WhatsApp has added a new feature to its mobile app on Android and iOS that gives you the option to share your dynamic location in real time with your contacts. The new feature is called Live Location, because unlike the previous ability with WhatsApp to share your rather static location, the app now allows for real-time updates of your whereabouts. That means WhatsApp will know where you are currently and will determine your location once you change spot so that it is updated accordingly on the app.
To get started with the new feature, you just have to initiate a chat conversation with a contact and go to the option for adding an attachment to your message – in this case your location. Under that option, you will be able to choose to share your live location with friends and loved ones. There is also an option to set the duration during which your live location is visible to contacts, depending on how long you would like your friends to know where you are at any given point. Keep in mind that while your live location is visible to contacts once you enable the feature, your location data is protected by a layer of end-to-end encryption, which means third-party prying eyes cannot possibly see where you are via WhatsApp. You can also choose to stop sharing your live location with contacts if you no longer want to let them know where you are at any given time.
Live Location is similar to the real-time location sharing tool introduced by Facebook to Messenger earlier this year, in which users will be able to provide an update on their whereabouts with the people they’re chatting with at any given time during the conversation. The new feature for WhatsApp provides a helpful way to share an update on your location with your contacts in real time, especially when arranging for a meeting. It can also prove beneficial during emergency when you badly need to let your family members know where you are or that you are safe from harm. WhatsApp is now rolling out the Live Location feature to all Android users.
