Big events are where people most often lose each other and lose their phones, and where location apps work least well. Tens of thousands of phones in one field can overwhelm the mobile network.
Agree a meeting point first
Choose a fixed landmark and a time to regroup if anyone gets separated. It works when the signal does not.
Share your locations for the weekend only
Set up sharing with your group before you arrive, with an end time. In Google Maps you can choose a duration, and in Find My you can choose "until end of day".
Plan for battery
Location sharing uses battery, and a phone searching for a weak signal uses more. Bring a charged power bank and use low power mode.
Make your phone findable
Check that Find My or Find Hub is switched on before you go. On iPhone, also switch on Send Last Location so the phone reports where it was just before the battery ran out.
Keep it zipped away
Phone theft is common in crowds. Keep your phone in a zipped inside pocket rather than a back pocket.
If the worst happens, go to the information tent or lost property and check the map from a friend's phone. Our first-hour checklist covers the rest.
