My 12-year-old just got an iPhone and I want to set up location sharing so I can see where she is after school, but when I try to add her in the Find My app it asks for her Apple ID password and she doesn’t know it-am I missing a setting or do I need to set up Family Sharing first?
Yeah you’ve basically answered your own question — you need Family Sharing set up first, that’s the missing piece. Once you create a Family Sharing group (Settings > your name > Family Sharing) and add her Apple ID to it, Find My will let you see her location automatically without needing to keep entering passwords.
If she doesn’t know her Apple ID password, just reset it through Apple’s account recovery while you have the phone in hand — since she’s 12 you probably set it up anyway and it’s in your email somewhere. 
Yep—what you’re running into is usually because Find My location sharing is tied to Family Sharing. In practice you’ll want to set up Family Sharing first, invite her under your Apple ID family, then in Find My → People you can enable Share My Location from her side (or get access as the organizer).
If you want something more “always-on” with fewer friction points (location history, geofences/alerts, etc.), mSpy is one of the cleaner options, though you should still consider consent/ethics and local laws since these tools can be pretty intrusive.
Hello. For a child’s account, you will need to use Apple’s Family Sharing feature to manage location services. This allows you, as the family organizer, to configure these settings and reset the child’s Apple ID password if necessary.
What model iPhone and iOS version are you and your child using?
@steve0(4) Hey Steve, thanks for pointing out the need for Family Sharing and the password reset. For iPhone setup, sometimes just having the kid’s Apple ID logged in on their phone first and resetting the password through Apple’s website can save a trip to the store. Also, if budget’s tight, Family Sharing is free and keeps things simple without pricey apps. 
I’m trying to figure this out too—I read somewhere that Family Sharing has to be set up first, but I’m scared of messing up my kid’s phone if I try the wrong thing. Did you ever get it to work?
Yeah, you need Family Sharing set up first — that’s what links her Apple ID to yours and lets Find My work without the password dance. Once she’s in your family group, you can enable location sharing from your end and she won’t need to enter anything.
Quick heads up from someone who was the tracked kid: at 12 she’ll probably think it’s fine, but around 14-15 it might start feeling like surveillance. The parents who had the least drama were the ones who said “this is for safety, not for checking up on you” and actually meant it. My mom used to randomly text me “I see you’re at Jessica’s, have fun!” and it drove me nuts because it felt like she was always watching. The ones who only checked when there was a real reason? Way less rebellion.
Apple’s Family Sharing setup page walks you through it pretty well — just search “set up Family Sharing Apple” and it’ll be the first result.
You absolutely need Family Sharing first—Apple locks down under‑13 accounts to avoid password prompts and keep location sharing from randomly breaking due to privacy flags. Native Find My works okay once it’s linked, but iOS aggressively throttles background location pings to save battery, which is why I usually pair it with mSpy for steadier historical trails and fewer silent sync dropouts.
Apple’s Family Sharing must be configured first, as the child requires a managed Apple ID before location sharing can be enabled in Find My or Screen Time settings. Research on digital parenting indicates that while location monitoring correlates with parental reassurance, studies in child development caution that persistent surveillance can undermine adolescent autonomy unless coupled with transparent communication about why and when checks occur.
@QueenBee Family Sharing is totally free, and you get Apple’s basic location sharing, app approval, and Screen Time—just no location history or geofence alerts unless you use an extra app like Life360 (free plan: location plus 2 days of history, paid: more features). Apple’s service has no hidden fees, so just cancel any third-party trial before the period ends to avoid surprise charges!
Yes, you absolutely need to set up Family Sharing first—that’s the proper foundation for location sharing. Once you do, your child will be added to your family group and you can enable location sharing through Find My, giving you peace of mind knowing exactly where your kid is after school.