How (and when) to share your location on WhatsApp

Whether you’re meeting up with friends, making sure your loved ones can track your journey home, or sharing the GPS location of a place, WhatsApp’s location sharing feature can be incredibly useful. Here’s how you can use the different WhatsApp location sharing options in different situations.

How to share your live location on WhatsApp

Sharing your current location on WhatsApp allows the recipient to see your real-time whereabouts over a period of time. You can share your location for 15 minutes, 1 hour or 8 hours.

I find this feature incredibly useful whenever I’m driving home late. This keeps parents informed of my journey and gives them peace of mind.

To share your current location on WhatsApp:

1. Open the chat or WhatsApp group you want to send your location to.
2. Tap on paper clip icon in the lower right corner of the screen. If you’re using an iPhone, tap plus icon in the lower left corner.
3. Select from the menu that opens Location.
4. Select Share your current location and select your preferred duration.
5. Add a comment if you want, then press submit button.

Once you share your current location, the recipient will see your location as a static thumbnail in the chat. Click on this image to see your last updated location. If you want to stop sharing your current location before the set time expires, you can do so at any time.

How to share your current location on WhatsApp

Sometimes you just need to let someone know exactly where you are at any given moment. In such cases, WhatsApp allows you to share your current location so that the recipient can see a pin indicating your exact location.

How to use:

1. Open the WhatsApp chat or group you want to send the location to.
2. Tap on paper clip or plus icon down and select Location.
3. Tap the location icon in the upper right corner of the map to restore your current location on the map.
4. Hit the ground running Submit your current location choice. You will also see how accurate your location is.

The recipient will see your current location as a static pin on the map, so they can easily find you. This feature is ideal for sharing a quick, one-off location rather than constant updates.

I’ve personally found this feature incredibly useful when I’m waiting for my friends in malls, coffee shops, or other crowded places. This eliminates the need to use separate apps to share and find my friends’ locations.

How to share PIN location on WhatsApp

While sharing your live location is great for letting others see where you are in real time, it requires you to be in a specific location. But what if you coordinate a meeting place in advance, such as a coffee shop or a friend’s house, without actually being there physically?

Fortunately, WhatsApp lets you share specific locations or location pins, making it easy to guide others to the location of your planned meeting. This function can be used as follows:

1. Open the WhatsApp chat where you want to share location, tap paper clip or plus icon at the bottom and select Location.
2. Tap on search icon at the top and enter the name of the place you want to send. Then select from the available options at the bottom.
3. You can also tap on square corner icon in the upper left corner of the map and then place the pin in place. Then tap on Submit this location.

This option is great for planning ahead and sharing places you know everyone will find easily – even if you’re not there yet.

I use this feature all the time when arranging group meetings – like once when I suggested a new restaurant to my friends. None of us were there so I simply dropped a pin on the WhatsApp spot and we all had it instantly. It saved us from confusion and kept the plans clear.

Now you know different ways to share location on WhatsApp. This makes it easy for people to navigate to your location, even if you don’t have a specific address. Meanwhile, live location tracking can keep your loved ones up-to-date on your whereabouts.