Social network Whatsapp last week launched a feature that allows one to live-share one’s location in with family or friends.
According to Whatsapp, the feature will also help secure users – or at least track one’s safety.
“Whether you’re meeting up with friends, letting loved ones know you’re safe, or sharing your commute, Live Location is a simple and secure way to let people know where you are,” read the social network’s blog.
The user has control on who to share one’s live location with. The feature also helps one stop live location sharing at one’s leisure.
“This end-to-end encrypted feature lets you control who you share with and for how long. You can choose to stop sharing at any time or let the Live Location timer simply expire.”
HOW THE FEATURE WORKS
For the start, Whatsapp Live Location will be available on Android and iPhone device but the social network company “will be rolling out in the app in the coming weeks”.
One has to follow the following steps to use the new feature:
- Open a message with the person or people you want to share your location with
- Press the plus button in the bottom right hand corner and select location
- There will be a new option here to “Share Live Location”
- Select how long you would like to share your location for
- Hit send
- The live location will appear on receivers’ screens as a map
- More than one person within a group can share their location and all will appear as icons on the map
