Google Contacts and Maps are joining forces to offer pure Android users the ability to share real-time location without the need for third-party applications, thus reducing the number of intermediaries between users interested in the service and the companies that manage this information.
Real-time location sharing is often a widely used feature in applications like WhatsApp, where there is the possibility for a trusted person to know someone’s exact location. This is a function that has been active for many years in other services, but now Google will allow you to do it directly from its Contacts application.
Real-time from Google services
The Google Contacts service, as can be seen in its latest apk, will allow users to share their real-time location with other users who have this application. This is a very appealing improvement, despite the inconvenience that there are not as many users with pure Android, like those with Pixel, and therefore, with the Google Contacts application, since the different brands’ customization layers usually opt for their own Contacts application.
This is not the only recent improvement that the Google Contacts app has made, as they also announced the arrival of personalized ringtones, something that allows the user to have a different ringtone for each contact that calls them, an identifier that will allow them to know who is calling without having to look at the phone screen.
The Metamorphosis of Maps
Google Maps is going through one of its most significant periods of change in recent years. In addition to allowing the display of real-time location through Google Contacts, it has also made progress in other areas, not just in the past year, but in the past few weeks. For example, Maps entered the fall with a completely redesigned interface, opting for a minimalist interface similar to Apple’s, which has received some criticism, although it continues to be a huge success.
The Maps location history has also undergone significant changes in recent times. An example of this is that, from now on, the user will have greater control over their information, as Google will start storing travel and location history on the device, giving the user the option to share it freely with other devices where the Google account is linked. Likewise, the ability to easily delete this history provides even greater control over this service.
