You meet friends in an unfamiliar neighborhood, the GPS indicates a street, but no one crosses paths. The reflex is to send an approximate voice message or a screenshot of the map. It works poorly. However, mapping applications offer real-time location sharing, which is much more reliable, but the process remains unclear for many users.
Google Maps Location Sharing on Android: Step-by-Step Guide
On an Android smartphone, Google Maps integrates a real-time location sharing feature directly linked to the Google account. The process begins by opening the app and tapping on the profile photo in the top right corner.
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In the dropdown menu, select “Location sharing” then “New share.” The app then asks for two things: the duration of the share and the recipient. If the contact has a Gmail address saved in the contacts, the sending is automatic via Google Maps. Otherwise, a link is generated to be sent via SMS or messaging.
The recipient receives an interactive map with the updated position. You can also share your Michelin location from this type of link by integrating it into a conversation where you recommend a restaurant or a stop.
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One point confirmed by user feedback: the sharing works even when the trip history is disabled. Real-time location and recording past movements are two distinct settings, allowing sharing without leaving a permanent trace.
Location Sharing on iPhone with the Find My App
On iOS, the native app is called “Find My.” It does not depend on Google Maps but on the iCloud account. You open it, select the “People” tab, then “Share My Location.”
Next, enter the name or number of the contact. The app offers three durations:
- Share for one hour, suitable for a one-time meeting in a public place
- Share until the end of the day, useful for a group outing or a hike
- Share indefinitely, reserved for close family circles who want continuous tracking
The recipient must also have an Apple device to see the location directly in Find My. For contacts on Android, you need to use a Google Maps link or a third-party app like WhatsApp, which also includes a real-time location sharing button.
Sending Your Location via WhatsApp or Telegram Without a Mapping App
Not all situations go through Google Maps or Find My. At a festival, while traveling, or when you want to avoid multiplying permissions, WhatsApp and Telegram offer native location sharing.
On WhatsApp, open a conversation, tap the paperclip (Android) or the “+” (iPhone), then select “Location.” Two options appear: send the current location (fixed, as a point on a map) or share real-time location for fifteen minutes, one hour, or eight hours.
Telegram offers a similar function, with one advantage: real-time location sharing also works in groups. In a group of hikers or during an event, each member can activate their sharing, and all participants can see the positions on the same map.
These messaging tools do not replace a mapping app for navigation, but they cover the main need: to specify exactly where you are without describing a route through successive messages.
Privacy and Control of Location Sharing: What to Check
Sharing your location with a friend for dinner is a one-time use. The problem begins when the sharing remains active without you remembering. Movements reveal habits, acquaintances, and sometimes sensitive information (workplace, healthcare facilities, places of worship).
Before activating a share, a few checks are necessary:
- Choose a limited duration rather than an indefinite share, except for a small and consenting family circle
- Regularly check who has access to your location in the settings of Google Maps (under “Location sharing”) or Find My (under “People”)
- Manually disable sharing after the event if you forgot to set a duration
- On Android, control location permissions app by app in the system settings
The CNIL reminds us that normalizing geolocation can lead to accepting a form of daily surveillance without being aware of it. Third-party apps (games, social networks, ride-hailing services) also exploit this data, sometimes beyond what the user imagines.
Location Sharing and Google Account: A Nuance Often Ignored
Google Maps can work without signing into an account, but the features for continuous and synchronized sharing are more complete with an active account. Without an account, you can view a map, start a route, but real-time location sharing requires authentication.
This distinction has concrete consequences. A teenager using Maps without a Google account will not be able to activate family sharing. A traveler logging in on a borrowed phone will need to log out afterward to cut access to their location. Feedback varies on this point depending on Android versions and manufacturer overlays, but the principle remains the same: connected account equals possible sharing, disconnected account equals function cut off.
Since the implementation of the Digital Markets Act in Europe, Google no longer automatically promotes its own services in search results. In practice, a user searching for “share my location” in their browser no longer systematically lands on Google Maps first. Other solutions (Apple Maps, Waze, messaging apps) appear with comparable visibility, broadening options without changing the processes described above.
Location sharing remains a simple function to activate on any recent smartphone. The real challenge is not technical: it’s remembering to turn it off when you no longer need it.