NAIROBI, Kenya — WhatsApp has introduced a new feature allowing users to temporarily share their real-time location with individuals or groups, as part of its latest update rolled out on March 3.
The company said the live location tool is protected by end-to-end encryption, ensuring that only selected recipients can view a user’s location and only for a duration chosen by the sender.
“Live Location lets you share your real-time location with members of an individual or group chat. You control whether and how long to share your live location. You can also stop sharing your live location at any time. Once stopped or expired, your live location will no longer be shared,” WhatsApp said in a statement.
Recipients who receive a shared location will see it update in real time.
Once the session expires or is manually stopped, the live feed ends, though a static thumbnail of the last shared point may remain visible and can be tapped to view the most recent location.
How It Works
To use the feature, users must enable location permissions on their devices by navigating to Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Permissions > Location. Access can be set to “Always,” “Allow only while using the app,” or “Never.”
To activate live sharing, users open an individual or group chat, tap “Location,” then select “Share Live Location.” They can choose the duration of sharing and optionally add a comment or emoji before sending.
To stop sharing in a specific chat, users can open that conversation, tap “Stop Sharing,” and confirm.
They can also end all active live location sessions at once through Settings > Privacy > Live Location and selecting “Stop Sharing.”
Broader Industry Trend
WhatsApp’s parent company, Meta, recently introduced a similar live location-sharing map on Instagram, allowing users to opt in and view friends’ locations in real time.
Meanwhile, X rolled out a comparable feature in February, enabling users to share live location updates on their timelines.
The move sparked debate in several jurisdictions, including France, where authorities raised privacy concerns.
WhatsApp said that if users experience difficulties accessing the feature, mapping data is supported by services such as Google Maps and Facebook Places.
The update reflects a growing trend among social platforms to integrate real-time mapping tools while emphasising user control and encryption safeguards amid heightened global scrutiny over digital privacy.
