The popular messaging app Whatsapp with 1 billion users has announced a new feature called “Live Location.” With this new feature which will be coming soon on both Android and iOS devices, users will be able to share your location in real time with friends on your contact list. Live Location is a popular feature inspired from its parent company Facebook.
Whatsapp announced this feature today on a blog post saying: “Today, we’re rolling out a new feature that allows you to share your location in real-time with family or friends. Whether you’re meeting up with friends, letting loved ones know you’re safe, or sharing your commute, Live Location is a simple and secure way to let people know where you are. This end-to-end encrypted feature lets you control who you share with and for how long. You can choose to stop sharing at any time or let the Live Location timer simply expire.”
To use the feature, first, make sure that your Whatsapp is up to date. Then open a chat with a person or group. Tap the attach files icon and then tap the “Share Live Location” icon. You can also set a timer for how long your live location will be shared with all the contacts you have chosen to view your location in real-time. You can disable the shared live location even before the timer expires or you can just wait for the timer to expire.
The real-time location map will feature an icon of a person sharing their location. If multiple persons are sharing their live locations with you then the map shows the real-time locations of all the persons. Whatsapp promises that, like all the other messaging and call features, the live location will be end-to-end encrypted so that it provides security to the users. Without end-to-end encryption, hackers may easily know your location.
Are you excited about the new live location feature on Whatsapp? Share your views in the comments below!