8 Solutions to Fix ‘Find My Friends Location Not Available’ On Apple iPhone 12 mini

There is no doubt that Find My Friends is an excellent application for location tracking. It allows users to track the location of their friends and family members through a variety of devices. So, when Find My Friends says the location is not available, it can be a frustrating situation. But don’t stress over this because we are here to assist you in Find My Friends not working. Go through this guide, and you’ll know what to do to take care of the problem.

Part 1: What Does “Location Not Available” Mean on Find My Friends?

When the “Location Not Available” message appears on Find My Friends, it means that you have disabled location sharing or have turned off your device’s location services. This message can also appear if your device is in an area with poor network coverage or if your device is turned off. In some cases, the message can indicate that you have logged out of your iCloud account or that there is an issue with the iCloud server.

Does “Location Not Available” mean that there is something wrong with Apple iPhone 12 mini ?

Not! This message does not necessarily mean that you have blocked yourself or there is something wrong with your device. If you frequently see the “Location Not Available” message, you may need to check your own device’s settings or contact your friends to confirm their location-sharing preferences.

How to distinguish “No Location Found” and “Location Not Available”?

“No Location Found” means that the Find My app is unable to locate the Apple iPhone 12 mini device being tracked. This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as if the Apple iPhone 12 mini device is turned off, not connected to the internet, or if location services are disabled.

“Location Not Available” means that the Apple iPhone 12 mini device is not currently sharing its location with the Find My app. This can happen if the Apple iPhone 12 mini device is in Airplane mode or if the user has turned off location sharing for the Find My app. It can also happen if there is a temporary issue with the iCloud servers.

In summary, “No Location Found” means the app could not locate the Apple iPhone 12 mini device, while “Location Not Available” means that the Apple iPhone 12 mini device is not currently sharing its location.

Part 2: Possible Reasons For Find My Friends Location Apple iPhone 12 mini Not Available

Why does Find My Friends say location not available? Before we get to the solutions, let’s explore the possible reasons behind this problem. It is apparent that when the location is not found on Find My Friends, there is an underlying problem. Here are the possible reasons that could cause this error:

• Your friend’s device has an inaccurate date
• The other device isn’t connected to a network, or it’s off
• Hide My Location feature is active on your friend’s phone
• The Location Services are also turned off on the friend’s device
• Your friend hasn’t signed in to the service
• The location of your friend is in a country or region where Apple doesn’t provide this feature

All these reasons can be the ones causing trouble on your Apple iPhone 12 mini and Android phones. Hence, you will have to look for some conventional methods to fix the unavailable location error.

Part 3: 8 Tips To Make “Find My Friends Location” Available

When the Find My Friends app location is not available, here are some more tips that can help get rid of this issue.

Tip 1: Check if Find My Friends is Supported in Region/Country

The foremost thing you should do when the Find My Friends location is not available is to check the region/country’s location. Apple Inc still hasn’t provided the Find My Friends feature in all countries and regions due to local laws and technical issues. So, the most plausible reason for the app not working properly is solely because it is not available in that particular country/region.

Tip 2: Quit and enable GPS or Location Services again

After verifying that the feature is available in your region, enable the GPS & Location Services. In case you’ve already enabled the feature, turn it off, quit the app, and again enable the service. It might fix the location not found on the Find My Friends issue you’ve been facing. Just open Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and toggle the bar to turn the feature on or off.

Tip 3: Adjust Apple iPhone 12 mini Date and Time

As we stated in the possible reasons, incorrect dates and times also result in this problem. If you have manually set the date and time, change the settings and set it to “Set Automatically” in General Settings. Hopefully, this will resolve the problem when the Find My Friends location is not available.

Tip 4: Check the Internet

Before you conclude that there is something wrong with the Find My Friends app, check your internet connection. There is a chance that location is not available on the Apple iPhone 12 mini because your device doesn’t have internet access. Try opening Settings > Mobile Data/Wi-Fi and turning it on and off. Alongside, make sure that you have signal strength, whether you are connecting to cellular data or a Wi-Fi network.

Tip 5: Enable Share My Location

Another tip to try out when your friend’s location is not available is to make certain that you’ve enabled Share My Location feature. To do this, follow the steps given below:

Step 1: For Apple iPhone 12 mini users: get to the “Settings” app and go to “Privacy & Security”. You will find the “Location Services” feature, click on it, and see the “Share My Location” feature.

Toggle on the option to enable it. Once the feature is enabled, your friends will see your location, and you can see theirs.

For Android users, go to “Settings” > “Additional settings” > “Privacy” > “Location”, and choose the location mode to enable it.

Tip 6: Restart the Apple iPhone 12 mini or Android Phones

The next tip to use when Find My Friends says location not available is restarting your phone. For most devices, the method is common. But for Apple iPhone 12 mini X and 11, the steps are slightly different. For other Apple iPhone 12 mini models, press the Power button and wait until the slider appears. For Apple iPhone 12 mini X and 11/12/13/14, you’ll have to hold the Volume button and the Power button together to make the slider appear on the screen.


Drag the Power slider to the right side and wait for the Apple iPhone 12 mini device to shut down. Wait for a minute before you restart the Apple iPhone 12 mini device, and hopefully, the feature will start working again as usual.

Tip 7: Check That Your Friend Has Signed into Find My Friends

Another tip that can help you resolve to Find My Friends location not available is checking that your friend has signed into the app. It is apparent that if your friend hasn’t logged into the feature, you won’t access his/her location.

Open the Find Friends app, log into it, and enable the location-sharing feature.

Tip 8: Quit Find My Friends App and Open It Again

Last but not least valuable tip to use when the Find Friends location is not available is to quit the app. There is a possibility that you’ve faced the problem only because of a momentary issue or some random glitch. Make sure that you also clear the cache memory before opening the app again. It might fix the problem entirely.

Extension: Can I send the fake location by Find Friends to others?

With Dr. Fone - Virtual Location software, you will be able to share a fake or any location you want with your friends and family. Alongside this, Dr. Fone will also pace up your movement to ensure that your friends and family members won’t find out that you share fake locations with them. The video below teaches you how to teleport your Apple iPhone 12 mini GPS location, and more tips and tricks can be found in the Wondershare Video Community .

Here is a video for you to learn how to fix Apple iPhone 12 mini Find My Friends location not available:

To use Dr.Fone - Virtual Location, here are the steps you need to follow:

Step 1: Download the virtual location app for both iOS and Android and install it on your system carefully. Then, launch the app and select the “Virtual Location” option from the toolkit.

Step 2: The next step is to set up the phone’s connection. Connect your Apple iPhone 12 mini and click on the “Get Started” button. Now, detect your current virtual location by clicking on the “Current Virtual Location” icon.

Step 3: Now go to the search box and type the location you want to switch to. Once the location gets detected, click on the “Move Here” option, and the location of your Apple iPhone 12 mini or Android phone will change to the one you specified.

As you can see, when you have Dr.Fone - Virtual Location software, you can share any location with just one click. And it would seem that your Find My Friends app is working fine.

FAQs You May Want to Know about Apple iPhone 12 mini Location

1. Is there a way to check if someone has stopped sharing their location with you on their Apple iPhone 12 mini ?

If someone stops sharing their location with you on their Apple iPhone 12 mini , you will see “Location Not Available” next to their name in the Find My app or Messages app. You can check the status of location sharing by tapping their name in the Find My app.

2. Can I track a stolen Apple iPhone 12 mini if it is turned off?

You may still be able to track a stolen Apple iPhone 12 mini if it is turned off using the Find My app or iCloud website. However, this depends on several factors, such as whether the Apple iPhone 12 mini device is connected to a Wi-Fi or cellular network, and whether the person who stole the Apple iPhone 12 mini device has turned off location services.

3. Can I track someone else’s Apple iPhone 12 mini location without their permission?

No, you cannot track someone else’s Apple iPhone 12 mini location without their permission. The Find My app only allows you to track the location of devices that are signed in with your Apple ID, and you need the other person’s permission to share their location with you.

4. Can I prevent someone from tracking my location?

Yes, you can take steps to prevent someone from tracking your phone’s location. Here are some measures you can consider:

1. Turn off location services or GPS.
2. Adjust app permissions.
3. Use airplane mode.
4. Use a VPN or professional location changer tool like Dr.Fone - Virtual Location to change your phone location .
5. Check for spyware.
6. Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
7. Review privacy settings.
8. Be cautious with social media.
9. Use encrypted messaging.
10. Avoid public Wi-Fi.
11. Clear location history.

Taking these precautions can help safeguard your phone’s location and enhance your privacy. It’s important to stay vigilant and be aware of the privacy settings and permissions on your device.

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Conclusion

Hopefully, now you know “why is find my friends not working” and several ways to fix the Find Friends location not available. In this guide, we learned all these tips to make it easy for Apple iPhone 12 mini users to rectify the issues with the Find Friends app. Check all the tips carefully and implement them whenever you face issues like this.

Complete Tutorial to Use GPS Joystick to Fake GPS Location On Apple iPhone 12 mini

The web world offers many apps, including Google, Facebook, Uber, etc. that provide location-based services. This means such apps will need your location to work. However, there are some rare occasions when users don’t find this service welcoming and thus, they wish to fake GPS location.

One of the instances comprises a well-known location-based game – Pokemon Go, where users might want to mislead the app and make the phone not understand where they exactly are. There might be other cases as well. No matter what reason you want this to be done, we are here to introduce you GPS joystick app that helps you for the same. Here we go!

Part 1: Fake GPS Location - GPS JoyStick the App

GPS joystick is an app that helps the users to fake GPS with the help of an overlay joystick control. It is easy to use and works instantly when you wish to modify the GPS location. Providing a unique “Joystick” option, this app can be considered a useful fake GPS joystick apk. On a plus, the app has the best algorithm so that it can offer realistic GPS values.

Features:

• Able to make modifications in the location wherever you point the joystick.
• You can choose the current location with the help of a map or joystick.
• You can also get the GPX files imported and exported to favorites, routes, or custom markers.
• It offers a good amount of setting options to provide complete user customization.
• You can manage the settings regarding size, type, and opacity for the joystick.
• With the help of this fake GPS joystick apk, you can get an opportunity to show the distance and cool-down time information.
• There is also a hide option available to help you decide whether you want to hide or show the joystick on your screen.
• Moreover, you get 3 customizable speeds for the joystick.

Disadvantages:

• It requires a hell lot of steps that are confusing and tough to perform.
• Users have reported that the app only works for a few minutes after the first time of installation. Afterward, the app function to fake GPS location dies and is then good for nothing.
• You need to be tech-savvy to fake GPS location with a GPS joystick.
• Fake GPS joystick for Pokemon Go cannot perform well for it as reported by the users. Also, it drives the same result for other popular location-based apps or games.

Part 2: How to set up GPS JoyStick

Though, it is quite difficult to get through the process of setting up the GPS joystick apk to a fake GPS location. Remember, we’ve always got your back. Therefore, we would like to bring you up with a detailed streak of steps (if followed properly) to install and set up the fake GPS joystick apk easily.

Basically, the tutorial is categorized into 3 different streaks depending upon the different Android OS security patches and OS version. Therefore, before we begin with steps, let’s understand what you need to do to find your Android OS version or the Security Patch. Depending on the Security Patches or Android OS version, follow the tutorials mentioned below with falls compatible for your device.

• Take your Apple iPhone 12 mini handy and launch the “Settings”.
• Now, scroll down to the “About phone” option at the bottom and then hit on it.
• Lastly, look for the “Android version” entry and “Android security patch level” entry from the information displayed over your screen.

Note: Remember the date mentioned besides the “Android security patch level” is when it was first released. Please do not take it otherwise, that it is the date when you might have installed Google’s security patch.

2.1 For Android 6.0 and Above (New Security Patch) - AFTER March 5, 2017

If you own an Android device that runs on the Android OS version 6.0 or higher updated to “New Security Patch” released “AFTER March 5, 2017”. You need to follow the steps mentioned below.

First, you need to make sure that the Google Play Services app installed over your Apple iPhone 12 mini is running on version 12.6.85 or lower. If that’s the case, you no longer require performing the lengthy steps below. Instead, directly skip stepping number 7 below.

Note: To verify the Play Services version, launch “Settings” followed by selecting “Apps/Applications”. Scroll down to “Google Play Services” and hit on it. You will then see the app version at the top of the screen.

But if that’s not the case, you’re required to disable the Play Store’s auto-updates. For this, launch the Play Store and hit the “3 horizontal bars” at the top. Then, tap on “Settings” option from the appearing left panel followed by Auto-update apps available under “General” settings. Lastly, hit on the “Do not auto-update apps” option.

Next, get hold of Google Play Services (an older version) from the link here: https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/google-play-services/google-play-services-12-6-85-release/

Note: Ensure to download the Google Play Services apk file that is closest to your Android version. But, remember not to install it now.

Once done, if “Find My Device” is enabled over your device, you need to get it disabled too. To do this, get into “Settings” followed by “Security & Location”. Now, hit on “Find my device” and toggle it off.

Likewise, disable “Google Play” and uninstall all its updates as well. To remove updates, get into “Settings” followed by “Apps/Applications”. Scroll down to “Google Play Services” and hit on “Uninstall updates”.

Note: If you’re unable to get this done, then you may need to disable the Android device manager in the first place. For this, get to “Settings” > “Security” > “Device Administrators” > disable “Android Device Manager first”.

Now is the time when you should install the Google Play Services apk (downloaded in step 3 above). Reboot your device afterwards.

Subsequently, you need to again get into the “Settings” and then opt for “Developer Options”. Now, hit on “Select mock location app” and opt for “GPS JoyStick” here.

Lastly, launch the “GPS JoyStick app” and navigate to “Settings” followed by toggling on the “Enable Suspended Mocking” switch.

2.2 For Android 6.0 and Above (Old Security Patch) - BEFORE March 5, 2017

That was a detailed tutorial about the Android security patch level released “AFTER March 5, 2017”. But if your Android security patch level is before March 5, 2017, what would you have to do? Well, worry not, here is exactly what steps you need to follow to make use of the GPS joystick app to fake GPS location.

First, you need to navigate to the “Settings”. Then, opt for “Developer Options” and hit on “Select mock location app” followed by selecting the “GPS JoyStick” app here.

Lastly, launch the “GPS JoyStick app” to fake GPS location and navigate to “Settings”. Thereafter, toggle on the “Indirect Mocking” switch, and you’re done.

2.3 For Android 4 or 5

For the users of Android OS version 4 or Android OS version 5, there’s not much you need to do. Here is the exact method that you need to get through.

Get the “GPS JoyStick apk” installed over your device and then proceed to “Developer Options” available under the “Settings” menu. Then, hit on the “Select mock location app”.

Now, “GPS JoyStick app” to fake GPS location and get started with the FGL pro joystick control.

You will then have the FGL pro joystick control is visible on your Android screen. Thereafter, head back to the “Developer Options” and get the “Mock Locations” disabled.

Lastly, launch the “Pokemon GO” and you’re all set to fake GPS go with a joystick.

Part 3: How to bypass the blacklist of games like Pokemon GO

There are chances when you get caught by Pokemon Go for spoofing GPS location and get blocked/blacklisted for making use of fake GPS location apk. Here’s a workaround for bypassing the blacklist of games like Pokemon Go.

Download and then install the most recent version of GPS JoyStick apk. Now, launch it, and then hit on the “Privacy Mode” link available under the “Quick Options” section on the home screen. This will generate a unique copy of the app specifically for you.

Next, you need the generated app installed and get through with the setup process with the streak of steps listed below.

Now, you need to uninstall the original fake GPS joystick for Pokemon Go. Also, ensure that to uninstall every other spoofing/fake GPS apps that can potentially be on the Pokemon GO blacklist.

Thereafter, make use of the specifically generated GPS joystick on Pokemon Go to bypass the blacklist warning!

Lastly, utilize the “Update” button after hitting on the “Privacy Mode” link under the “Quick Options”. Then, navigate to the previously generated app from the appearing pop up. This will generate the update for it, and you’re all done.

Part 4: How to Use GPS Joystick to Fake Location on iPhone

When you fake GPS Joystick location, you can double the joy in playing location-based games like Pokemon go, Ingress, Zombies, Run, Geocaching, etc. All these games make use of the phone location, and it will be quite interesting if you move on with exciting places worldwide.

Do you want to fake GPS Joystick on iPhone?

Are you tired of searching for an effective GPS Joystick to fake location on the iPhone?

You would have ended up with a conclusion that there are no reliable and effective apps to fake location on the iPhone.

Dr. Fone’s specialist team presents Dr.Fone - Virtual Location for the gaming lovers to fake GPS Joystick on iPhone. You can now move the joystick to the desired location in no time using Dr.Fone.

Stepwise procedure to fake GPS with a joystick on iPhone

Step 1: Launch the app

After a successful download, install the app through the guiding wizard. Click the Dr.Fone app icon to explore its features. Using a USB cable, attach your Apple iPhone 12 mini with your PC.

Step 2: Set a virtual location

On the first screen of Dr.Fone app, choose the ‘Virtual Location’ option.

Step 3: Modify the location address

Tap ‘Get Started’ option then add a new address in the ‘Teleport’ mode. To choose ‘Teleport’ mode, you have to select the first icon at the top-right screen. Next, enter the address at the top left side of the window. You can enter any address around the globe to fake GPS joystick location.

Step 4: Changed Location in the app

Now the Dr.Fone app displays your desired address as your current location. You can verify it by spotting the location on the map view.

Step 5: Location on iPhone

Next, you must check your default current location in map view on iPhone, and you will witness the modified location in pace with your desired address.

Step 6: Play Pokemon Go without moving

Now use the “one-stop route” or “multi-stop route” to simulate the real-world movement without moving. Just play Pokemon go to explore new Pokemons on different locations and gain more points through an effective fake GPS joystick location app Dr.Fone.

Apply These Techniques to Improve How to Detect Fake GPS Location On Apple iPhone 12 mini

GPS spoofing has become a common problem with companies because it often leads to inaccurate information. It can lead to costly errors and losses due to inaccurate GPS details. Hence, it’s important to learn how to detect fake GPS to ensure the accuracy and integrity of your data at all times.

In this article, we’ll show you how to apply clear and easy security measures to detect fake GPS locations. We’ll also use anti-fake GPS or other methods to prevent malicious actors from fooling your figures. Read below to learn more.

Part 1: What is Location Spoofing?

Location spoofing is a way for people to manipulate the location of GPS data shared by their devices. Faking your GPS is used for various actions, including accessing geo-blocked contents of an application, circumventing games or movies with country restrictions, or maintaining your privacy.

Using fake GPS software sends out false GPS signals from your device, hiding or changing your location. This sidesteps security as well as trust and safety terms of applications that rely on location signals.

Part 2: Ways to Fake Your GPS Location on Android and iOS

While most smartphones today have built-in methods to track your location, there are several ways to fake your GPS location, whether you’re using an iOS or Android. For whatever purpose you need to, you can download apps on the App Store or Google Play to hide your current location.

You can learn more about spoofing apps to prank your friends or play location-based games such as Pokemon Go to get more rewards.

Try to find a reliable spoofing app? The good news for you is that there is a powerful tool, Wondershare Dr.Fone – Virtual Location , which allows a one-click process to effortlessly spoof your GPS location to any destination for enhanced enjoyment in AR games.

This versatile tool effortlessly integrates with popular location-based apps such as Pokémon GO, Snapchat, Instagram, and more. Take control with the ability to simulate GPS movement along a route you draw. You can use its joystick feature to flexibly mimic GPS. It is fully compatible with the latest operating systems, supporting Android 14 and iOS 17.

Noteworthy Aspects Wondershare Dr.Fone - Virtual Location

• Wondershare Dr.Fone can maintain a record of all the routes you follow and the locations you visit to ensure you can always access them again.
• This location spoofer contains features such as a one-stop route and multi-stop route to help you mimic realistic movement when playing AR games.
• To ensure you are able to spoof your location and movement, Wondershare Dr.Fone allows you to choose between walking speed and driving speed.

Steps for Faking Your GPS Location via Wondershare Dr.Fone - Virtual Location

Spoofing your location becomes effortlessly achievable through Dr.Fone - Virtual Location. This has to do with its innovative algorithms and thanks to its user-friendly approach. The process of faking the location involves the following steps:

Step 1: Access Dr.Fone - Virtual Location and Move to Toolbox

Begin with the launch of Dr.Fone - Virtual Location on your computer and establish a connection with your Android or iOS device. Navigate to the map screen and select the “Teleport Mode” icon, which is situated as the first option in the toolbar near the top-right corner. Now, start the process by tapping the search bar at the top left corner, inputting your desired location, and hitting “Enter.”

Step 2: Move to the Targeted Location and Verify It

Upon completion of the initial setup, proceed to teleport to the targeted location by clicking “Move Here” on the map screen. This action prompts the cursor to relocate to the specified location on the map. It also simultaneously adjusts the location of your Android or iOS device. To validate the successful location change, access your smartphone and open a map application.

Part 3: Why is GPS Spoofing a Problem?

Faking your GPS has its advantages, primarily protecting your privacy.

However, if you’re on the receiving end of a fake GPS signal, you need to detect any spoofing attempts before it’s too late. You need to have a security measure to ensure data you’re receiving is coming from a legitimate source instead of a malicious one. It is especially important for large companies engaging in food delivery, gaming, social media, financial services, etc.

Here are some reasons why your company should be wary of GPS spoofing.

Food Delivery

Couriers who use GPS spoofing can trick food delivery apps into allowing them to accept orders they otherwise would not have access to. They may also gain an unfair advantage to gain priority in order queues and report longer rides to earn more from the platform. In addition, a more egregious issue is couriers charging for deliveries that weren’t made.

Gaming

Using GPS spoofing in MMORPGs enables gamers to take advantage of faking their position without moving into the comforts of their own home. This can lead to more in-game rewards that are otherwise difficult to achieve without GPS spoofing.

Location spoofing also allows cheaters to use hundreds of mobile devices to collude and share in-game information to scam other players.

Social Media

Having a fake GPS on dating apps allows users to unlock more users on their profile to match with in other places. It can be dangerous if scammers or fraudsters use fake GPS to trick people into concealing their actual location.

Financial Services

Most financial institutions across the globe use location data to verify users to prevent fraud. Having inaccurate data is a major security beach, especially when handling financial service apps on the internet.

There are various ways to protect yourself from being on the other end of a fake GPS location. You can easily use specialized apps, including mock location detection APKs if you’re on Android. These anti-spoofing GPS apps help detect if someone is providing fake GPS locations. However, if this is not available to you, there are several ways you can mitigate malicious actors by applying some safeguards.

Here are some of the methods you can take advantage of.

• Cross-reference location data from multiple sources to detect fake GPS locations. You can cross reference from GPS, Wi-Fi, and cell tower triangulation to analyze accurate GPS.
• Analyze abnormal patterns in location data presented to you from sudden jumps in location or having unrealistic speeds during movement.
• Verify the accuracy of GPS by comparing location data to known landmarks, including buildings, bridges, or roads.
• Using a dedicated GPS simulator and comparing results to expected from provided data.
• Have a security measure to detect GPS spoofing apps installed on a user’s smartphone.

While the methods to detect GPS locations are presented above, it’s important to remember that detecting fake GPS locations is difficult and requires you to combine different methods. You can easily detect mock locations on Android, but the methods available if you’re on a different device will vary depending on the resources at your disposal.

Conclusion

Faking your GPS is easy nowadays. You can download an application and tinker with a few settings on your smartphone to start GPS spoofing. For secure virtual navigation, make Dr.Fone - Virtual Location your first choice. As a result, anti-spoofing in GPS is are the rise, especially if you’re on the receiving end of the data.

Knowing the telltale signs of a fake GPS is a must to ensure you will not be deceived when transacting online. In the end, the most effective way to detect if someone is faking their GPS is by checking if their smartphone has a GPS spoofing app.

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