The Menlo Park company implements a new feature on Facebook Messenger: now you will be able to share your location with your friends
No one expected that Facebook would release new features a few weeks before the F8 Developer Conference - the annual meeting with developers - which will be held next April 18 and 19 in San Jose (California). And with this announcement related to Messenger has displaced all.
The giant of Menlo Park has just announced that Facebook Messenger now supports real-time location that allows you to share exactly where you are with friends to allow, if you wish, to meet in real life. However, this sharing only lasts up to 60 minutes and can be stopped at any time. Facebook is releasing the "live location" feature globally and will soon be available on iOS and Android devices.
How to share location on Facebook Messenger
Just tap - in iOS or Android - the location icon within a message to start sharing where you are. You'll then see a map of your current location and the option to share live. You can share your location for up to 60 minutes, as mentioned earlier, and there will be an indicator showing us how much time is left. Facebook will also provide an estimate of how long it would take to meet your friends - if you're moving by car - and estimated time of arrival that will also be shared with others. Although, at first glance, this feature seems designed for people on the go, you can use it even if you're not moving from where you are. Inform your friends and they will - why not - come to you to meet you.
Not just people-to-people
Although the new Facebook Messenger feature is optimized for people-to-people conversations, it can also be used by brands. If you're interested in buying something, but don't know where that particular store is, it will be possible to chat directly with the store, which could share the location of the closest store to you. The feature could also be used by hotels to help tourists find their way in case they get lost in a big city. In short, the scenarios that are opening up are many.