How to Fix No Active Device Used for Your Location on iPhone

Samuel Spenser Published on September 19, 2025Unlock iOS3-min reading

In modern life, location sharing has become an essential tool to stay in touch with our families, find our devices, and even navigate our daily lives. However, many users suddenly encounter the prompt "No active device used for your location" when opening the Find My app or trying to share their location, resulting in the inability to use the location function normally.

This is not only catching people off guard, but it can also affect the response to emergencies. This problem is especially tricky for users who rely on their iPhones for family location sharing, finding children's or elderly devices. Don't worry, this article will break down the problem step by step from cause analysis to comprehensive fixes, helping you quickly restore the positioning function.

Part 1. What Does No Active Device Used for Your Location Mean

When using Find My or sharing your location, some users suddenly see a prompt like "No active device used for your location". This doesn't mean that your device location is down, but rather that your current device isn't set as an active device for location sharing. When this issue arises, you won't be able to share your location with your family or see the real-time location of others.

This prompt can pop up in various situations, especially after a new phone or factory reset. For example, many users with newer mobile phone models will encounter the situation of no active device used for their location on iPhone 15 or iPhone 16. Even if the device is connected to the Internet and the location is turned on, the location service will still not be able to be used normally. This restriction will only be removed if you manually set a device as a shared location source.

Whether it's an iPhone or an iPad, understanding and mastering "what is screen timeout" is the first step to properly adjusting the device experience.

Part 2. Why You See No Active Device When Sharing Location

So why does my location say no active device? From the above, we can deduce that this is usually because the system cannot identify which device should be used to provide location information. This kind of problem not only affects the use of the Find My feature but also disrupts real-time location sharing with your family. Here are some common reasons that lead to you seeing no active device when sharing location:

• Not enable the Share My Location feature

You may not have turned on Share My Location in the settings or set up other features that allow sharing location on iPhone, or you may not have selected your current device as the sharing source.

• Apple ID Exception

If you have logged out of your Apple ID on the device, or if there are syncing issues with your account, the system will not be able to link this device as a location source.

• Device not connected to the network

A lack of stable Wi-Fi or cellular data connection may also prevent the system from recognizing whether the device is in an active state.

• Find My feature is restricted

For example, if Find My permissions are turned off in Screen Time, or if Find My iPhone is disabled.

If you are using an iPhone and encountering these tips when sharing your location, it means the system has not been set up correctly. You can first check if the above issues are the cause.

Part 3. How to Fix No Active Device Used for Your Location

After understanding the reasons why such a prompt may occur on your iPhone, you don't need to panic; you can troubleshoot and solve it step by step by step. It is recommended to try it sequentially, rechecking that location sharing is restored with each completed step.

Enable location services

Reboot Find My settings

If you use Family Sharing, make sure that other members are allowed to see your location on their devices. If you don't want your family to keep track of your activities, you can also choose to send fake location in good faith.

Reset network settings

It's important to note that this action clears saved Wi-Fi passwords and VPN configurations, but does not delete personal data.

Request location sharing

If the person doesn't receive the location, you recommend that the person check if their Find My settings allow the location to be received.

Sign out and in Apple ID

Restart iPhone

Restarting clears the system's temporary cache and helps restore functionality.

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Part 4. Bonus Tips: Best Way to Unlock iPhone and Restore Location Sharing

If the prompt of no active device used for your location is caused by Apple ID lock, iCloud activation lock, forgotten screen passcode, etc., then the regular setup method may not solve it. At this time, you can use the professional iPhone unlock tool imyPass iPassGo to quickly unblock the restrictions and re-enable Find My and location sharing features.

Conclusion

Adjusting the screen timeout settings can make your iPhone and iPad more power-efficient and better suited to your usage habits. If you can't change it because you forgot your screen time password, you can use a tool like imyPass iPassGo to remove the restrictions easily, making the operation smooth and hassle-free.