Update: the feature is now available for WhatsApp Beta testers. If you can’t wait to try it, Join the beta testing program and download WhatsApp Beta app from Play store.
Over a billion WhatsApp users will get a new feature on their social messaging app. WhatsApp will start rolling out a new update, starting today, that will allow users to share their Live Location on a real-time basis using WhatsApp. The feature will be available for both Android and iOS users.
Compared to the existing location sharing feature, with Live location sharing, your contact will be able to track your movements real time in the chat window, the same way you’d track an incoming Uber.
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What Exactly is Live Location?
WhatsApp, already, include location sharing feature but, it is static. With the new Live Location sharing feature, you can continuously share your actual moving location in a chat, even if the app is working in the background.
You can also, choose the longevity of the Live Location in a one-on-one WhatsApp conversation or a group chat. It could be for 15 minutes, 1 hour (default), and 8 hours, and optionally, you can add a comment below the shared location.
This could come in handy in numerous ways. For instance, if one of your acquaintance is trying to reach you, he can share his location live and you can monitor him real-time and ping him in case he takes a wrong turn.
How To Share Live Location On WhatsApp
WhatsApp user can get access to Live Location feature by pressing on the thumbnail, under the attachment icon. Once you tap on the Live Location, a screen prompt within the app that will show your location on the map, with ‘Live Until’ time and comment section below the map.
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You can even tap on ‘View Live Location’ that will take you to a map to see the current location of all the users presently sharing their location in the chat. The map will also reflect the names of the same viewers in a list-grid.
To see more details of the shared location user tap on a name or the profile picture on the map to zoom into the location of a particular user. If you want to communicate with them press the “i” button next to the user to bring a pop-up that lets you communicate with them using WhatsApp.
WhatsApp Live Location Sharing Alternatives
While Live Location sharing feature is something new to WhatsApp, the feature is already present on numerous other apps.
Some other popular apps that can share real-time location for you are:
- Telegram
- Glympse
- Facebook messenger
- Apple’s iMessage
- Google Maps
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