WhatsApp now lets you track the location of your friends.
The app is getting a new “live location” sharing feature that allows users to share their location in real time with friends they are chatting with.
Previously, the app had a location sharing feature, but it only allowed users to share a static point on the map. Now, when users select the feature, friends they're chatting with can see their exact location updated on the map as they move.
The feature, from which you can participate in any conversation, allows others to see your exact location for fifteen minutes, one hour, or eight hours at a time.
This may sound creepy, but WhatsApp says it's a "simple and secure way to let people know where you are." It's end-to-end encrypted, and users can end location sharing before the set time period is up if they want.
When it comes to privacy, the idea of permanent location sharing may not be popular for other reasons as well. Using GPS can often put a lot of strain on battery life, which could be particularly problematic in markets where users are using lower-end or older devices. But WhatsApp product manager Zafir Khan says they're paying close attention to the feature's impact on battery life and have made several optimizations so that it doesn't use a huge amount of battery, even if users are sharing their location for long periods of time.
“Our engineering team spent a lot of time optimizing battery usage,” Khan said, adding that factors like battery life and state of charge also play a role.
