my kid is always heading out without saying where and i need to see their location on their iphone without them getting any alerts or knowing about it. i checked the settings and sharing options but it seems like they’d notice right away. is there a way to do this without them finding out?
Hey LauraS, totally get the frustration — teens are pros at the “I’m just going out” move.
Honest answer: on iPhone, the built-in stuff like Find My or Location Sharing always notifies the other person, so there’s no clean “invisible” native option. Third-party apps like Life360 or parental control tools (Bark, Qustodio) need to be installed on their phone too, but you can set them up pretty quietly if you have physical access — most kids don’t dig through every installed app.
Real talk though — since it’s your kid and your account, the easiest move is just setting up Family Sharing and being upfront that location is on as a house rule, not a punishment — way less drama long-term and you won’t have to keep outsmarting a teenager who’ll eventually figure it out anyway. 