Comparisons · How it works · Family
Share location: WhatsApp, Google Maps, iPhone or Mi Estela
The four most-used ways in Spain to show where you are, side by side: what each one does well, what it doesn't do, and which situation it suits. We're one of the four, so the information about the others comes with sources.
Almost nobody installs anything to share their location: they reach for WhatsApp, Google Maps or, if they have an iPhone, Find My or Messages. And often that's enough. This is the honest comparison between those three and Mi Estela, with each company's data checked on October 15, 2026. If what you need are the steps, you'll find them in how to send your location with each app.
WhatsApp: for a little while, and everyone has it
You share your live location for 15 minutes, 1 hour or 8 hours, in a chat or a group, and it's end-to-end encrypted. It works the same between iPhone and Android, and nobody has to install anything. What it doesn't do: it doesn't send an alert when someone arrives, it turns off by itself after 8 hours, and it has no SOS. Perfect for “I'm on my way” or a meetup. We compare it in depth in when WhatsApp is enough.
Google Maps: no expiry date, across systems
You can share for one hour (extendable), up to “until I turn it off”, with Google contacts or via a link, on iPhone and Android. If someone shares with you, on Android you can ask to be notified when they arrive at or leave a place (a feature Google added in 2022, according to Xataka Android). What it lacks: groups (you share one by one), chat and SOS. Step by step in sharing location on Google Maps.
Find My and Messages (iPhone): best if you all have Apple
It comes on the iPhone, has no ads, and shares for one hour, until the end of the day, or indefinitely, with alerts when someone arrives at or leaves a place. Its limit is clear: only between Apple devices. As soon as someone in the family has Android, they're left out. More in Find My for the family.
Mi Estela: for the day-to-day of a family or group
It's a family app: you share for as long as you're in the circle, on iPhone and Android, and everyone sees the same things about everyone. Each person chooses whether they appear precisely, only by area or invisible. Free: the live map, arrival alerts for 3 spots, SOS, chat, calls and video calls, and 3 days of history, with no ads and no selling or licensing of location. For someone who doesn't have the app, “Tell me when you arrive” sends a WhatsApp link and lets you know when they get there. Premium (€9.99/month or €99.99/year for the whole circle, 14-day free trial) raises the limits. What it doesn't do: it's another app to install, and for a quick one-off, WhatsApp is faster.
Head to head
| Google Maps | Find My / Messages | Mi Estela | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How long it lasts | 15 min, 1 h or 8 h | Until you turn it off | Indefinitely | As long as you're in the circle |
| iPhone and Android | Yes | Yes | No, Apple only | Yes |
| Group sharing | Yes, in the chat | One by one | Yes, with Family Sharing | Yes, by circles |
| Arrival alerts | No | Yes (Android) | Yes | Yes, 3 spots free |
| SOS to your people | No | No | No | Yes |
| Area only or invisible | No sharing options | No sharing options | No sharing options | Precise, area or invisible |
| Price | Free | Free | Free | Free; Premium optional |
Which one to use
- One trip, a meetup, a quick moment: WhatsApp.
- Sharing with one person with no end date and different phones: Google Maps.
- The whole family on iPhone, and you just want to see each other: Find My.
- A blended family that wants arrival alerts, SOS and chat in one place, and where nobody keeps tabs on anyone: a circle app like Mi Estela. If you're not sure, the two-minute test will tell you.
And one thing holds for all four: sharing location should be something you decide out loud. We cover it in sharing location as a family.
Sources
- TechRadar: how to share your location on WhatsApp (15 minutes, 1 hour or 8 hours; checked Oct 15, 2026)
- WhatsApp: “Share your Live Location” (official blog; checked Oct 15, 2026)
- Tech Advisor: Google Maps location sharing durations (checked Oct 15, 2026)
- Xataka Android: arrival and departure alerts in Google Maps (Oct 9, 2022; checked Oct 15, 2026)
- Apple: share your location with iPhone (checked Oct 15, 2026)
