Google quietly adds real-time location sharing to the Contacts app on Android

Location sharing apps are an easy way to find out where your family is. But if you use Android, it’s even easier to find out where your friends and family are.

In the latest version of the Contacts application, Google has discreetly activated the possibility of allowing someone to see your exact location in real time via Google Maps. It should be noted that this is not a new feature, since the possibility of sharing your location via Google Maps has already existed for some time. But the new addition to contacts is more convenient, because if you want to call or send an SMS to someone, you can do it and see where they are in one place.

There are, however, a few conditions that must be met to start sharing your location. First of all, you must have registered the other person’s Gmail account in their contact card on your account. Then, the person who indicates his position must have activated the sharing of the position in Google Maps (the person who sees this information does not need to activate the sharing of the position, unless he wants the other person to see it as well).

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How do I activate the feature?

To activate location sharing in Maps, simply go to the application, tap on the profile image at the top right, then tap location sharing and new sharing. An option allows you to share your location for a specified period of time or until the setting is disabled.

If these two conditions are met, you will see a small Google Maps module appear on the contact card of this person in your phone, under the options to call him or send him an SMS. By pressing on this module, you will get a map of where the person is currently located. You also have the option of getting directions to where she is or receiving an alert when she reaches your location.

The latest version of Contacts – version 4.22.37.586680692 – is required for this new feature. To find out which version you have, long-press the Contacts app, tap App Info, then scroll to the bottom of the screen. If you don’t have the latest version, go to the Google Play Store and search for it.

While Google Contacts is the default option for all Pixel devices, it can be downloaded by anyone with access to Google Play – which means that any Android device can access this new feature. Since Google Maps is available on iOS, an iPhone user can be seen on the contact card of an Android, but since Google Contacts is not available for iOS, it does not work the other way around.

Source: “ZDNet.com “