Why Share My Location is Greyed Out on iPhone/iPad/Apple Watch?

by Aria Ford

Updated on 2024-02-06

105 views

5min read

The Share My Location greyed-out problem can hinder your plans in various ways. For instance, you’re traveling to an unfamiliar place or going out with friends, and your parents insist that you must share location before leaving. It can be very disturbing to realize the “Share My Location” feature on your iPhone is not working in these kinds of situations. But don’t panic.

Our guide will enlighten you on some of the reasons you’re experiencing the “Share My Location greyed out” issue and show you the best solutions to fix it without complications.

Part 1: Why is Share My Location Greyed Out on iPhone/iPad/Apple Watch? Quick Answer!

Here are some of the common reasons why Share My Location might be greyed out on your Apple devices:

  • iCloud is not signed in on your iPhone.
  • You forgot to enable the “Location Services” feature on your iPhone.
  • You’ve restricted “Find My” permission to access your live location.
  • Screen Time restrictions is enabled on your device.
  • The date and time of your iPhone do not correspond with your current location’s date & time.

Part 2: Best Solutions to Fix Share My Location Greyed out on iPhone/iPad/Apple Watch

In this part, we have explained how to fix Share My Location greyed out on iPhone/iPad/Apple Watch using the best solutions. Read on to learn how each method works.

Solution 1: Restart Your Device

The first thing you should do when you discover “Share My Location” is greyed out is to restart your device. It can help fix minor software glitches that could potentially cause Share My Location to be greyed out. Here is how to perform a simple restart on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch.

Restart iPhone

Step 1: If you use iPhone X or later, press the “Side” button and the “Volume Up” button simultaneously.

Restart Your Device | Share My Location is Greyed Out

  • On iPhone 6, 7, 8, or SE (2nd & 3rd Gen), just press the “Side button” only.

Side button | Share My Location is Greyed Out

  • Press the “Top” button if you use iPhone SE (1st Gen), 5, or Earlier.

Press the Top | Share My Location is Greyed Out

Step 2: Do not release the button until you see the “Power Off” screen. Then, slide the “Power Off” slider to the right to turn off the iPhone.

Step 3: Turn on your iPhone after 10 seconds.

Restart iPad

Step 1: If you’re using an iPad with home button, hold the “Top” button.

Restart iPad | Share My Location is Greyed Out

  • If your iPad doesn’t have a home button, press the “Volume button” and the “Top button”.

Restart iPad 2 | Share My Location is Greyed Out

Step 2: Do not release the buttons until the “Power off” slider is shown. Then, slide to the right to power off your iPad.

Step 3: Turn on your iPad after several seconds.

Restart Apple Watch

Step 1: Press down the “Side” button and the “Digital Crown” until you see the power off screen.

Restart iPad 2 | Share My Location is Greyed Out

  • If you’re using watchOS 9, press the top button.

Step 2: Swipe the “Power Off” slider to the relevant direction to switch it off.

Step 3:  Press and hold the “Side” button to turn your watch back on after a few seconds.

Solution 2. Enable Location Services

Share My Location relies on Location Services to function properly. So, if it is still greyed out after restarting your iPhone/iPad, Location Services might be disabled on your device. Open the “Settings” app and follow these steps to enable location services on your iPhone/iPad/Apple Watch.

Steps For iPhone/iPad

Step 1: Open the Settings app. Go to “Privacy & Security” and tap on “Location Services”.

Step 2: Tap the “Toggle” next to “Location Services” to turn green.

Location Services | Share My Location is Greyed Out

Steps For Apple Watch

Step 1: Open the “Settings” app on your Apple Watch.

Enable Apple Watch Location Services | Share My Location is Greyed Out

Step 2: Scroll down and select “Privacy”.

Privacy | Share My Location is Greyed Out

Step 3: Tap on “Location Services”.

Tap Location Services | Share My Location is Greyed Out

Step 4: Enable the toggle next to  “Location Services”.

Enable the toggle Location Services | Share My Location is Greyed Out

Solution 3. Sign in to Your iCloud Account

iCloud is always required to share location on Apple devices. So, if you haven’t signed in your iCloud account, open the “Settings’ app on the device and do the following:

Steps For iPhone/iPad

Step 1: Tap on the “Apple ID Banner and select “Sign In To Your [Device]”.

Step 2: Type your “Apple ID (Email address)” and password in the provided fields.

Step 3: Tap “Sign In” to log in to your iCloud account.

Step 4: After that, select “Find My” and turn on the toggle next  “Share My Location” to make it accessible.

Enable the toggle Location Services | Share My Location is Greyed Out

Steps For Apple Watch

Step 1: Open the “Apple Watch” app on your iPhone.

Step 2: Select “My Watch” > General > Apple ID.

My Watch | Share My Location is Greyed Out

Step 3: Enter your Apple ID and password when prompted to sign in your iCloud account on your Apple Watch.

Solution 4. Turn Off Screen Time Restrictions

If your iCloud account is signed in, but the situation is still the same, there might be a Screen Time restriction on your iPhone. You should try checking your device’s restriction settings and turn it off using the steps we outlined below:

Step 1: Go to “Settings” and select “Screen Time”.

Step 2: Scroll down and tap on “Content Privacy and Restrictions”.

Content Privacy and Restrictions | Share My Location is Greyed Out

  • Enter the pin you use to set it up when prompted.

Step 3: Navigate to the “Privacy” section and tap on “Location Services”.

Step 4: Select “Allow Changes” > turn on “Location Services” > and tap on “Share My Location” to enable it.

Allow Changes | Share My Location is Greyed Out

Solution 5. Enable App Permission to Access Your Location

If you’re using the Find My iPhone location service app, you need to ensure that the app’s permission to access your current location is enabled. Here is how you can check:  

Steps For iPhone/iPad

Step 1: Go to “Privacy & Security” on the “Settings” app.

Step 2: Select “Location Services”.

Enable App Permission to Access Your Location | Share My Location is Greyed Out

Step 3: Select the app you want to access your location and tap on “Always” under “Allow Location Access”.

Allow Location Access | Share My Location is Greyed Out

  • Turn on the toggle next to “Precise Location”.

Steps For Apple Watch

Step 1: Go to “Settings” and select “Privacy”.

Enable App Permission to Access Apple Watch | Share My Location is Greyed Out

Step 2: Tap on “Location Services”.

Enable App Permission to Access Apple Watch 2 | Share My Location is Greyed Out

Step 3: Locate the Find My and select “While Using App”.

Part 3: How to Create and Share A Fake Location on iPhone

iWhere iPhone Location Changer location spoofing app is the best solution to create and share fake location on iPhone. This ultimate tool allows you to quickly change the GPS location of your device to a virtual location from a Windows or Mac computer without jailbreaking or rooting.

With iWhere iPhone Location Changer, you can fake your iPhone location in any kind of situation. It does not matter whether you want to prank your friends, access location-specific content via apps, share fake locations with your parents, etc., it’ll provide you with advanced location spoofing features to get the job done without notifying anyone.

What’s more, if you love playing AR games like Pokemon Go and wish to access other regions to catch rare Pokemon, iWhere offers a multi-stop and joystick spoofing mode that allows you to plan a virtual moving route for your iPhone’s GPS location. And you can customize your iPhone speed to move within the range of 1 m/s to 50 m/s without being detected.

Key Features

  • It allows you to easily import GPX files and set specific locations or tracks for your iPhone to follow.
  • Offers three movement modes: One-stop Mode, Multi-stop Mode, and Joystick Mode.
  • Automatically save route records in the history and check the distance of each move.
  • Boasts an excellent location spoofing server that ensures you don’t encounter any downtime when faking your iPhone location.

Create Fake Location With iWhere iPhone Location Changer

Step 1: Visit the iWhere website and install the latest version of iWhere on your computer.

Step 2: Launch the app and connect your iPhone to the computer. Then, click on “Start”.

iWhere iPhone Location Changer | Share My Location is Greyed Out

Step 3: Click on “Modify Location”.

iWhere iPhone Location Changer | Share My Location is Greyed Out

Step 4: iWhere will display your iPhone’s current location in the map that loads after you click “Modify Location”. You can navigate the map by zooming IN/OUT to see regions you can use to fake your location.

iWhere iPhone Location Changer | Share My Location is Greyed Out

Step 5: Type your preferred  “Destination” in the “Search box” at the top-right corner and click “Confirm Modify” to fake your iPhone location.

iWhere iPhone Location Changer | Share My Location is Greyed Out

Share Fake Location On iPhone

After using iWhere to fake your iPhone location, follow the steps below to share a fake location on your iPhone via the Find My app.

Step 1: Select the “People” tab in “Find My” and tap on “Start Sharing Location”.

Share Fake Location On iPhone | Share My Location is Greyed Out

Step 3: Select the person you want to share a fake location with and tap “Send” at the top right side.

Select the person | Share My Location is Greyed Out

Step 4: Choose how long you want to keep sharing the fake location.

keep sharing the fake location | Share My Location is Greyed Out

FAQs

1. What Does It Mean When Someone’s Location Is Grey On iPhone?

When someone’s location is grey on iPhone, it means the person’s location is unavailable. This could be because the user is not connected to the internet, their location is disabled on the iPhone, their iPhone location tracking is not working, or their device’s GPS is experiencing difficulty in receiving information from satellites.

2. How to Share Location on iPhone Through Text?

The best way to share your location through text on your iPhone is by using the iMessage app. The steps are as follows:

Step 1: Launch the “iMessage App” and open a conversation.

Step 2: Tap on the icon at the bottom left corner and select “Location”.

select Location | Share My Location is Greyed Out

Step 3: Choose your location in the “Map” that shows up and select “Share”. Then tap the “Send” button.

keep sharing the fake location | Share My Location is Greyed Out

Conclusion

Share My Location greyed out on iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch can be frustrating for users who rely on this functionality. However, with the information provided in this article, you should be able to resolve the issue. Besides, the troubleshooting tricks we provided are easy to follow. When you want to create fake location on your iPhone or iPad, iWhere iPhone Location Changer is the perfect location spoofing software to help you get the job done without notifying.

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