Use Google Location Sharing to Keep Track of Loved Ones

It’s hard to imagine now, but not so long ago, you couldn’t just reach out to someone anytime you wanted. Once your child, spouse, or friend was out of sight, you literally had no way of knowing if something was wrong until it happened.

With the mobile phone, this is a thing of the past, but smartphones have taken the ability to follow the people you care about to a new level.

Whether you have an Android or iOS device, you can now constantly share your location with another person, and they do the same for you.

This means that you can check where they are at any time using the Google Maps app or by visiting the website. Most importantly, you’ll always be able to see their last known location, as well as how much battery power is left in their phone.

Obviously, iPhone users can use apps like Find My Phone or Find Friends, which are better than Google Maps, but it’s still worth knowing. For Android users, this is a great option.

Sending location via Google Maps

Share location through Google Maps

Before anyone can share their location, both people must have a Google account and be in each other’s contact list. This will happen automatically if either of you has ever sent each other an email or message in Hangouts.

Since your mobile device can be tracked, you can only do this from your phone. If you go to this feature on the website, you will only be able to view the locations that have been shared with you. Whether you are using iOS or Android, the process is almost identical.

First open the Google Maps app. Note that you must be logged in for location sharing to work.

Now tap on the hamburger menu icon at the far left.

Choose Share Location> Add People. It’s a little plus sign next to the man.

Now choose how long you want to share your location. The default is one hour.

Then click Select People.

Enter the email address of the person you want to share your location with in this field.

After you select the right person and confirm, they will see your real-time location in their Google Maps app. Now you no longer have to worry about where your loved ones are!

Note that in order for this to work, you need to change a few settings on your phone. On your iPhone, you will need to give the Google Maps app access to the Always location, and you will need to enable background app refresh.

Once you do this, the other person can view your location at all times until sharing is turned off. If the other person has not shared their location with you, this will be indicated on the screen. You can click the Request button for them to share their location.

Please note that angry people who can get their hands on your phone can turn it on without your consent. You can always know when your location is being broadcast if you see the location arrow at the top of your phone on the home screen.

To check and see which app is using your location, go to Settings> Privacy> Location Services and scroll down until you see an app with a purple location icon.

This means that the app recently used your location. Then you can log in and make sure location sharing is turned off if needed. You will also be able to see who you shared your location with and hopefully catch them. Enjoy!

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