Smartphones let us stay constantly connected to our loved ones thanks to social media and messaging apps. Setting this aside: smartphone location systems go one step further by knowing where the device is at all times and, thus, the user.
There are apps that let us share our location with certain people, but they usually fail during the sharing process if different operating systems are used. Or they’re integrated into other features and go by unnoticed.
That’s why Google released its app Trusted Contacts, now available for iOS. This app already has a year under its belt, but until now, only Android users have been able to enjoy it.
Trusted Contacts lets you share your location at any time with trusted contacts of your choice who will know where you are at the time. The release of this app for iOS means removing a barrier and allowing family members and loved ones to share their location at certain times without worrying about whether it’s accurate or not. Also, users also can select the frequency that their location is updated. iOS provides a similar app, Find My Friends (and even Find my iPhone), but it’s exclusively for that operating system.
We’re sure to keep seeing examples like this where our phone location is used as a search tool. For example, take the functionality that Facebook implemented on its platform where users can let their loved ones know that they’re safe after a natural disaster or attack. Not to mention WhatsApp’s feature for location sharing. We’re sure there’s still a lot to learn in this field and we’ll keep seeing improvements in the future.
