Google earlier this week introduced a new application that enables you to easily track your loved ones. The location sharing app called Trusted Contact allows you to share your exact location with your friends and family. The list of people who can request your location has to be approved by you.
While users will need to manually approve every time someone from this list sends the request to learn about the location, the app will automatically approve the request after 5 minutes, sending your location. Google has also added offline support. Which means if you are out of cellular service and internet access, the app will send your last known location to the person who sends a request.
Another feature allows contacts to "walk each other home," enabling one user to keep track of another's like a live feed. The concept is simple but immensely helpful as Trusted Contacts makes is easier to keep tabs on your friend who is heading home at night, or your spouse out on a hiking trip - not to mention natural disasters, car accidents, and other situations where users can proactively share their location if they feel unsafe.
How to add your friends to Google's Trusted Contacts
Before your family and friends can learn about your location with a single tap, you will have to add them to the Trusted Contacts. Here's how to do that.
- Install and open Trusted Contacts.
- For the first time, Trusted Contacts will walk you through the process of adding contacts.
- To set up a new contact, tap on Add contacts button at the bottom of the home screen. You can also tap the Menu button in the upper-left corner to go to Add contacts option.
- Search your contacts on your device, and select Add next to the one you want to send an invitation to.
The app is currently only available on Android. But, Google is expected to release Trusted Contacts for iOS soon, as well.
