Reading map status signals
What the marks on avatars and the family list mean — and what to do about them.
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Dimmed avatar and "hours ago"
No recent location received.
Their app may be closed, or battery-saving/location may be off.
Once they adjust their device settings, it updates live again.
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Avatar marked as hidden
This person isn't sharing their location with you.
They turned sharing off (their choice).
It shows again once they turn sharing back on. This is a normal privacy feature.
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Red or amber battery mark
Battery is running low.
Red at 20% or below, amber at 50% or below.
With Premium, you can get an alert when a family member's battery is low.
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Your location-hidden badge
You're hiding your location from that person.
You turned them off in location sharing.
Turn it back on in Settings > Location sharing.
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Warning banner at the top of the map
Location permission is off on your device.
Pinly doesn't have location permission.
Tap the banner and set location to "Always allow" in your device settings.
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Spinning icon next to the time
Location is refreshing.
Opening the map or selecting someone re-fetches the latest location.
Wait a moment and the time updates.
The activity mood and direction shown on avatars aren't alerts — they gently show what a family member is up to.