Google Maps Location Sharing on iOS Gets Easier by Tapping Your Location

Back in March 2017, Google Maps for iOS launched real-time location sharing and the process has evolved over the years.

In a recent update, Google Maps now makes it easier to share your location in the iOS app. You no longer need to dive into your profile menu to access a location sharing link—all you need to do is tap your blue location dot, according to iPhone in Canada’s screenshot above.

“Let friends and family know where you are. Tap the blue dot to share your real-time location,” says a new pop-up message in Google Maps on iOS.

Once you tap your location dot, a menu pops up with ‘Share your location’ as the first option. Other menu items include ‘Add a missing place’, ‘Set as parking location’, ‘Download offline map’ and ‘Calibrate with Live View’.

When you tap ‘Share your location’, the map will show your exact access plus your phone’s battery life percentage to be shared. The default sharing time is for 1 hour, and pre-populated contacts show up for one-tap sharing.

If you tap the ‘more options’ menu, that brings up the iOS sharesheet, where you can share with contacts and apps, or create a link that shows your location. The thumbnail preview below is what your friends on iOS will see once you share your link with them:

You can easily stop sharing your location by tapping ‘stop’ in Google Maps.

The location sharing feature is handy if you’re meeting friends and family and don’t have time to respond to them while driving, for example. Other apps such as WhatsApp also allow you to share your real-time location. Apple users can do the same with Find My Friends, but the ability to create a public link isn’t available yet.