The latest version of WhatsApp lets users share their live location. This allows you to share your location with friends and family in real time. We show you exactly how it works.
WhatsApp live location sharing
The popular chat app already had the option to share your location with contacts, but this was a fixed place where you were at that time. By sharing your live location, you can also show where you are when, for example, you are in a moving car or train. The feature is part of WhatsApp version 2.17.61, which is now available on the App Store. To share your location live, follow the steps below.
- First of all, make sure you have the latest version of WhatsApp installed on your iPhone;
- In a chat, press the plus icon on the left and choose ‘Location’;
- Then you will see the option ‘Share live location’ appear. Tap this and choose how long you want to share your location live.
You indicate how long your location will remain visible to others. You can choose from 15 minutes, an hour or even eight hours. Others see where you are on a map during that period. If you are in a group app and several people share their location, they can be followed live on the same map.
WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption for the new feature, encrypting locations and allowing only the sender and recipient to see it. The chat app has also used that protection for all messages for a while.
Stop sharing
Did you share live location, but you want to stop this? Then you have two options. Tap the ‘Stop Sharing’ button in the chat, or just let the timer run out. Via ‘Settings> Account> Privacy> Live location’ you can see with which people you have shared your location. You can also go there to cancel sharing your location.
The latest version of WhatsApp can be downloaded from the App Store via the link below. The chat app weighs 150MB and works on all iPhones with iOS 7.0 or higher.
→ Download WhatsApp from the App Store (free)