How to Fix Find My Friends Location Not Available on iPhone

Problem: Find My Friends Location Not Available

iPhone Find My Friends Location Not Available

My spouse's phone says location not available. Trying to add her on find my friends. How do I make her location available?

- Question from Apple Forum

Have you met the same problem as this user? Trying to add a family member in Find My Friends or trying to track the location of a friend but showing that his or her iPhone location is not available. How frustrating!

Find My Friends is a great application for location tracking. As long as you add your family members or friends to the app, you can easily locate them if necessary. However, the “Find My Friends location not available” issue prevents you from using this feature. But don’t be too worried, there are some methods that can help you fix this issue.

Why Find My Friends Location Not Available?

First, let’s take a look at the cause of this problem, so we know how to solve it. Below are some possible reasons that will cause the iPhone location not available issue.

• The device isn’t signed in to Find My Friends.

• The device has been switched OFF.

• The device is not connected to cellular or Wi-Fi.

• The device’s date and time are not correct.

• He or she has not turned on Location Services.

• He or she has turned on Hide My Location in Find My Friends.

• He or she is in a country or region where this feature is not available.

• There are some software glitches on the device.

Before trying any fixes, you may just call the person you want to track to see if he or is shut down or not connected to the Internet. This might save you a little time.

How to Fix Find My Friends Location Not Available on iPhone

If you are sure that your friend has been signed in to Find My Friends and connected to the Internet but it says location not available, try the following methods to fix the “iPhone Find My Friends location not available” issue.

► Works for all iPhone models including:
iPhone 6s/6s Plus, iPhone 7/7 Plus, iPhone 8/8 Plus, iPhone X/XR/XS (Max), iPhone 11 (Pro Max), iPhone SE 2020, iPhone 12 (Pro Max/Pro/mini), iPhone 13 (Pro Max/Pro/mini), new iPhone 14 series

Tip 1. Force Close Find My Friends App

When it says iPhone location not available, this is the first thing you can try.

For iPhone X and later:

• On the Home screen, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause in the middle of the screen.

• Swipe right or left to find Find My Friends.

• Swipe up on Find My Friends preview to close it.

iPhone SE, iPhone 8 and earlier, and iPod touch:

• Double-click the Home button.

• Swipe right or left to find Find My Friends.

• Swipe up on Find My Friends preview to close it.

Relaunch Find My iPhone to see if the problem is solved. If not, move to the next method.

Tip 2. Force Restart iPhone

Force restart can help clear out all background apps and refresh device’s memory, which can fix minor glitches that cause the location not available on iPhone issue.

● Force restart iPhone 8 and later & iPad with Face ID :

Quickly press and release the Volume Up button > Quickly press and release the Volume Down button > Press and hold the Side/Power button until you see the Apple logo.

● Force restart iPhone 7/7 Plus:

Press and hold the Top button and Volume Down button together > Release both buttons when the Apple logo appears.

● Force restart iPhone 6s, SE and earlier & iPad with Home button:

Hold down the Home button and the Top (or Side) button at the same time > Release both buttons when the Apple logo appears.

Tip 3. Correct the Date and Time

Incorrect data and time will cause the Find My Friends location not available problem. It is recommended to set them automatically based on the time zone and location. Go to Settings > Tap General > Tap Date & Time > Turn on Set Automatically. If it’s already one, turn it off and then turn it on again after 10-20 seconds.

Tip 4. Turn on Location Services

Make sure that both devices have turned on Location Services. Otherwise, you will never track each other. Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and toggle the bar to turn the feature. If it’s already enabled, you can turn it off and turn it on again after a few seconds.

Tip 5. Turn on Share My Location

To make Find My Friends work, the Share My Location function should be turned on in iCloud. Many people ignore this and thus meet the “Find My Friends location not available” issue. Go to Settings > Tap iCloud account > Tap Find My > Turn on Share My Location.

Tip 6. Turn off Hide My Location

If your friend has turned on Hide My Location, then anyone else including you cannot find him. So it says the location is not available. Just open Find My Friends app to turn on Share My Location option.

Bonus Tip. An Easy Way to Transfer Data from One iPhone to Another

There is no doubt that Apple provides various apps, such as Find My Friends, to make the life more convenient. However, data transfer between two iPhones is not that easy. Although AirDrop provides a wireless transfer method, the type of data that can be transferred is limited. It’s not easy to transfer non-purchased items or a big file.

If you want to transfer music files or a large video, a professional transfer tool is needed and AOMEI FoneBackup is such a tool. It can help you transfer songs, photos, videos, contacts, messages and more from one iPhone to another directly. In other words, you can transfer data from iPhone to iPhone with different Apple ID.

Besides data transfer, it also offers useful tools to help you backup data, convert HEIC pictures, erase iPhone. Download AOMEI FoneBackup to discover more!

Conclusion

That’s all about how to fix the “Find My Friends location not available on iPhone” problem. Find My Friends will work when all conditions are met. Please make sure that you and your friends have turned on Share My Location and other options. If you like this guide, don’t hesitate to share it to help more people.