How to share your location on Android quickly – via text or Google Maps
Have you ever been somewhere and wanted to share that location with someone via your Android phone? If so, you might have assumed it would be as simple as “Dropping a pin” with your iPhone. Although it’s not complicated, it is not exactly straightforward. Plus: There are two different ways to do this.
Fun times.
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Let me help you out here, so you can easily share your location with friends, family, and others.
Are you ready?
How to share your location on Android phones
What you’ll need: The only thing you’ll need is a device running Android (preferably updated to the latest release). That’s it. Let’s send some locations!
Method 1: Via text
Let’s talk about the easiest method first.
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Open the Android Messages app and then either start a new message to a contact or locate a previous thread for that contact.
Tap the + button on the left side of the text area, and you’ll see several options to choose from. Tap Location and then (if prompted) tap “While using the app.”
There are several options to be found in the extended picker.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Google Maps will now open and attempt to find your location. I have found a few instances where I’ve had to step outside because Maps is unable to find my location. When it does find your location, all you have to do is tap the Send button, and the recipient will receive a link that will then open Google Maps so they can find you.
Make sure to check that your location is correct before sending.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Method 2: Via Google Maps
This is a more convoluted and less accurate method, but it always works. And if you’re already in Google Maps, why not take advantage of it?
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On Google Maps, locate where you are and long-press the location. If you’re at a business or other establishment, you should be able to see it listed on Google Maps, so it’s much easier to find.
After long-pressing the location, you should see the Share button at the bottom of the page. Tap that button and you can do one of two things: Copy the link (and then paste it into whatever app to share it with others) or you can tap a service (such as SMS) and quickly share it via that method.
You can simply copy the link and then share it with whatever app you want, or you can tap one of the contacts for quicker sharing.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
I prefer to use Method 1, but if I’m in a situation where Maps cannot locate my position, I’ll go with Method 2 because it never fails. The only caveat to Method 2 is that you have to make sure you long-press the exact location; otherwise, the recipient might not be able to find you.
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