Thanks to Google Services, you can easily track your or your loved ones’ location anytime. There are many reasons you would want to track where you are, and the most prominent one is security—perhaps you want to find a lost or stolen device. There are plenty of apps, GPS-based services, and websites offering location tracking services. You can use them for various purposes, including safety, security, coordination, and fleet management. With that, let’s provide an answer to the question, “what is my location?” This is how to find your location.
Guide to find your location using Google Maps
Google Maps is a fantastic tool for getting directions to distant cities and obscure shopping malls. What if you open it up only to discover that you have no idea where you are right now? That’s not an issue. Every version of Google Maps has a “Current Location” option. Tapping this button will zoom the map to your exact position, either forward or backward (give or take a few hundred feet).
We will demonstrate getting your current location in Google Maps on a computer or phone. Do this:
- Open Google Maps on your computer or mobile device and wait for the map to download.
- On the left side of the screen, click the “Current Location” icon below the search bar.
- Your current location will now appear in the center of the map. You may have to zoom in or out to see your blue dot if you’re using a computer.
- To share your location with someone else, click the “Send this location” link that appears below your coordinates.
- You can also find your current location by typing “Where am I?” into the search bar on Google Maps.
Reminder: Connect your device to the internet before you proceed with the steps above. Even if you’ve stored some offline maps, Google Maps will need access to the internet in order to determine your position.
Also, your internet speed determines how quickly Google Maps can be sure of your position. If Google Maps can’t locate you because of a bad cell signal or slow connection, try opening the app directly from your home screen. This will give you one last chance to turn on Location Services for the software.
Using location finder websites to discover your location
There are many online portals that offer you free location tracking services. The two most popular ones are:
- Find my iPhone for iOS devices
- Find My Device for Android devices
Many third-party websites GPS (Global Positioning System) data from your device to pinpoint its location on a map. To track your location using these websites, you need to:
- Open the website on any internet-connected device.
- Enter your login details and sign in (The registration process at each site may differ).
- Once you’re signed in, locate the “Find my Device” or “Locate my Device” option and select it.
- The website will then use your device’s GPS data to specify its location on a map.
Again, these websites can only be used to track the location of devices connected to the internet. If your device is turned off or if it does not have an active internet connection, these websites cannot perform that function. It’s important to note that some websites may charge you for their services.
Position tracking applications can also discover your location
Many GPS-based services offer you real-time location tracking services using mobile applications rather than websites. We don’t have a favorite, and they are abundant. You can search for them on Google Play Store or Apple App Store using keywords such as “location”, “position”, “GPS tracking”, “latitude/longitude”, “find me”, or “find my friends”.