Sharing location and directions with Google Maps – ABOUT MAG 2020

Paula Fonseca

Google Maps recently added a new location sharing feature to its iPhone and iPad app. This is useful when you are trying to meet people, especially in large areas like parks or beaches. You can easily choose who you share with, for how long and how. The app also makes it easy to share routes to destinations, great for getting information about possible routes or for planning trips shared with other drivers.

See how you can share your locations and directions with Google Maps.

Sharing your location directly with Google Maps

Google Maps offers a few different methods for sharing your location. The first is to share directly on Google Maps with people on your Google contact list.

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  1. Open Google Maps on your iPhone or iPad
  2. Touch Menu button (looks like three stacked lines)

  3. Touch Share location.

    Open Google Maps, touch Menu, touch Share location.

  4. Touch Start.

  5. Touch + or – buttons to increase or decrease the amount of time your location is shared with people. Alternatively, tap Until you turn it off disable location sharing manually.

  6. Touch Select people to share your location directly through Google Maps.

    Touch Introduction, touch + or -, touch Select people

  7. Touch the icons of the people you want to share your location with.

  8. Touch To share.

  9. Touch Turn on.

    Select people, touch Share, touch Enable

Sharing your location on Google Maps with a link

Google Maps also allows you to share with people using a link that can be shared freely using Messages or third party apps.

  1. Open Google Maps on your iPhone or iPad
  2. Touch Menu button (looks like three stacked lines)

  3. Touch Share location.

    Open Google Maps, touch Menu, touch Share location.

  4. Touch Start.

  5. Touch + or – buttons to increase or decrease the amount of time your location is shared with people. Alternatively, tap Until you turn it off disable location sharing manually.

  6. Touch posts to share a text message or iMessage, or tap More to share in a third-party application like Messenger or WhatsApp.

    Tap Getting Started, tap + or -, tap Messaging or More

  7. Choose who you want to send the link to in Messages or the third-party application.

  8. Touch Submit button in Messaging or in your application.

    Choose who to send to, tap the Send button

Sharing directions on Google Maps

This is useful if you are planning a trip and need information about other people’s routes or if you are planning a multi-vehicle tour to a shared destination.

  1. Open Google Maps on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Touch the blue directions button at the bottom right of the screen.

  3. Enter your starting point and destination.

    Open Google Maps, tap the directions button, enter the start and destination

  4. Touch options button in the upper right corner of the screen (it looks like three dots stacked).

  5. Touch Share Directions.

  6. Touch the app you want to use to share the instructions (in this case, Messages).

    Touch Options, touch Share directions, choose the app

  7. Choose who you send your directions to.

  8. Touch Submit button in your application of choice.

    Choose who to send to, tap the Send button

Questions?

If you have any questions about sharing your location or sharing directions on Google Maps, please turn to comments.

Paula Fonseca

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