Find My Friends on iOS 6 helps users keep track of traveling friends

Travelers might not have to worry about sending check-in emails to friends and family each time they arrive in a new city, while friends that meet on the road can track one another's routes through a region using the Find My Friends update on iOS 6.

Apple's Find My Friends has been mapping users' locations since its debut on the iPhone 4S, but the iOS 6 update includes location-based alerts pushed right to friends’ phones. This means travelers can be alerted when a friend arrives at the airport or the hotel to meet them. This may seem creepy, but Apple users have to share their location with each person they wish to see it.

How it works

Request to follow friends using their email address. Each person must accept the request in order to follow one another, negating the possibility of a stranger tracking your whereabouts. Notifications to alert an user each time a friend arrives or leaves a certain address can be set up without their permission, although the tracked party will be notified that a notification has been set up. If a friend’s phone is turned off, their location remains the same as the last place it was turned on.

The program can be used either by people at home following someone's travels or by fellow travelers. As long as users only share their location with trusted friends, it's a neat (albeit creepy) way to put an end to email chains asking when and where you'll arrive in a new place.