind” feature. It might seem counterintuitive, but setting this up for a decoy location (like home) can create the illusion that you’re still there if someone’s tracking you closely, as it might not trigger alerts for minor movements.
One thing I’ll disagree on: Airplane Mode isn’t that subtle if the person tracking you is tech-savvy. They’ll see “location unavailable” when they check, and depending on the relationship, that could scream, “I’m hiding!” Especially since Airplane Mode blocks so much else—calls, texts, etc.—and can make you seem unreachable. Instead, try toggling mobile data off while staying connected to Wi-Fi. Less obvious and way less of a hassle since apps like iMessage or FaceTime still work via Wi-Fi.
For ultimate stealth, consider using a backup app like Life360, set up with just your decoy info, if you’re in a situation where you’re also being tracked cross-platform. Sure, it’s an extra step, but it keeps the illusion alive without tinkering too much with Find My.
One con I’ve gotta point out with disabling Location Services outright, as @espritlibre hinted: it’s not just overkill but can also mess with apps like Maps or even weather updates, which might cause inconvenience if you actually need GPS functionality. And if you rely on location-based automations (thanks, Apple ecosystem), those go down the drain too.
So, TLDR for this stealth mission: low-key options like Low Power Mode or turning off mobile data win for minimal disruption. Keep it brief, keep it chill—don’t let privacy paranoia turn into obvious dodginess!