WhatsApp is a social media platform for sending and receiving messages. Of course, you can share media using the platform and make calls, but that’s not all the app can do. Yes, you can share live location using WhatsApp.
WhatsApp allows you to share your live location with someone for up to eight hours. You can turn it off at any time, regardless of how many hours you selected before sharing your location. This comes in handy when you are trying to locate someone; they can share their location via WhatsApp for directions.
Things you should know before Sharing location with WhatsApp
- To share a one-time pin, select “Send Your Current Location.”
- If you want to update your location as you move, select “Share Live Location.”
- To stop sharing your live location on WhatsApp, go back to the chat and select Stop Sharing
- If you have shared your current location, you need to delete the message.
Why should I share my live location on WhatsApp?
There are many reasons to share your live location on WhatsApp. These include emergencies, monitoring for parents, live location tracking, direction, and more.
- Emergency: In situations that require swift help, you can share your live location with families on WhatsApp. This will update them on your current location if you are on the move.
- Monitoring: It’s easy to monitor your child when they share their live location on WhatsApp. It’s not as effective as Location Sharing on Google Maps since it doesn’t have Geofencing, meaning you monitor 24/7.
- Direction: When you share your live location with someone on WhatsApp, clicking the link opens Google Maps. They can locate you by clicking on Directions, which directs them to your location.
- Live location: If you are traveling, you can share your live location with families or friends in case of an emergency so they can locate or at least say where you are.
How to share live location using WhatsApp on Android
If you are using an Android phone and want to share your live location with someone, the process is straightforward. Follow the steps below to get started.
- Launch the WhatsApp app.
- Click on Chats and tap on the person you wish to share the location with.
- On the message bar, tap on the paperclip icon.
- From the pop-ups, select the location.
- To share your current location, Tap on “Share your current location.”
- Tap on Share Live Location if you want to keep updating the person with your current location.
- Choose how many minutes or hours you want to leave the location.
- There’s an option to add a comment before clicking the send icon.
If you have shared your location with someone, maybe to get directions to where you are currently, they can click the Live Location link. It will open Google Maps. To locate you, they only need to click on directions to get the best route to where you are.
How to share live location using WhatsApp on iPhone
There’s a difference between sharing live locations using WhatsApp on iPhone and Android. Follow the steps below to share your location, if you are using an iPhone.
- Launch the WhatsApp app on your iPhone and click on chats.
- Tap on the person you want to share your location with, to open the conversation.
- You can start a new conversation by tapping the New Message icon on the Chats page if you don’t have existing chats with the person.
- Click on the + icon at the right side of the message tab
- From the pop-up menu, select a location.
- You will need to allow permissions if it is your first time sharing a location using WhatsApp. Select Once, while using this app, or always. We recommend Always if you intend to share your location for a long time.
- Tap Send Your Current Location. You will see it below the map on your screen. A list of nearby establishments like hotels, parks, schools, churches, and stores that you can choose to share instead.
- A message with a red pin indicating your location will be sent to the recipient.
- The person can tap on the Map to open Google Maps then click on directions to receive the best route to your location
- To share a live location that updates the recipient with your current location, tap Share Live Location.
- It is at the top of the listing. You can select 15 minutes, 1 hour, or 8 hours.
What happens after sharing your Live Location
The recipient will get a map message with the View Live location. When they click on it, Google Maps will open, but still on WhatsApp. To get directions to your current location, they will tap on your profile picture, which tells them how many meters you are away from them.
When they tap on the tab above your pin location and click on Get directions, Google Maps will open. To get the routes to your location, they need to Click Directions. Tap on Start, and the voice assistant will guide you while they come to you.
What will happen if you delete the live location message without stopping it?
WhatsApp knows people will try to be smart. Someone can share your live location with themselves and delete the message afterward. Hence, once the Map message is deleted, the live-location sharing stops automatically. They would only see your location when the message was directed with a caption live location ended with the time it was last updated.
Conclusion
It’s safe to share live locations using WhatsApp with your friends, as you stay in charge. You can decide to stop sharing your location at any time. Since it stops automatically once the message is deleted, you should not be worried that someone might be using it to track your location without your knowledge.
And if you are worried someone might use the live location sharing feature to track you without your consent, it can only work for 8 hours maximum. Also, you will see a location icon on your notification panel that someone is probably monitoring your location. You can follow the notification to stop sharing your location.
