Google Messages now offers real-time location sharing integrated with Find Hub and Google Maps. Set durations and manage sharing easily in chats. Learn how it works and its privacy details.
© A. Krivonosov
Google has started rolling out real-time location sharing in its Google Messages app. The feature is built on the Find Hub service and is integrated directly into the attachment interface. In the menu with the plus icon, the Location item has been renamed to Real-time location, while the option to send a standard Google Maps link remains as One-time Location.
After selecting the new feature, users can set a duration for sharing their location data and then send a special card with their current position into the chat. Several options are available: one hour from activation, until the end of the current day, until manually turned off, or a custom period that cannot exceed 24 hours. This allows for flexible control over how long the recipient can see the user's movements.
Sharing can be stopped directly from the chat by finding the relevant card. The recipient of the message also has the option to quickly start sharing their own location in response. Management of the feature is accessible not only through Google Messages but also via Google Maps and Find Hub, highlighting the tight integration within Google's ecosystem.
The feature has already appeared for some users of the app's beta version, and Google has published a separate help page describing how the tool works. The company notes that while messages with end-to-end encryption are only available to chat participants, location data processing is handled through Google Maps infrastructure and is governed by Google's general terms of use and privacy policy.