Location sharing is most useful when you are somewhere unfamiliar, but it is much easier to set up at home over Wi-Fi than in a departure lounge.
Share with someone at home, with an end date
In Google Maps you can share your location until a date or time you choose. In Find My you can share for an hour, until the end of the day, or indefinitely. Pick one person at home and agree when you will turn it off.
Check your data
Location sharing needs mobile data. Check your roaming allowance or set up a travel eSIM before you leave, and download offline maps for where you are going in case you lose signal.
Track your bags, not just your phone
An item tracker in your checked luggage can tell you whether your bag made the flight. See our AirTag and Tile guide.
Write down your phone's IMEI
Dial *#06# to see it. If your phone is stolen abroad, the police and your network will ask for it.
Keep a human check-in too
Apps can go quiet when a battery dies or the signal drops. A simple "message me when you land" arrangement is a useful backup.
