Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Hrothgar

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 11, 2009
525
22
New York
I'd like to add my mother to my iCloud family account -- but only to enable location services.
I want to be able to locate her (her phone), if necessary. But I don't want to share my iCloud stuff (or hers).
I don't see any settings in preferences that would allow this. Is it possible?
 

shftoptk

macrumors member
Feb 25, 2016
58
32
USA
Go into the Find Friends app, tap add, type her name, accept the invitation on her phone, go into the Find Friends app on her phone, tap on her little profile picture at the bottom of the screen, toggle "share my location" to "on". Now whenever you need to find her phone, it's as easy as opening the app.
That's what I do with my parents iphones.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dennysanders

ThirteenXIII

macrumors 6502a
Mar 8, 2008
864
319
find my friends is more efficient as it doesnt require you remember passwords if she changes it, etc.
you can add her to your family account, but CC will be shared and you can turn off photo sharing, etc but find my friends my be the easiest way
 

Hrothgar

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 11, 2009
525
22
New York
thank you.

Does she have to have find my friends running in the background for it to work?
And, I guess that if I get access to her location, I have to give her access to mine? (Not that that's a problem.)
 

ThirteenXIII

macrumors 6502a
Mar 8, 2008
864
319
i think its a shared location setting, where if you're part of that list yea your location is shared, there may be a setting now to disable yours or to stop sharing your location. i know you can in family sharing
 

Paco II

macrumors 68020
Sep 13, 2009
2,288
706
Your going to jump through many hoops, when to achieve your objective you just need her iCloud password.
 

Hrothgar

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 11, 2009
525
22
New York
Paco -- I'm not sure what you mean. I thought that if she gets an iCloud password, and I add her to My Family under iTunes, it will link our iTunes accounts. If she makes purchases, it will go on my credit card, etc.
 

richwoodrocket

macrumors 68020
Apr 7, 2014
2,133
112
Buffalo, NY
Just use find my friends. All you need to do is invite her, and she will get an email, and she will have to accept the request then you will be able to see her location. No passwords needed.
 

Paco II

macrumors 68020
Sep 13, 2009
2,288
706
Correct - don't add her to your Family. If all you need is to periodically track her, if you have her iCloud password you can use the Find My IPhone app to know her whereabouts. All that is needed for that app is her iCloud username and password.

Paco -- I'm not sure what you mean. I thought that if she gets an iCloud password, and I add her to My Family under iTunes, it will link our iTunes accounts. If she makes purchases, it will go on my credit card, etc.
 

Hrothgar

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 11, 2009
525
22
New York
Correct - don't add her to your Family. If all you need is to periodically track her, if you have her iCloud password you can use the Find My IPhone app to know her whereabouts. All that is needed for that app is her iCloud username and password.

I get it. That would work.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.