Google Maps has been one of the few services that help people commute. From finding out where they are, monitoring traffic conditions to estimating ETA.
But there are those age-old and tiresome questions people ask like: "Where are you?" or "When will you be here?"
Rolling out gradually to all users on iOS and Android worldwide, Google Maps wants to address this issue. On March 22, 2017, Maps is releasing a feature where users can share their real-time location with friends or family.
To do this, you don't need to leave Google Maps. You just need to open the side menu, or tap on the blue dot that represents where you currently are. There is a new "Share location" option where you can share your location. There is also an option to set the time limit.
When you're done, the people you've chosen to share with will see your location on their map. They will be able to see your location on iOS, Android, mobile web and also desktop.
In some scenarios, this feature could be used for:
- Checking on friends or family members whether they arrived home safely after a late night out.
- Letting others know where you are and what you're up to without constantly updating them.
- Preventing group members to get lost when travelling.
- Etc..
There is also a "More" button located at the bottom of the navigation screen. Tapping on it will show "Share trip", and this can be useful to share ETA and make those selected people to follow where you're heading.
Sharing ones location could be one of the most useful features, and Google has added it a bit too late. Some other apps, such as Glimpse has provided this feature for years.
Apple also has this feature for quite a while. The default Find My Friends app allows people to locate friends and family from their iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch, or iCloud, and people can also share their whereabouts on iMessage, which pulls data from Apple's Maps.
But that doesn't mean that the company has not thought of this before. Google had Latitude which provided similar feature. While others had better chance in the past, Google Maps in introducing location sharing to Maps is having the advantage because it's by far the most-used app for directions.