Google Messages Finally Has Real-Time Location Sharing

Android users are now able to share their live, real-time location in Google Messages, so you can easily see where your friends and family members are and are moving to over a period of time. This makes it easier to coordinate meeting up or share your whereabouts for safety reasons.

Real-time location sharing was previously available in Find Hub but is now being integrated directly into Messages. Until this change, location sharing in Messages was limited to a static Google Maps link. Similar functionality exists in other messaging apps like WhatsApp and Messages on iPhone.

When using real-time location sharing, Google allows you to set a custom duration (up to 24 hours), or you can choose to share for an hour, until the end of the current day, or indefinitely until you manually stop sharing. Note that while your messages are encrypted end-to-end and visible only to the users in your conversations, this feature is powered by Maps, which processes your location.

If you don't see the update yet, it's likely coming soon, as Google has published a support article detailing the feature.

How to share your real-time location in Google Messages

To share your location in Google Messages, you need to be signed into your Google Account—you'll be prompted to do so if you aren't already. Open a conversation in Google Messages and tap Attachment > Real-time location. (The first time you share, you'll need to tap I accept to confirm the updates to Location Sharing settings.) Choose the duration and tap Send.

If you want to share your location with someone who has already shared theirs with you, select the message with the contact's location, tap Share next to your name, set the duration, and hit Send. You can stop real-time location sharing by selecting the message with your location and tapping Stop > Stop sharing next to your name.