#locationsharing — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #locationsharing, aggregated by home.social.
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DATE: August 28, 2026 at 12:13PM
SOURCE: SOCIALPSYCHOLOGY.ORGTITLE: Why People Share Their Location Data With Friends and Family
Source: PsyPost
People frequently track the real-time geographic movements of their close friends and family members through smartphone applications. A new survey of adults reveals that users most often share their whereabouts with romantic partners to manage practical logistics, while relying on the technology to monitor the physical safety of their parents and siblings. The findings were published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #LocationSharing #FamilySafety #GPSTracking #SmartphonePrivacy #RelationshipsTech #ShareYourLocation #ParentalMonitoring #TrustAndTechnology #RealTimeLocation #SocialMediaTrends
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DATE: August 28, 2026 at 06:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: The psychology of why people share their smartphone location data with friends and family
URL: https://www.psypost.org/why-people-share-their-smartphone-location-data-with-friends-and-family/
People frequently track the real-time geographic movements of their close friends and family members through smartphone applications. A new survey of adults reveals that users most often share their whereabouts with romantic partners to manage practical logistics, while relying on the technology to monitor the physical safety of their parents and siblings. The findings were published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.
Modern smartphones come equipped with a variety of tools that allow users to continuously broadcast their exact physical location to others. Features like Apple’s Find My, Google Maps, and dedicated tracking programs such as Life360 are increasingly common fixtures in daily life. Past research on this technology has often focused on specific risks, such as digital stalking or a loss of trust in romantic relationships. Other studies have examined how parents use these applications to monitor their adolescent children.
Yet little data exists regarding the broader social networks of location sharing. Researchers wanted to understand the full scope of who receives this access and the specific motivations driving these digital disclosures. Brian G. Ogolsky, a researcher at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and his colleagues sought to categorize the everyday habits of smartphone users. They grounded their work in communication privacy management theory, which suggests that people constantly negotiate the boundaries between personal privacy and social disclosure.
By treating geographic coordinates as a form of private information, the researchers aimed to map the changing norms of digital intimacy. Traditionally, social scientists have viewed privacy management as an active choice, where a person decides to reveal specific details in a specific moment. Smartphone tracking, however, creates a continuous and ambient stream of data. The research team wanted to know how people navigate this distinct type of constant revelation.
To gather the data, Ogolsky and his team recruited 203 adults between the ages of 19 and 59. The participants were required to own a smartphone and currently share their location with at least one person. During an online survey, participants opened their tracking applications and counted the total number of people who could see their movements. They then categorized their relationships with each person on the list.
Participants also answered open-ended questions detailing why they initially allowed access and why they continued to do so over time. The research team manually categorized the written responses, coding them into dozens of specific themes before collapsing them into four primary categories. This qualitative approach allowed the researchers to preserve the respondents’ own descriptions of their social behaviors.
The survey revealed that participants broadcast their location to an average of nearly four people. However, the majority of the respondents shared their whereabouts with just one or two individuals, indicating that people maintain tight privacy boundaries even with ambient technology. Romantic partners were the most common recipients of this information, selected by over 62 percent of the respondents. Friends and siblings were the next most common categories, followed by mothers, fathers, and children.
When analyzing the motivations for broadcasting physical movements, the researchers identified safety as the most frequently cited reason across the entire survey. Participants described using the technology to gain peace of mind and to ensure they could receive help in an emergency. They also mentioned safety in the context of developmental transitions, such as tracking a teenager who recently started driving or monitoring an aging parent who might face cognitive decline. The researchers noted that this type of safety is entirely passive, as it relies on the other person choosing to check the application when assistance is needed.
The second major category of motivation was practicality. People used location data to navigate the logistics of daily life, such as checking if a partner had left work or timing a dinner preparation. This allowed them to stay informed without needing to send a text message or make a phone call to ask for an estimated time of arrival. In this specific group of participants, staying informed of a partner’s movements was usually described as an issue of efficiency rather than an attempt to exert control.
A third category involved casual reasons for keeping tracking features active. Many participants cited sheer indifference, noting that they had forgotten the application was running or simply had no reason to turn it off. Some tracking applications enable location sharing by default, meaning users might accidentally broadcast their data continuously. Other respondents described using the technology purely for entertainment, with one participant noting that they “find it funny to check each other’s location and send texts about it.”
The final category involved relationship processes. In these instances, participants viewed the act of revealing their location as a way to maintain closeness or build trust. Some individuals used the continuous stream of geographic data to demonstrate transparency in a romantic partnership, offering explanations such as, “Because I’m fine with it. I have nothing to hide.” A small number of respondents reported sharing their location due to direct pressure from a partner or a cultural expectation that roommates should automatically know each other’s whereabouts.
The researchers then compared the reasons for sharing against the specific types of relationships. The motivations shifted depending on the person receiving the data. For romantic partners and friends, practical reasons dominated the decision to keep tracking applications active. These individuals likely spend a large portion of their time together and need efficient ways to coordinate shared schedules.
By contrast, safety was the primary driver for giving access to family members. Parents, children, and extended family members were granted access primarily to alleviate worries about physical well-being. Because adult children often live far away from their aging parents or extended family, location tracking provides a way to maintain a sense of connection and security across long physical distances.
The study relied on a specific demographic sample that was largely white, heterosexual, and highly educated. Because all participants already used tracking software, the results do not capture the perspectives of people who actively avoid the technology due to privacy concerns. The researchers also did not directly ask participants about intimate partner violence. This omission might have resulted in an underreporting of digital surveillance, controlling behaviors, or a lack of trust.
Future research will need to explore how digital boundaries change as tracking algorithms become more deeply integrated into daily life. Scientists also hope to investigate whether relying on passive digital tracking replaces traditional conversations, and how skipping basic logistical check-ins might alter interpersonal communication.
The study, “Near, Far, Wherever You Are: With Whom and Why Do People Use Location Sharing in Relationships,” was authored by Brian G. Ogolsky, Matthew Rivas-Koehl, Evaline Y. Li, Ghada Kawas, Emily J. Charvat, Christopher R. Maniotes and Jennifer L. Hardesty.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/why-people-share-their-smartphone-location-data-with-friends-and-family/
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #LocationSharing #DigitalPrivacy #FindMy #Life360 #SmartphoneTracking #RelationshipDynamics #SafetyFirst #PracticalTracking #PrivacyManagement #AmbientDisclosure
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I just discovered that when you want to share your location using the Signal's 'share your location' feature, it sends a link of..... Google Maps 🥴
I could not find a way to change this to an (open standard) geolocation link.
- did I overlook a setting?
If not:
- why is Signal revealing it's user location to Google?
- why would Signal promote Google Maps? -
Android now stops you sharing your location in photos
https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/04/android-now-stops-you-sharing-your-location-in-photos/
#HackerNews #Android #Privacy #LocationSharing #Photos #Security
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ChatGPT quietly rolled out location sharing - and local search may never be the same: ChatGPT's March 26 location sharing update lets users share device GPS data for local recommendations, news, and weather - putting OpenAI directly in Google's local search territory. https://ppc.land/chatgpt-quietly-rolled-out-location-sharing-and-local-search-may-never-be-the-same/ #ChatGPT #LocationSharing #LocalSearch #OpenAI #GPS
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Microsoft Starts Sharing Your Location With Your Employer https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2026/01/22/microsoft-starts-sharing-your-location-with-your-employer/
#privacy #Microsoft #Office365 #locationsharing -
The dangerous intimacy of social location sharing
https://joinreboot.org/p/lighthouses-in-the-sky
#HackerNews #dangerousintimacy #locationsharing #privacy #concerns #socialmedia #safety
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@itsfoss Guys checkout my app!! No signups, no accounts, no servers for realtime location sharing app, everything is built on P2P technology
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Well folks found my app on top category for CA!! Achievement made lmao just released it today… though idk how this ranking works.
WhereFam -> Privacy focused location sharing app without collecting any location data, no sign ups or phone numbers or servers!! Utilizing our phones potential to the max using P2P technology, no backend zero costs forever.
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Well folks!! It was launch day, finally made it to app store. Its been a long journey to get this out...
WhereFam - Location sharing app, with focus on privacy requiring no signups, or phone numbers, no servers in between rather direct connections
The best part is location data is only shared with trusted members only, so I don't need to maintain anything on my end.
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What to Know About #Instagram Map, #LocationSharing and #Privacy Concerns
The service rolled out this week, prompting confusion and safety concerns. #Meta , which owns Instagram, said the feature was turned off unless users activated it.
#privacy #security #geolochttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/09/us/instagram-map-location-meta.html
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#TMobile’s #Starlink-powered #satelliteservice, #TSatellite, is now available to all #US residents, not just T-Mobile customers. The service, currently priced at $10 per month, supports #textmessaging and #locationsharing, with plans to add picture and voice messaging. https://www.theverge.com/news/712546/starlink-powered-t-satellite-service-is-now-live-on-t-mobile?eicker.news #tech #media #news
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‘Modern Love’: To Share or Not To Share? How #LocationSharing Is Changing Our Relationships
The DailyWhen the Modern Love podcast asked listeners how location sharing is affecting their #relationships the responses they got were all over the map. Some people love this technology. Some hate it. But either way, it has changed something fundamental about how we demonstrate our #love & how we set #boundaries around relationships.
#privacy #surveillanceApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-daily/id1200361736?i=1000715965253
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Trump Officials Want to Prosecute Over the ICEBlock App. Lawyers Say That’s Unconstitutional https://www.wired.com/story/trump-officials-want-to-prosecute-over-the-iceblock-app-lawyers-say-thats-unconstitutional/ #Culture/CultureNews #LocationSharing #Security #Culture
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How To Protect Your Family’s Smartphones While on Vacation – Source:www.mcafee.com https://ciso2ciso.com/how-to-protect-your-familys-smartphones-while-on-vacation-sourcewww-mcafee-com/ #McAfeeAntivirus|SecuringTomorrowRSSFeed #McAfeeAntivirusSecuringTomorrow #rssfeedpostgeneratorecho #HowToGuidesandTutorials #1CyberSecurityNewsPost #rssfeedsAutogenerated #CyberSecurityNews #locationsharing #onlinesecurity #McafeeSecurity #OnlinePrivacy #FamilySafety
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Auf meiner #Nextcloud bei Hetzner habe ich #Phonetrack installiert.
Nun möchte ich auf zwei Android Handys den #Standort mit #OwnTracks aufzeichnen und verfolgen. Mit einem Handy geht das gut, aber wenn ich ein zweites Handy verbinde, wird das erste irgendwie überschrieben.
Wie kann ich damit den Standort von zwei Handys verfolgen?
Nutzt das evtl jemand schon so.
Falls jemand eine Alternative kennt, dann immer her damit. -
Auf meiner #Nextcloud bei Hetzner habe ich #Phonetrack installiert.
Nun möchte ich auf zwei Android Handys den #Standort mit #OwnTracks aufzeichnen und verfolgen. Mit einem Handy geht das gut, aber wenn ich ein zweites Handy verbinde, wird das erste irgendwie überschrieben.
Wie kann ich damit den Standort von zwei Handys verfolgen?
Nutzt das evtl jemand schon so.
Falls jemand eine Alternative kennt, dann immer her damit. -
Google Find My Device Now Allows You To Share Your Location With Others #apps #findmydevice #google #locationsharing #mobile #os
https://www.lowyat.net/2025/345488/google-find-my-device-share-location/
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Instagram launches major DM update with location sharing and 300+ new stickers: Instagram introduces significant messaging updates including location sharing, customizable nicknames, and hundreds of new stickers for enhanced communication. https://ppc.land/instagram-launches-major-dm-update-with-location-sharing-and-300-new-stickers/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #InstagramUpdate #SocialMedia #DMUpdates #LocationSharing #Messaging
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Meta Rolls Out Location Tagging Feature On Threads #ads #gps #instagram #locationsharing #meta #socialmedia #threads
https://www.lowyat.net/2024/333745/meta-rolls-out-threads-location-tagging/
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I’m looking for a #foss location sharing app that works between iOS and Android and isn’t a ridiculous privacy nightmare. I found this https://github.com/Myzel394/locus?tab=readme-ov-file but it’s no longer maintained. #switchtoandoid #locationsharing #privacyconcerns #personaldata #android #fdroid #opensource #androidapps #iOS
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43% of couples experience pressure to share logins and locations, Malwarebytes finds https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2024/06/43-of-couples-experience-pressure-to-share-logins-and-locations-malwarebytes-finds #ModernLoveintheDigitalAge #carlocationtracking #locationtracking #locationsharing #digitalsharing #Privacy #News
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Anyone know how to fix this in #AppleMessages? Annoying!! I don’t need to be asked for #Apple Family members. Tried every which way to share location and can’t find the magic combo. It started doing this for family in the #iOS 17.4 update. Help, I’m going mad. #locationsharing
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There is an F-Droid app that lets you capture your current location in terms of latitude and longitude. The coordinates can then be converted into a URL that can be opened with Google Maps or OpenStreetMaps.
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/ca.cmetcalfe.locationshare/
This is quite helpful to either share your current location or store a location which is not mapped yet.
There are many apps to continuously track your location but I found only one to statically capture your current location.