Google Contacts integrates live location sharing: How to use it
Google has rolled out a live location-sharing feature for its Contacts app, making it easier for users to keep track of their friends and family members' whereabouts. This update, available in version 4.22.37.586680692, requires your contact to share their location with you on Google Maps. Also, you need to have their Gmail address saved in their contact card. The live location-sharing feature is gradually rolling out, so keep an eye out for updates if you have not seen it yet.
Location sharing now more convenient than before
The ability to share your location is a valuable feature that aids others in locating you or even allows someone to monitor your safety. However, in the past, sharing your location was somewhat inconvenient on Android, as users had to share it through Google Maps. Now, the process has become more convenient, directly available within the Google Contacts app, provided a few conditions are to be met.
How does it work?
In the Google Contacts app, a contact card can display both your location-sharing status and your contact's location status. If you are sharing your location, a banner will be shown with the duration of your shared location. Additionally, there's a new button named "Location sharing" on contact cards for seamless interaction. In case your contact is sharing their location with you, their contact card on your device will show a small Google Maps block, providing live updates of their location.
Requirements for accessing live location
Ensure that the contact card of a specific person on your device contains the Gmail account of that individual. It should match the account they utilize for Maps. This is crucial for Contacts to retrieve location-sharing details. Plus, you need to use the Google Contacts app rather than the one provided by your phone's manufacturer. If you don't have the app installed, you can download it from the Google Play Store.
Potential integration with Google Messages
This new addition to Google Contacts could potentially expand to the Google Messages app in the future, putting it on par with Apple's iMessage in terms of location-sharing capabilities. This would further enhance Google Messages's competitiveness as an alternative messaging service. Currently, Google Messages can only share a static snapshot of a user's location without live updates.
