Depending at how you look about it, Facebook Messenger has either gotten insanely better on iPhone and Android, or much worse. Why? Because the app now includes a new way of sending your location to friends and family.
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Considering that Messenger is one of the most popular cross-platform messaging apps currently in use, it makes sense seeing this particular feature roll out. Before the update, you could share your location with friends and family, but Facebook has now replaced it with a much better alternative: Users can now send a map of their locations or another particular place as a message.
In order to send location data to friends and family, all you have to do is tap the More icon or the location pin at the bottom of the screen. Once that’s done, you can share a map of your precise location inside the chat, including an actual map. On top of that, you can also share a location with friends, like a meeting spot, even if you’re not actually there.
The feature is completely optional, the company said in a blog post. Facebook doesn’t get location information unless you enable location services for the app, and Messenger will only get information from your device when a location is sent through the app, but not in the background.
The following images show you how the new Messenger location information looks like on iPhone and Android.
