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Have you suddenly lost your company during a city trip? Would you like to indicate where your tent is located on the busy festival site? Or would you like to let a friend know on which terrace you are enjoying the sun? No problem! You can share your location with just a few clicks.
Of course, sharing your location is not only useful for meeting people. You can also use it to feel safer, because someone is aware of where you are. There are two ways to do this: via Google Maps and via WhatsApp.
Google Maps
Since January 2024, Google Maps has allowed you to share your location directly from the app. This is possible in both iOS and Android. To share your location via Google Maps, your friend’s Gmail address must be added to your contacts. Then check whether you are logged in with your Google account. To do this, open Google Maps and tap your profile photo in the top right corner. You will now arrive at a screen where the function Share location stands. This will indicate that your location will be updated when the app is not in use. Please keep this in mind. Now tap Share location.
From your profile you can go to the function with which you share your location.
Also read: 5 useful (and perhaps unknown) features of Google Maps
Some limitations
There are some limitations when sharing your location via your Google Account. If Google detects that you are under 18 years old, you can share your location for up to twenty-four hours. This also applies if your account is managed by a parent or guardian, or through the Google Family Link app. Are you younger than 13 years old? Then you cannot set up a Google account.
What’s also important to realize is that the person you share your location with will also see details that go beyond where you are. The person will also see your name, your photo, how full your battery is and your estimated time of arrival.
You not only reveal your location, but also your name and how full your battery is.
In the next step, select the person you want to share your location with. You can scroll through the contacts and choose the one. Or you tap More options to see additional features. We will come back to that in a moment. You can also determine here how long you want to share the location. Is it an hour? You can adjust the time with the plus and minus buttons. You can also go for the option Until you turn this off.
The other person sees your location on the map and how far away you are. The address details of your location also appear on the screen. Your contact uses the button Route to find the shortest route to you. At the bottom of the screen there is a blue button to also share his location with you.
After you go through Route are on the way to each other, you can choose the option Share journey progress activate. This allows your contact person to see at what time you meet.
Your contact reads your name and how far away you are.
Mutual sharing
If the other person does not spontaneously share their location with you, you can send a request to do so. To do this, you must of course first have shared your location with the other person. Then tap his name at the bottom and then tap Send request.
The person will receive a notification asking them to share their location as well. The person must confirm this in the Google Maps app. Your email address is shown so that that person can see who you are. Once this is done, you can tap his profile photo in Google Maps to see his location. To stop sharing, simply tap Fuses under the person’s name in Google Maps.
You can send the other person a request to also share his or her location.
Whether they are things, animals or children…
A GPS tracker keeps an eye on it
Calibrate
There are situations where the accuracy of Google Maps leaves much to be desired. This may be because you are standing between tall buildings. You can improve location accuracy by calibrating the app at that time. With the app open, press the blue dot indicating your location. Then click Calibrate. Hold the camera up and then scan the area with Live View. In Android you can also rotate the phone in a figure-eight motion.
Scan the area to calibrate Google Maps to make location determination more accurate.
Do you want to become invisible? This is how you delete Google Maps location history
No Google account
Does the person you want to share your location with not have a Google account? Then make sure that you are registered yourself. Then tap your profile photo in the top right corner. Choose again Share location. Under your contact’s name, tap More options and then tap Copy to add the link to your clipboard. You can now send the link via email or a messaging app. Here too, the duration is set to one hour. To stop sharing, tap Fuses in Google Maps onder Share via link.
You can send your location link to someone who doesn’t have a Google account.
Grant access location
WhatsApp is not just a messaging app. One of the options is location sharing. On an iPhone or Android smartphone, make sure WhatsApp location access is activated. If this is not done, the system will ask for it while sharing your location. On Android go to Settings / Apps / WhatsApp / Permissions to allow location access. On an iPhone you go to Settings / WhatsApp / Location and select Always.
If you’re concerned about your privacy or want to save battery life, you can temporarily disable location services on your phone for specific apps like WhatsApp. Sharing your location via WhatsApp is safe, because this app uses end-to-end encryption to protect your messages and location data. Of course, it is wise to only share your location with contacts you trust.
Battery empty again?
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WhatsApp uses your device’s default map app to display locations. It is possible to change this in your phone’s settings if you prefer to use a different mapping service. The web version of WhatsApp Web has some great features, but there’s no option to share your location from a computer.
Give WhatsApp access to your location.
Send location
Start WhatsApp and go to the chat where you want to share your location. On iPhone, tap the plus sign in the text box. Then you select Location in the menu. Do you have an Android phone? Then you need to use the paperclip icon at the bottom of the text box, which is the attachment button. Select Location in the menu.
Now you will see the options to send a nearby or current location. Tap Send your current location. This will bring up the location window in the chat. You can also tap the dotted square icon in the top left corner of the map if you want to send the location with the exact address. This places a pin on the current map. Tap the button at the bottom Send this location to send your location along with your address.
When you share a location, you can add a short description for additional context. For example, if you share the location of a restaurant, you can include the name of the restaurant or other relevant information. It is also possible to share your location with multiple contacts at the same time. When you select the recipients, opt for multiple chats before sending the location.
Select Location from the icons at the bottom.
If you prefer to keep the place where you are private, it is also possible to share another location in WhatsApp. Directions work exactly the same on iOS as they do on Android. Open the desired chat in WhatsApp again. Select the paperclip icon, followed by Location on Android, or the plus sign followed by Location on the iPhone.
Then tap the magnifying glass or search bar at the top of the location screen. Type the name of the location you want to send, then tap the location name in the options at the bottom. In Android, you can also manually drop a pin on the location by tapping the dotted square icon to open the map in full screen. Drag the map to position the pin. When the pin is in the correct position, tap Send this location.
You can also share the location of a nearby pin via WhatsApp.
Above we talked about how to share a static location with others. If you move away from that location, your new position won’t appear in the chat. You can also decide to have your location tracked in real time.
To share a live location on an Android or iPhone, open another WhatsApp chat. On Android, use the paperclip icon and then choose Location. On iPhone, tap the plus sign and choose Location. Then tap Share live location of Share live location and select the duration of sharing. is standard 1 hour set, but you can also choose 15 minutes of 8 hours. Then tap Send. You can stop sharing your live location at any time. To do this, go back to the chat and tap Stop sharing.
How long do you want to share the live location?
From WhatsApp status
It is possible to share your location in your WhatsApp status. To do this, you need to use the location sticker and then open WhatsApp on your Android or iPhone. Go to the tab Updates and tap the icon Camera. Take a new photo or select an existing photo to place in your WhatsApp status. Now select the icon Sticker top and select bottom Content stickers the icon Location. Choose Select your current location to add your current position to WhatsApp status.
It is also possible to use the search icon at the top to find another location to add to your status. Once the sticker appears, tap it to adjust the color. Click the button Send to publish the status with your location. It is not possible to share your live location from your WhatsApp status. This can only be done from the chat.
You can easily share your location in your status via the stickers.
Do you prefer the Google Maps work environment? Then you can still share the location from Maps in every WhatsApp chat. To do this, open the Google Maps app. You will see a blue dot at your current location. Press and hold this dot (or any other location). A number of options will appear, such as Route, The start, Save in Add label. Swipe the options to the left so you click To share can tap. In the subscreen you choose WhatsApp and then tap the chat in WhatsApp you want to send the location to.
If you tap the blue dot briefly instead of pressing it for a long time, you can activate the button Share location use to share the live location. Set the time for how long you want to share the location. Choose WhatsApp from the list of apps and select the contact you want to send the real-time location to.
You can also share locations via Google Maps from WhatsApp.
- What strategies did you use to successfully overcome the challenges of sharing your location on these platforms?
What was the main challenge you faced while sharing your location on WhatsApp or Google Maps? How did you overcome it?
