With more than a billion active users. WhatsApp is one of the most popular instant messaging platforms out there. It works across operating systems, offering a way for friends and family to chat and exchange pictures and files relatively quickly. Facebook’s WhatsApp is, for many people, the main app for texting, and the company just announced a brand new feature that should further enhance chatting experiences.
WhatsApp will support live location sharing on iPhone and Android in the coming weeks, and it’s all protected by end-to-end encryption just like texts and calls placed within the app.
Location sharing isn’t exactly new for WhatsApp or other mobile apps, including WhatsApp alternatives like iMessage or Facebook Messenger. WhatsApp already lets you share your location with friends and family. The new feature, however, will allow you to track your friends in real time.
That way, you can see on a map exactly where your children are. Or how long you have to wait for your friends to arrive.
Once the feature is available, you’ll be able to share your live location with everyone in the chat of your choice, meaning that groups are also supported. That way, you can keep track of various individuals simultaneously.
You can choose to share your location for 15 minutes, 1 hour, and 8 hours, and stop it whenever you desire.
The option will be found inside the Location menu in the attach button — look for Share Live Location. If it’s not there yet, you need to wait for a WhatsApp update to have it enabled.
