Facebook Nearby Friends Is Gone: What Actually Works Now

Facebook doesn’t have a live map of your friends anymore — Nearby Friends shut down in 2022. If you want to know where a friend is right now, the closest thing on Facebook today is asking them to share their live location in Messenger. Tested on the Facebook app and facebook.com in September 2026.

Why “Nearby Friends” Doesn’t Work Anymore

Facebook retired Nearby Friends, along with Location History and Background Location, on May 31, 2022. Meta said usage had dropped as people got more careful about sharing real-time location data. If you’re searching for it in Settings, it’s gone for good — there’s no hidden toggle or app update that brings it back.

Share Live Location in Messenger (the closest thing that still works)

Phone app only. This doesn’t work on facebook.com — you need the Messenger app on both ends.

1. Open Messenger and go to the chat with the friend.
2. Tap the + icon next to the message box.
3. Tap Location.
4. Tap Start Sharing Live Location and pick how long — up to 1 hour.
5. To stop early, open the same chat and tap Stop Sharing.

Your friend needs to do the same for you to see their location, and both of you need location permission turned on for Messenger in your phone’s settings. If you just want to send one pin instead of tracking in real time, tap the same + → Location and choose Send Current Location — that shares a single spot, not a moving dot.

Check Where a Post or Photo Was Tagged

Facebook still shows location on individual posts, if a friend chose to tag one.

• Open a friend’s post or photo — a tagged place shows under their name, like “at Starbucks.”
• Tap the place name to see the map pin and other posts tagged there.
• On their profile, check the About section for recent check-ins, if they’ve made that visible to you.

This only shows places someone chose to tag, not where they are right now, and only if their privacy settings let you see it.

Find Sellers and Listings Near You on Marketplace

If “nearby” means local listings rather than a specific friend, Marketplace is built for that.

1. Open Marketplace from the Facebook app or facebook.com.
2. Tap your current location at the top.
3. Enter a city or ZIP code and pick a search radius, from 1 to 500 miles.
4. Tap Apply to refresh listings around that spot.

This changes what you see in Marketplace only — it doesn’t touch your main profile location or share it with anyone else.

See Distance to Matches on Facebook Dating

Facebook Dating shows an approximate distance to other people using the feature, not an address or live position.

• Open the Dating tab in the Facebook app — it’s app-only, not on facebook.com.
• Each profile shows a distance like “12 miles away,” based on your phone’s location.
• Adjust how far Dating searches under Dating Settings → Distance.

Matches never see your exact address — just that rounded distance, and only while you’re active on Dating.

Control What Facebook Knows About Your Location

If you’re the one worried about being found, check these two spots:

• Phone settings → Facebook / Messenger → Location — set to “Never” or “Ask” if you don’t want the apps reading your GPS at all.
• On Facebook: stop tagging your location on posts, and check who can see past posts under Settings & privacy → Settings → Audience and visibility.

Troubleshooting

Don’t see Location in the Messenger + menu? Update the Messenger app — older versions hide it. Live location not updating? Both people need a decent connection and the chat open, or notifications on, in the background; Messenger pauses sharing if the app gets force-closed.

FAQ

Is there an app that shows where my Facebook friends are right now?
Not from Facebook itself. Messenger’s live location sharing is the only real-time option, and it only works when both people opt in for that specific chat.

Can I bring back the old Nearby Friends map?
No. Facebook shut it down in 2022 and hasn’t rebuilt it. Any app or site that claims to restore it isn’t affiliated with Facebook — don’t hand it your login.

Does Facebook Dating show my exact address?
No. It only shows an approximate distance in miles or kilometers, never your address or an exact pin.