Google has announced that users of Google Maps can now share their real-time locations with their colleagues, friends and family temporarily.
Essentially, the new feature will enable the user share information about where they are and direct them to the exact spot.
The feature may come in handy, if a user finds his or herself in a tight situation where they need urgent help. It also allows the user pick a special friend – like a family member, spouse or love interest, to share locations with on a long-term basis. The people the user is sharing the location with will be able to see them on Android, iPhone, mobile web and even desktop.
To enable, users have to open the side menu or tap the blue dot that represents where they are. Tap “Share location” and then select who to share with and how long to share.
“You can share your real-time location with your Google contacts, or even share with friends and family by sending a link on your favourite messenger apps. When you are sharing your location, the people you have chosen to share with will see you on their map. And you will see an icon above the compass on our own map reminding you that you are actively sharing your location. You can change your mind and stop sharing at any time – it is entirely up to you,” said Daniel Resnick, engineering manager, Google Maps.
The feature is an option that is best suited to close friends and family members, people with whom you would not mind sharing your whereabouts with on a daily basis. It might also be handy for parents with children whom they may want to keep an eye on.
The location-sharing option is similar to Latitude which Google used to offer and was also built into Google Maps. Latitude was however pulled from Google Maps in 2013 and transferred into social network Google+.
Location-sharing features can be very useful but sometimes they may be a problem. For instance, users who do not remember to press the share button can expose themselves to being tracked or stalked by other users with not-so-good intentions. Facebook which has had the feature for some time, decided to remove the precise location sharing component in its Nearby Friends and now offers to show proximities and neighbourhoods instead.
Google however explains that the feature is “about making things simple, accessible and giving people that access to transparency. Anyone with bad intentions can find many other apps and means out there. We are focused on adding on that layer of convenience.”
