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Messaging apps like iMessage, Telegram, and WhatsApp have offered live location sharing since 2017, and now Android phones running Google Messages can finally do the same.
It’s unclear why Google took so long to offer real-time location tracking, but the feature is now beginning to appear on Android, as spotted by 9to5Google. PCMag can confirm the feature is live, and you should see it soon if your app is up to date.
The feature lets you share your location for an hour, the rest of today, or for your own chosen duration. If you choose any option outside an hour, remember to turn it off manually when you're done.
Google's support documents describe an option to turn the feature on permanently, but our time experimenting with the app didn't show that choice. Turning the feature on indefinitely may be limited by other privacy settings choices you've made on your device.
Google previously had a one-time location-tracking feature that let you send a pin to the person you’re meeting with to show your current location. That remains as a separate option, but this new choice lets the person you’re sharing with track your location, so you can move around freely, knowing they can find you.
To find location tracking, open a conversation in Google Messages and tap the plus icon in the bottom-left corner. You’ll see a new option called Real-time location, which will first ask how you want to share your location with the app.
After this, a window will appear at the bottom with your details, including your device’s battery life and location within Google Maps. The tool is powered by Google's Find Hub functionality.
You can then select the timeframe you want the feature to apply to and press Send to share your live location. To turn this off, head to the conversation and tap the Stop button, then tap Stop sharing.
Oddly, the notification bubble over the plus icon in Google Messages won’t disappear once you’ve used it, like it would with other features. 9to5Google reports that their testing found that you need someone else to send their location to you for it to disappear. It's unclear if that's a bug or an egregious way to encourage Messages users to ask others to try out the feature.