How to Share Your ETA With Family Using Apple Maps

Apple Maps lets you share your estimated arrival time with anyone while you're navigating — they can track your progress in real time so they know when to expect you.

In this guide (4 steps):

1.Start navigation and share your ETA
2.What the recipient sees
3.Share ETA with people who don't have iPhones
4.Add frequent contacts as Favorites for quick ETA sharing

Start navigation and share your ETA

~34s

Open Apple Maps and get directions to your destination (tap Search → enter address → tap "Directions" → tap "Go" to start navigation). While navigation is active: tap the green navigation bar at the bottom of the screen to expand the details panel. Scroll down and tap "Share ETA." A list of recent contacts appears — tap who you want to share with. They receive a message with a link showing your route and estimated arrival.

Quick Tip

Quick Tip: You can also ask Siri to share your ETA while driving: say "Hey Siri, share my ETA with [person's name]." This keeps your hands on the wheel.

What the recipient sees

~29s

The person you shared with receives an iMessage with a map showing your current location moving along your route. The message updates in real time as you drive. They see your estimated time of arrival and can watch your progress. When you arrive at the destination, they automatically receive a notification: "[Your name] has arrived." The sharing automatically stops when you reach your destination.

Quick Tip

Quick Tip: ETA sharing stops automatically when you reach your destination or cancel navigation. You don't need to manually stop sharing at the end of a trip.

Share ETA with people who don't have iPhones

~19s

If the recipient uses Android or doesn't have iMessage: Apple Maps sends a regular SMS text with a link. They can tap the link to open a webpage showing your location on a map that updates approximately every 2-3 minutes. The experience is slightly less seamless than iMessage sharing, but still provides real-time tracking.

Add frequent contacts as Favorites for quick ETA sharing

~26s

To make ETA sharing faster with people you often drive to or from: add them as a Favorite contact in Maps. Open Maps → tap your profile picture → "Favorites" → tap + → add a contact and label them "Family." When you share your ETA next time, these favorites appear at the top of the contact list. You can also add your home and work addresses as Favorites for fast navigation to common destinations.

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Apple Maps' Share ETA feature lets you send your estimated arrival time to a contact while you are driving. The recipient can see a live map showing your location and how long until you arrive — directly in their Messages app. When you arrive, they receive a notification automatically.

This feature is helpful for family members who want to know when a loved one is on their way, for letting hosts know when to expect you, or for safety — someone can monitor your drive in real time. You can share your ETA with anyone who has an iPhone; Android users receive a link they can view in a browser.

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