How to Share Location from Android to iPhone: 3 Practical Options

Selena Lee
Selena Lee Originally published Nov 10, 2026, updated Nov 12, 2026
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robot TL;DR:

Use Google Maps or WhatsApp to share a location between Android and iPhone.

  • WhatsApp live sharing provides a selected duration of up to 8 hours.
  • Google Maps supports timed sharing and an account-based option to continue until stopped.
  • Apple Maps offers a place-link option when the sender is using an iPhone.

Ask AI for a summary

You can share a location from Android to iPhone without matching phone brands. Google Maps and WhatsApp both offer cross-platform location sharing. For a meeting point rather than a moving person, a map link is often sufficient. The important choice is whether the recipient needs one fixed pin or ongoing updates as you travel.

Start with a service that both people can open, enable the required location permissions, and select a suitable sharing duration. Apple Maps is also useful for sending a place from an iPhone, but its ordinary Share Location link is not the same as a live tracking session. The methods below explain the direction of sharing and the controls for stopping it.

Sharing a map position between Android and iPhone
In this article
  1. 3 Free Ways to Share Location From Android to iPhone 

Three Location-Sharing Options for Android and iPhone

For Android-to-iPhone live sharing, choose Google Maps or WhatsApp. For iPhone-to-Android, those same apps work, and Apple Maps can additionally send a place link. The third option is therefore a reverse-direction, fixed-location method, not an Android Apple Maps app or a replacement for real-time sharing.

A fixed pin remains the place you sent even after you leave. Live sharing can update your position until the selected period expires or you stop it. Internet access, device location services, app permissions, and battery settings can affect those updates; always check the timestamp rather than assuming a marker is current.

1. Google Maps: Share a Live Position Across Phone Platforms

Google Maps is a practical choice when you want a family member to follow your journey regardless of their phone. Install it if it is not already present and sign in to the Google Account from which you intend to share. Google lists an active internet connection, a mobile device, and enabled device location among the requirements.

  1. Step 1 Check the current position

    Open Maps on the sending phone and allow the location access it requests. Check that the blue position dot is plausible before sending anything. Ongoing sharing may need permissions beyond access only while the app is open.

  2. Step 2 Open Location sharing

    Tap your profile picture or initial, then Location sharing and New share. The blue-dot menu may also provide a sharing shortcut on some versions.

  3. Step 3 Choose the duration and recipient

    Select an appropriate time window. For eligible account-to-account sharing, an option to continue until you turn it off may be available. Select the intended contact rather than assuming every sharing route has the same duration.

  4. Step 4 Send and check access

    Send the invitation or copy the sharing link into a message to the iPhone recipient. Google says a link for someone without a Google Account can share real-time location for up to 24 hours. Ask the recipient to open it and confirm the map updates.

The reverse direction is similar: use Maps on the iPhone as the sender and deliver the invitation or link to the Android user. To end an active share, return to Location sharing, select the person, and choose Stop. Treat a link as sensitive because anyone who receives a forwarded working link may gain access.

Google Maps location sharing controls

Dr.Fone Unlock Online - Free IMEI Check

This separate device-status reference concerns checks associated with a phone's IMEI and sale preparation. It is not a map-sharing method, does not locate a friend's handset, and is not required for Google Maps or WhatsApp. If you are assessing an old phone before selling it, review the checker's current scope and corroborate any carrier or ownership information with the appropriate provider.

Keep this distinction clear: equipment status, an account's activation settings, and permission to view someone's live location are different things. Do not enter a friend's device identifiers or account information as a substitute for asking that person to share voluntarily.

2. WhatsApp: Send Current Location or Start Live Location

WhatsApp works in either direction when both people use the service. Choose Send your current location for a one-time pin, or Share live location when the other person needs updates as you move. The live option belongs to the individual or group chat; it is not simply a universal one-time tracking link that you generate for any recipient.

  1. Step 1 Open the correct conversation

    On the sending phone, select the person or group that should receive the location. Confirm the audience before continuing.

  2. Step 2 Select Location

    Tap the attachment control on Android or the plus control on iPhone, then Location. Grant the relevant permission if prompted.

  3. Step 3 Choose the sharing type

    Send a current-position pin for a static snapshot. For live updates, choose Share live location and select one of the displayed durations, commonly 15 minutes, 1 hour, or 8 hours.

  4. Step 4 Send and stop when finished

    Send the location card in the chat. The recipient opens it there. Use Stop sharing in the active location message when the arrangement is over rather than waiting unnecessarily for the timer.

Other services mentioned in the source, including Facebook, Telegram, and Snapchat, have their own location features and audience controls. Do not assume their menus, sharing duration, or privacy settings are interchangeable with WhatsApp. For a simple cross-platform meeting, use the app both people already understand.

Selecting WhatsApp location sharing in a chat

3. Apple Maps: Send an iPhone Meeting-Point Link to Android

Apple Maps can share a place from an iPhone using a message, email, or another sharing option. This is especially helpful for identifying an entrance, restaurant, or meeting point. It is not an Android-to-iPhone sending workflow, and a normal place link does not follow the sender after they move.

  1. Step 1 Choose a location on iPhone

    Open Maps and tap your position, a search result, or the place you want to send. Confirm the pin identifies the intended meeting spot.

  2. Step 2 Open the sharing menu

    Use the Share control in the place card, or touch and hold a location and select Share Location when available.

  3. Step 3 Send the link

    Choose your messaging app or copy the link and send it to the Android contact. Ask them to verify the address in a supported browser or map app. If it does not open correctly, send the address or coordinates instead.

Opening a link and obtaining turn-by-turn directions depend on the receiving browser and installed apps. Do not promise that every Android phone will open the same Apple Maps page or automatically hand directions to Google Maps. For continuous cross-platform updates, return to the Google Maps or WhatsApp methods above.

Sharing a place from Apple Maps on iPhone

Dr.Fone - Virtual Location: Keep GPS Testing Separate from Real Sharing

Wondershare Dr.Fone - Virtual Location

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Dr.Fone Virtual Location

Dr.Fone - Virtual Location changes the reported GPS position of supported connected phones and can simulate movement on a map. Its role here is controlled location testing, not transporting a live-sharing session between Android and iPhone. The sharing apps still control who receives a position and when access ends.

Never use a simulated pin to represent a real emergency location or mislead someone arranging a pickup. A test location can affect what location-dependent apps display, so obtain permission from everyone involved and restore the actual position before sharing your whereabouts for practical coordination.

  1. Step 1 Prepare the test device

    Open Virtual Location on a computer, connect your own supported phone, and complete the displayed trust and connection prompts.

  2. Step 2 Select a test position

    Choose Teleport Mode and search for the intended place or coordinates. Review the map pin before applying Move Here.

  3. Step 3 Verify and restore

    Check the phone's map app, finish the agreed test, and follow the restoration prompt or restart the device. Confirm the actual position before initiating genuine location sharing.

End any test share from the sharing app itself. Restoring GPS is not a substitute for revoking a person's access, just as stopping a share is not proof that all device settings have returned to normal.

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Conclusion

Google Maps and WhatsApp are the direct choices for sharing location from Android to iPhone or the other way around. Use an Apple Maps place link when an iPhone user only needs to send a meeting point. Select a trusted audience, check whether you sent a static or live position, and stop ongoing access as soon as it is no longer needed.

FAQ

  • 1. Can an Android phone share a live location with an iPhone?
    Yes. Google Maps and WhatsApp support cross-platform sharing. Choose the appropriate recipient and duration and check that the location card or link opens correctly.
  • 2. Does a Google Maps recipient always need a Google Account?
    No. Maps offers a sharing-link route for recipients without an account. Google specifies that real-time sharing through that link can last up to 24 hours.
  • 3. Is an Apple Maps shared place a live tracking session?
    No. An ordinary shared-place link identifies a fixed location. It should not be confused with ongoing location sharing or a separate navigation ETA feature.
  • 4. How do I stop sharing after a meetup?
    Open the app that started the share and use its Stop control for the person or active location message. Closing the app or deleting a message on your phone is not a reliable substitute.
OUR EXPERT
Selena Lee

Selena Lee

chief editor

Chief Editor of the Dr.Fone team since 2012, Selena is a veteran technology editor known for turning complex iOS and Android topics into clear, user-focused guidance.

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