By Selena Wang, Product Manager, Messenger

Today we’re excited to announce a new way to share your location in Messenger. Our new Live Location feature makes it simple and seamless for you to choose to share where you are with your friends and family. This is rolling out globally and is available on both iOS and Android.

We’ve been testing this for a little while, and people tell us that Live Location is helpful when trying to coordinate with friends, telling people how close you are when you’re on your way to an appointment, or even sharing where you are with your roommate when you’re on your way home at night. You can share your Live Location with a group of friends in Messenger or just with one person — it’s up to you!

How It Works

To share your Live Location in a message on iOS, tap the Location icon or tap the More icon and then select Location. With today’s update, you’ll see a map of your current location and the option to tap a blue bar to share your Live Location. If you choose to share your Live Location, the person or people you share it with will be able to see where you are on a map for the next 60 minutes. You’ll be able to see an estimate of how long it would take to get to others’ locations by car. (The ETA is seen by the person with whom the location is shared.) You can stop sharing your Live Location at any time; just tap Stop Sharing. A small clock in the lower right hand corner of the map will also let you know how much longer you’re sharing your location for. For Android, tap the Location icon or tap the More icon and then select Location. You’ll see a map of your current location and the option to tap a blue bar to share your Live Location for 60 minutes. Just like on iOS, you’ll have the option to stop sharing your Live Location by tapping Stop Sharing, and you’ll see how much longer you’re sharing your Live Location for via a small count down clock in the lower right hand corner of the map.

It’s still possible to share a static point on a map, too. For example, if you want to tell a friend which coffee shop to meet you at, tap the location pin or the More icon, and then instead of choosing Share Live Location, tap the red pin in the upper right hand corner. From there, you can search for a place to share, or you can drag and drop the pin on the map. Then, tap Send.

Sharing your location in a Messenger conversation — either continuously for an hour with Live Location or as a static point — is completely optional. You are always in control. For additional information and instructions on sending or sharing a location in Messenger, please visit the Help Center.