Find My Friends is an app that lets you share your location with friends and family. It can be concerning if you notice someone has disappeared from Find My Friends unexpectedly. There are a few potential reasons this could happen.
They turned off location sharing
The most likely reason someone disappears from Find My Friends is that they intentionally turned off location sharing with you. This can be done in a few ways:
- They turned off location services for the Find My Friends app specifically
- They turned off location services for all apps on their iPhone
- They removed you as a friend in the Find My Friends app
If someone does this, you’ll no longer be able to see their location in the app. They may have wanted more privacy, had concerns about battery life, or any number of other personal reasons.
How to tell if they turned off sharing
You can check if someone specifically removed you as a friend in Find My Friends by opening the app and looking at your list of friends. If they disappeared from the list, that suggests they manually removed you.
It can be harder to tell if they just toggled a settings switch to stop sharing with everyone. Your best indication is that their icon disappears from the map entirely. If it’s still visible but says “Location unavailable,” that likely means they turned off location services system-wide.
They are having phone issues
Sometimes technical problems could cause someone to disappear from Find My Friends:
- Their phone battery died
- They lost cell/GPS signal
- Find My Friends glitched or crashed
- Their phone was turned off, lost, or broken
Issues like these can prevent their phone from reporting their location to the Find My Friends app. Once the problem is resolved, they should appear in the app again.
How to identify phone issues
If you see an “Location unavailable” message instead of their icon disappearing altogether, that’s a sign of a potential phone issue. It means the app recognizes your friend but can’t get their location data.
You may also notice the disappearance lines up with a period where you haven’t been able to contact them directly via phone or text. That suggests their phone is offline entirely.
They replaced their phone
Getting a new phone can sometimes lead to contacts disappearing from Find My Friends. When setting up the new phone, your friend would have to remember to re-download the Find My Friends app and re-enable location sharing with you.
If they forgot to do this, it could appear like they vanished from the app. Reaching out and asking if they got a new phone recently could reveal if this is the case.
Signs of a new phone
- Disappearance from Find My Friends coincides with a new phone number
- They mention upgrading their phone in conversation
- You notice them using a different device recently
Their account was deleted
Very rarely, someone might disappear because their entire Find My Friends account was deleted. This permanently removes them from the app and erases any location history associated with their account.
This could happen if they decided to leave the Find My Friends platform, accidentally deleted their account, or had their account compromised.
Noticing an account deletion
- Their icon and profile vanish completely
- You can’t search for their username
- They no longer appear in your main Friends list
You were removed or blocked
In some cases, someone might intentionally block you from seeing their location or remove you as a friend. This immediately stops location sharing with you in Find My Friends.
They may want to prevent a specific person from seeing their location rather than disabling it for everyone. This could happen after a falling out or if they have privacy concerns around one particular friend.
Signs you were removed or blocked
- You disappear from their Friends list but others remain
- Your conversations with them become disconnected
- Your access to their profile and location ends suddenly
If you think you may have been blocked, try checking with a mutual friend who is still connected to them on Find My Friends.
Their phone was stolen
There is a small chance someone could disappear from Find My Friends if their phone was lost, stolen, or accessed without their permission. In this situation, the finder could turn off location services or wipe the device entirely.
However, most recent iPhone models cannot be tampered with easily thanks to encryption and Activation Lock. The location usually remains visible until the phone runs out of battery or cellular service.
Possible signs of theft
- Sudden disappearance from Find My Friends
- Not reachable via phone/text
- Mention of losing their phone around the time of disappearance
Their account was hacked
Hacking is relatively rare, but a compromised Find My Friends account could allow someone to manipulate app settings and stop sharing your friend’s location.
A hacker may change privacy settings, remove friends, and turn off location services without the real account owner realizing.
Clues that an account was hacked
- Strange or sudden changes to sharing settings and friends lists
- Suspicious location pings right before disappearance
- Other unusual account activity reported by your friend
How to get them back on Find My Friends
If a disappeared friend reappears in Find My Friends, no action is needed. But if you want to restore location sharing abilities, here are some things to try:
- Reach out to the friend directly – Explain you noticed they disappeared and want to reconnect on the app. They can re-add you as a friend or double check settings.
- Suggest a Find My Friends refresh – Have them force quit the app, restart their phone, reinstall the app, or double check app permissions. This could resolve glitches.
- Send a Find My Friends invite – Open the app, select “Add Friends”, and invite them to share locations again via text or email.
Pressuring someone to turn locations back on will likely backfire. Keep communication casual and respect their privacy wishes. With their cooperation, you can troubleshoot issues and get Find My Friends working again.
When to be concerned about a disappearance
In most cases, someone vanishing from Find My Friends is harmless. But in some contexts, it may be appropriate to worry:
- They are traveling alone to a risky or isolated area
- You were tracking their location due to a prior safety issue
- Their disappearance aligns with a dangerous situation or threat
- They have a known medical condition that could cause an emergency
- They recently seemed depressed, suicidal or voiced threats of self-harm
Use good judgment based on your relationship and knowledge of the person. Disappearance from an app does not necessarily mean someone is in danger.
But if you have serious concerns about their health or safety, try contacting 911, relatives, or other friends who may be able to assist.
When location tracking causes more harm than good
While Find My Friends can provide peace of mind, overuse can damage relationships and mental health. Some downsides include:
- Promoting distrust – Constant tracking suggests lack of trust and can feel controlling.
- Enabling obsession – Obsessively checking someone’s location frequently is unhealthy.
- Causing anxiety – Location tracking can turn into a source of anxiety rather than reducing it.
- Hindering independence – Tracking may prevent a person from building self-confidence and independence.
Have an open discussion about location sharing needs and boundaries. You may realize it’s healthiest to disable tracking and focus on communication, not constant monitoring.
Respecting location privacy
If someone stops sharing their location, avoid taking it personally or making assumptions. There are many valid reasons for needing privacy:
- Preventing distraction – Location tracking can be distracting and disruptive.
- Improving focus – Disabling tracking allows for more mental focus and presence.
- Reducing social pressure – Location visibility can create unwanted social obligations and pressure.
- Increasing mindfulness – More focus on the physical moment rather than the digital.
- Conserving battery – Location services drain battery, which could be needed elsewhere.
Make it clear you support their decision and are available if they want to reconnect on Find My Friends in the future. Prioritize building trust naturally rather than relying on tech.
Other ways to reassure safety
If you need reassurance about someone’s safety without Find My Friends, some options include:
- Agreeing on scheduled check-in times by texting or calling
- Having them share updates after arriving at destinations
- Making sure their trip contacts know to notify you if anything happens
- Encouraging use of a GPS satellite communicator device to send SOS alerts if needed
- Recommending travel precautions like notifying hotel staff if venturing out alone
The most effective safety net comes from open communication and mutual care, not location monitoring. Focus on building their confidence and ability to handle challenges.
Summary
Someone disappearing from Find My Friends likely indicates they turned off location sharing or are having phone troubles. Less common reasons include switching devices, deleting accounts, blocking contacts, or theft/hacking.
Before worrying, reach out to the person directly to understand why they disappeared. Offer help restoring their Find My Friends access if desired. Keep in mind that location monitoring should be consensual and is not required for safety.
With open communication and healthy boundaries, you can maintain strong relationships even without constant tracking through Find My Friends or similar apps.