Facebook Messenger Adds Option To Share Your Location Live With Friends
For anyone who’s ever planned to meet up with friends in a crowded area, you know it can be frustrating to nail down exactly where you are, texting things like: “I’m on the corner by the bodega.” “Which corner/bodega?” “The one with the ATM sign.” “You’re dead to me.” Facebook thinks it can solve this problem by allowing Messenger users to share their location live.
Messengers users will be able to share their location in a private or group message. Facebook gives the examples of friends trying to coordinate their plans, letting people know you’re close while on the way to an appointment, or perhaps giving your roommate a heads up while you’re on the way home late at night.
The live location feature will only show your location on the map for an hour at a time. It will show an estimate of long it’ll take you to get to others’ locations by car if they share where they are as well.
To activate the feature, users tap either the Location icon, or More icon and select Location. A map will then pop up showing your current location, with an option to share your Live location by tapping a blue bar. To stop sharing, hit “Stop Sharing.”
If you don’t feel like sharing your location while you move, you can also send a static point on a map.
Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.