With iOS 27, Apple is finally giving users more precise control over how long they share their location using the Find My app. A new “Custom” option lets you specify the exact minutes, hours, or days you want sharing to last — or pick a specific end date and time. In past versions, temporary sharing was limited to only two presets: for one hour, or until the end of the day. The only other choice was indefinite sharing.
That restriction has caused friction in real life. People often want sharing just while traveling, during visits, or a getaway — occasions where “one hour” or “end of day” don’t cut it. Without more flexible options, many defaulted to indefinite sharing, then had to remember to revoke access manually, which could be awkward or risky.
How Custom Duration Works
Once you tap to share your location in Find My, there’s now a “Custom” duration setting. From there, you can choose an end time or date, or set sharing to expire after a specific amount of time — down to minutes if needed. This makes it easy to plan ahead, like sharing during a concert, road trip, or friends’ visit, without leaving things enabled longer than necessary.
Why It Matters — Privacy, Practicality, Peace of Mind
This change reflects a broader trend: giving users more control and precision over location data. Many privacy advocates and everyday users have long requested scalable sharing durations to avoid over-sharing. The new options in iOS 27 mean less need for constant micromanaging after events or trips.
For those who already trust Find My for coordinating and staying connected with people, this update makes it more useful and safer. It closes a gap that’s existed since temporary sharing was introduced, where limited preset durations often forced users to choose between too little or too much sharing.
Going forward, it’s worth watching how this improvement merges with other privacy tools Apple offers — like tracking permissions, location history, and sharing across devices. With more finely tuned defaults and settings, users may expect better transparency and simplicity in future updates.
The takeaway: iOS 27’s new custom sharing durations in Find My add overdue flexibility. Whenever you need to share your location — for minutes, hours, days, or until a specific date — you can set an end proactively. It’s a subtle change, but one that noticeably improves privacy control and fits real-world needs.
