This article was published on March 27, 2017

Facebook Messenger now lets you prove you’re “OMW!” in real-time


Facebook Messenger now lets you prove you’re “OMW!” in real-time

Just a few days after Google added live location sharing to Maps, now Facebook is doing something similar on Messenger.

You could already share your location on the app, but it was basically just a quick snapshot of your location on a map. Now you can see where your friends are in real time as they move around a city, which will come in handy for all those times your friends are “on their way” but haven’t even finished taking a shower (or make it harder for you to lie about where you are).

Live Location in Messenger

Posted by Facebook on Sunday, March 26, 2017

 

To try it out, simply tap the new location icon, or tap the ‘more’ icon and then select location. Locations are shared for 60 minutes (though you can stop at any time), and work in group conversations as well. You’ll also get an ETA of how long it would take you to get to the other person’s place, if you both have location sharing on.

It’s a welcome addition. More than just stalking friends and family, it can come in handy when you’re visiting a new city and want to make sure no one gets lost, or if you want to make sure your friend arrived home safely after a late night out. That said, it would be nice to be able to change the time limits to always have it turned on with specific people.

Live Location sharing is rolling out globally to iOS and Android now.

Get the TNW newsletter

Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.

Also tagged with