WhatsApp rolls out 'Live Location' feature for real-time tracking

Popular instant messaging platform WhatsApp unveiled a new feature titled 'Live Location' for its iOS and Android user base. Moving along the lines of its parent company, Facebook, the new feature enables users to share their location with friends and family in real time.

The new feature will be available under the 'Location' option in the 'Attach' tab. To use the feature, a user may open a chat with a person or group and access the same via the aforementioned path and tap on "Share Live Location." Users can also set a timer for how long the location needs to be shared, thereby enabling all chosen recipients to see where the user is on a map in real time.

The feature also works if multiple people share locations simultaneously, as people's icons will then appear on the same map, according to The Verge.

Keeping user privacy intact, WhatsApp stated that like all of its other messaging functions, location sharing will be end-to-end encrypted. The presence of the timer is important for user security, as they can choose to stop sharing their locations whenever, or let the Live Location timer expire.

Earlier in May, Facebook officially rolled out temporary location sharing in its Messenger platform, after years of experimentation in different formats within Messenger and the main Facebook app.