If you have ever been in a situation where you’re trying to meet your friends or family for a gathering or event and you’re unable to properly locate them – Google Maps has the perfect update for you. A new feature just introduced into the Google Maps client that allows you to share exactly where you are with your contacts.
This isn’t a mandatory feature that you have to use but if you so choose – you are now able to tell your friends and family your precise location and Google Maps will provide them with directions right to where they need to go for a short period of time. There’s also a secondary feature that allows you to share your data with a spouse or whoever you like for a longer duration of time.
This isn’t the first time something like this has become available for mobile devices and location services. On the Apple iPhone – you have the ability to share your current location with your contacts through a simple click of a button in an iMessage or text message. I have personally used this feature when my friends are wondering how far away I am from their house and instead of using words; I have used the location-sharing feature.
These new features are currently available for use through the Google Maps mobile application across all phones where you can download the app. You’ll still have to go into Google Maps and turn this new feature on for each individual person you’d like to share your whereabouts with.
It’s a little difficult to say what this could mean for the future of privacy but as long as the control is in the hands of the user – We can assume this won’t be going in a bad direction.
You can download Google Maps for iPhone, HERE!
You can download Google Maps for Android, HERE!
