Thanks to Google Maps, you and your friends will never lose each other again. The Google Maps live location sharing feature is coming to the iPhone app. We show you how it works.
Google Maps live location sharing added to iPhone app
Google will be adding a new feature to the Google Maps iOS app ‘soon’. This allows you to share your location live with friends and family. This makes it very easy to see the exact location of contacts in real time. Handy if you are meeting somewhere, but also if you want to know if your partner is already on the way home.
All you have to do is open the side menu, tap ‘Share location’ and tap the contacts who are allowed to see your location. These contacts are taken directly from your Google account, although you can also choose to send a link to people you don’t have in your address book yet. In the settings you indicate how long your location will be shared. When the time has elapsed, the function is automatically switched off.
In addition, Google also combines the route planner with this new function. This way you can show someone exactly how you are going somewhere, what the arrival time is and where you are at that moment. In the video below, Google demonstrates the feature by showing how friends lure someone to a surprise party.
Rolled out gradually, worldwide
The map will look slightly different from now on to represent the new Google Maps real-time location. When someone shares a location, a small icon will appear on the map with a photo of that person. A small icon above the compass reminds you that your location is being shared.
Google says the feature will be rolled out gradually worldwide. So keep an eye on the side menu of the app if you want to be the first to get started with Google Maps location sharing.