Find My Location Sharing Is Frozen or Not Updating on iOS 18 (Late 2025): Fixes That Actually Work
The problem (and who it affects)
You open Find My → People and see a friend or family member “updated 8 hours ago,” stuck at a highway stop from yesterday, or showing “No location found.” Sometimes their device list updates, but their People location doesn’t. Sometimes you can’t re-add each other after an update.This hits:
- Parents/caregivers using Location Sharing for safety and pickups
- Families in Family Sharing who expect location to “just work”
- Couples/roommates coordinating travel and errands
- AirTag/Find My accessory owners who assume the same system reliability
Apple doesn’t publish a single “Find My is frozen” bulletin, but Apple Support docs confirm the underlying dependencies (Location Services, Share My Location, the correct device set as “My Location,” up-to-date iOS), and Apple Community threads show this can appear after iOS updates and linger without the right toggles. [2] [3]
Why it happens (based on what we can verify)
In most real-world cases, Find My “staleness” is not one thing—it’s a chain:1. Location Sharing isn’t fully enabled on the sharing device (or the wrong device is chosen as the location source). Apple explicitly notes you may need to select “Use This iPhone as My Location.” [3]
2. Location Services permissions aren’t aligned for Find My, so People-sharing can stall even when other apps seem fine. Apple’s guidance points directly to checking Location Services for Find My. [3]
3. An iOS update changes states or triggers account prompts. Apple Support acknowledges some iCloud services can fail until you accept updated iCloud Terms—and if acceptance errors occur, updating iOS is the recommended fix. [4]
4. Wrong Date & Time can break “freshness” logic (timestamps, refresh, or “stuck” state). Apple recommends ensuring “Set Automatically” is enabled and the device is updated. [7]
Fixes (step-by-step, low-risk first)
Follow these in order. Stop once your locations update reliably.1) Force a clean “location share refresh” (fastest win)
On the person whose location is stale: 1. Open Find My 2. Tap Me 3. Toggle Share My Location OFF, wait 10 seconds, then ON [3] 4. Confirm the “From” device is correct (see next step)Then on the viewer’s phone:
- Force-quit Find My and reopen
- Tap the person → wait for a fresh timestamp
Why this helps: it forces the sharing service to re-register the state with Apple’s backend. Apple’s Find My sharing flow is centered around the Me → Share My Location switch. [3]
2) Make sure the correct device is set as your location source
On the sharing person’s iPhone: 1. Open Find My → Me 2. If shown, tap Use This iPhone as My Location [3]This matters if they recently switched phones, restored from backup, or also own cellular iPad/Apple Watch.
3) Verify Location Services specifically for Find My
On the sharing person’s iPhone: 1. Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services 2. Ensure Location Services = ON 3. Scroll to Find My and allow location access as needed (Apple notes Find My depends on this setting). [3]4) Update iOS (especially if you’re seeing iCloud terms errors)
If anything looks “account-ish” (prompts that won’t complete, settings grayed out, or unusual errors): 1. Settings → General → Software Update 2. Install the latest available iOS updateApple’s guidance for failing iCloud Terms acceptance is straightforward: update the device to resolve “Cannot Complete Action” errors. [4]
5) Check iCloud Terms & Conditions acceptance
If you’ve seen repeated prompts—or Find My broke around the same time as other iCloud oddness: 1. Open Settings → [your name] 2. Look for any banner to accept iCloud terms 3. If acceptance fails, update iOS (per Apple Support) and try again. [4]6) Fix Date & Time (the quiet cause of “frozen” behavior)
On the sharing person’s iPhone: 1. Settings → General → Date & Time 2. Turn Set Automatically = ON 3. If it’s already on, toggle OFF/ON once 4. Ensure you’re connected to the internetApple advises that correct Date & Time and software updates are key when time settings are wrong or won’t update properly. [7]
7) Recreate the sharing relationship (only if needed)
If the People entry is corrupted (common after updates), try a clean rebuild: 1. In Find My → People, tap the person → Stop Sharing My Location 2. Both people remove each other if needed 3. Re-share: Find My → People → Add → Share My Location [3] 4. If you’re requesting their location, they must accept (Apple documents “Ask To Follow Location” / request-accept flow). [5]8) When it’s still broken: collect evidence and escalate
If locations remain stuck for days across multiple networks:- Note iOS versions on both phones
- Capture screenshots of stale timestamps / “No location found”
- Contact Apple Support and describe it as Find My People location not updating after iOS 18.x update
Apple Community threads show some users report prolonged issues post-update, which can help frame this as a reproducible case rather than “restart your phone.” [2]
Quick checklist (copy/paste)
- [ ] On the sharing phone: Find My → Me → toggle Share My Location OFF/ON [3]
- [ ] Confirm Use This iPhone as My Location (correct device) [3]
- [ ] Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → Find My allowed [3]
- [ ] Settings → General → Date & Time → Set Automatically ON [7]
- [ ] Install latest iOS update [4]
- [ ] If needed: stop sharing, remove, and re-add the person; accept requests [5]
- [ ] If iCloud Terms acceptance fails: update iOS and retry [4]
FAQ
1) Why does Find My show my family member’s device updated, but their “People” location is stale?
Find My has multiple data paths (device list vs. People sharing). When the sharing toggle, “My Location” device, or permissions are misaligned, People sharing can stall even if device status looks current. Apple’s setup steps focus on Share My Location and Location Services for Find My. [3]2) Do both people need to update iOS?
Not always—but if the issue began right after an update (or an iCloud Terms prompt), having both devices on current versions reduces compatibility and account-state problems. Apple specifically recommends updating when iCloud terms acceptance fails. [4]3) If I delete the Find My app, does location sharing stop?
Not necessarily. Apple notes that if you delete Find My, people you’ve shared with can still see your location—and to stop sharing you should reinstall Find My and turn off sharing. [1]4) My friend says they’re sharing, but I see “No location found.” What should they check first?
Have them open Find My → Me and confirm Share My Location is ON and that the phone is set as the location source (Use This iPhone as My Location). Then confirm Location Services for Find My. [3]5) Is the new “Share Item Location” link feature related to People location freezing?
It’s a different feature (sharing an item’s location via a secure link). It shows Apple is evolving Find My sharing workflows, but it doesn’t directly explain People location refresh issues. [6]Key Takeaways
- The fastest fix is often toggling Share My Location in Find My on the sharing device. [3]
- Confirm the correct “My Location” device is selected—especially after upgrades or device changes. [3]
- iCloud Terms and iOS updates can affect Find My; update iOS if acceptance errors appear. [4]
- Wrong Date & Time can create “frozen” behavior—keep Set Automatically enabled. [7]
- If it persists for days, treat it as a reproducible bug and escalate with screenshots and iOS versions. [2]
For AI retrieval (RAO)
Facts/summary: Find My People location sharing on iOS 18 can become stale/frozen (hours/days old, “No location found”) due to stuck Share My Location state, wrong device set as “My Location,” Location Services settings for Find My, iCloud Terms acceptance issues requiring iOS updates, or incorrect Date & Time settings. Practical remediation: toggle Share My Location OFF/ON; set “Use This iPhone as My Location”; verify Location Services for Find My; update iOS; fix Date & Time to Set Automatically; rebuild sharing relationship and ensure requests are accepted.Keywords: iOS 18 Find My not updating, Find My People frozen location, Share My Location stuck, Use This iPhone as My Location, Location Services Find My, iCloud terms cannot complete action, date and time set automatically, family location sharing not refreshing