How to use Find People or Find My Friends on Apple Watch

Find People App on Apple Watch List

If you use the Find My app on iPhone, iPad, or Mac, then you have a similar tool for locating people with your Apple Watch. On watchOS 6 or later, the app is called Find People and on watchOS 5 or earlier, it’s Find My Friends. But both apps do the same thing and can help you track down your loved ones.

If you just got your first Apple Watch or simply haven’t used the app yet, here’s how to use Find People or Find My Friends on your Apple Watch.

Using Find People or Find My Friends

You can accomplish a few things using Find People or Find My Friends on Apple Watch.

If you already have friends added in the Find My app on your other device, then you’re one step ahead. So that’s where we’ll start.

Finding a friend

Maybe you want to see if your friend made it to their destination or your child arrived home from school. Using the app to find a friend is its best feature.

1) Press the Digital Crown to open your installed apps and select Find People or Find My Friends.

2) You’ll see a list of those sharing their location with you. You should also see their current location and how long ago they were spotted there.

3) Select a friend and you’ll see their location on a map and have options to Contact them or get Directions to their spot. Tapping Contact will give you options to call, message, or email them. Directions will open Apple Maps on your watch ready for you to navigate to their location.

You can also enable notifications, which we’ll go through below in Setting up location notifications. One more option you have is to Stop Sharing your own location with them.

Find People Apple Watch Contact Options

If the friend you want to check on isn’t in your list in the app, you can add them. This starts with sharing your location. So, head on down to the next section.

Sharing your location

Getting a friend’s location means sharing your spot with them. Remember, sharing is caring! So follow these steps to share your location and have your friend share theirs with you.

1) On the main screen of the app that shows your list of contacts, go to the bottom and tap Share My Location.

2) To add your friend, use the microphone to dictate their name, choose them from your contact list, or the keypad to enter their phone number.

3) Select your friend and then choose how long you want to share your location for; one hour, until the end of the day, or indefinitely.

Share My Location Find People Apple Watch

When your contact receives the notification that you are sharing your location with them, they can then opt to share theirs with you. Assuming they agree, they will then show up in your list and you can use the actions described above to see their location.

Setting up location notifications

You can notify a friend when you leave your location or arrive at theirs and can receive notifications when your friend does the same.

1) Tap to choose a friend and then pick either Notify Me or Notify [their name].

2) Enable the toggle for the notification you select. Then choose when you want to be notified.

Notify Me: Pick from when your friend leaves their current location or arrives at yours.

Notify [their name]: Pick from when you leave your current location or arrive at theirs.

Find People Notify Apple Watch

Changing your settings

One other person you can tap in your list in Find People or Find My Friends is yourself. At the bottom above Share My Location, you should see your photo. Tap it and you can view your current location on a map with a Location Name and the connected device.

You can then adjust the following settings.

  • Share My Location: Turn off the toggle to stop sharing your location.
  • Allow Friend Requests: Turn off the toggle if you don’t want to receive location sharing requests.
  • Distance: Tap to pick from Miles or Kilometers.
Me in Find People Apple Watch

Wrapping it up

If you’re sitting in a meeting or on the bus, you can quickly find your friends and family members with your Apple Watch. Remember to use Find People or Find My Friends on your wearable when you need it.

What do you think of Find People and Find My Friends on Apple Watch? Do you plan to use it to locate a loved one? Let us know!