Google recently added a new feature to Android devices that allows you to locate your loved ones in real time on your phone or tablet screen. Ideal for following your children… or your parents live!
Until now, location sharing on Android was mainly handled through Google Maps. A function that does not come naturally. In order to offer a clearer and unified solution, the American company has decided to allow users to find their devices and their loved ones from a single application.
In April 2024, Google finally deployed its “Find my device” network to compete with Apple’s solution. It aims, as its name suggests, to help users better locate their devices by making them ring or displaying their position on a map in the application of the same name, even if they are offline. But if until now it was only used to find phones, tablets, connected watches and other accessories linked to a Google account, a new update has changed the situation.
Indeed, a new “People” tab has appeared, allowing you to display the position of your loved ones on an interactive map. With the update deployed in March 2025, the tool’s interface has been completely overhauled. Previously, by launching the application, you accessed a list of devices in your possession (phones, tablets, connected watches, headphones, etc.). From now on, the screen is split into two: a map on the upper part and the list of your devices in the lower part.
You’ll find two tabs at the bottom of the screen: “Devices” and “Beta People.” By pressing the latter, you land on two sections: “You share with“, which is a list of contacts with whom you share your location, and “Share with you”, which lists the people who allow you to see their location. A floating button also allows you to quickly share your location in real time. Note that it is possible to define a limited duration for this sharing (one hour, the whole day, until deactivation or for a personalized period).
When a contact is selected, the app displays several useful pieces of information: their current location on the map, their phone’s battery level, the time their location was last updated, and an option to get directions to their location. By tapping the three little dots next to a loved one’s name, you can update their position on the map, hide it or block it.
This still little-known function has been available for months in the “Find my device” application. Just install it on your Android devices to enjoy it. Don’t hesitate: it’s free!
