Apple's upcoming iOS 27 update, unveiled last week at the WWDC keynote, introduces a range of significant improvements to the Find My app. Currently available as a developer beta, with a public beta expected in July, the final release will roll out to all users in September. Three standout features focus on privacy and user control over location sharing.
Hide Location
One of the most anticipated additions is the Hide Location option. This feature allows you to discreetly pause location sharing with specific individuals until the end of the day, without triggering any notification or alert to the other person. Apple designed it for situations requiring discretion, such as organizing surprise birthday parties. This marks a new level of fine-grained privacy control, similar to trends in social media where users can tailor their experience, as explored in our article on user-controlled algorithms in social media.
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Custom Durations for Location Sharing
With iOS 27, Find My lets you share your location for a custom period between 15 minutes and 30 days. You can set a precise number of days, hours, and minutes, or choose a specific date and time for the sharing to expire. This is a major upgrade from iOS 26, which only offered three preset options: indefinitely, until end of day, or one hour. Such flexibility is ideal for scenarios like sharing your location only during a trip or an event.
Landscape Mode
iOS 27 expands landscape mode support to more native Apple apps, including Find My. While landscape mode was already available in Maps, Calendar, Files, Notes, and Mail on earlier versions, the new update brings it to many additional apps. Simply rotate your iPhone sideways to activate it, provided Portrait Orientation Lock is turned off in Control Center. This change may lay the groundwork for the rumored iPhone Ultra, a foldable device that would benefit from landscape-optimized apps. Industry leaks suggest Apple is developing a foldable iPhone with a display over 7 inches, potentially launching in 2027, and app adaptations are a necessary step forward.
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These new Find My features represent a step forward in Apple's strategy to balance connectivity and privacy, two cornerstones of its ecosystem. With the ability to hide location without alerts and set precise sharing durations, users gain unprecedented control. For more details on how Find My works, visit its Wikipedia page.
Source: https://www.macrumors.com/2026/06/18/ios-27-find-my-features-hide-location
