Following an Android launch last December, Google recently announced that its location sharing app, "Trusted Contacts," is out now on the iOS App Store [Direct Link]. The company described the app as a way for users to get together in everyday situations, as well as in emergency scenarios where they can let friends and family know that they're safe.
Now that the app is on both Android and iOS, cross-platform location sharing is available so you can keep track of any friends and family members no matter if they own an iPhone or Android smartphone, so long as they're also using Trusted Contacts. Similar to the Android app, the iOS app supports offline use, showing those who can see your location where you were last before you went offline.
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Google highlighted a few features on the Trusted Contacts App Store page, including integration with Google Maps and its "Share Location" feature that launched in March:
- Add your closest friends and family as trusted contacts.
- Allow trusted contacts to request your location. If everything’s fine, you can deny the request. If you’re unable to respond, your last known location is shared automatically within a custom timeframe (works even if you’re offline or your phone is out of battery).
- Proactively share your location if you feel unsafe or find yourself in an emergency.
- Integration with Google Maps location sharing, so you can easily enable permanent location sharing with selected contacts and find them directly within Google Maps.
Location sharing is a popular, and controversial, feature of many apps nowadays. Most recently, Snapchat launched the "Snap Map," which lets users share and update their location on an animated map any time Snapchat is open. Likewise, Facebook Messenger launched "Live Location" earlier this year, letting friends send their location to one another directly within text conversations.
Top Rated Comments
...and Google
If you were watching a sci-fi movie 10, 15 years ago and saw everyone walking around with a slab of glass loaded with an array of sensors and a global positioning system that tracks their every move, you'd say "hey, that seems like something that could be used by a corporation or government to gather intelligence and exert control" -- but somehow when it's happening in real life over the course of a decade, we're all just accepting it.
Two women in my family are survivors of horrific abductions, and I've had a harrowing escape as a preschooler, myself, so I've been hyper vigilant all my life and evaluating tools like these. On the flip side I've also been wary of location tools like these giving predators an advantage. So always approach these things with an abundance of caution and know how to manage your settings.
Samsung phones have a panic feature built into them already. It would be nice to have something for the iPhone. However in real life abductions or accidents it's likely you'll be separated from your cellphone almost immediately.
Find my friends, but cross-platform.
Ok.
I like find my friends..... but, I trust Apple.
I have no problem only being able to use the “safety” aspects of this w/ ppl that also own Apple devices.
I guess if I literally had nobody I trusted that owned an iPhone, I’d consider this.
As is.. I’m good. I’ll get exactly the same functionality with find my friends, sans uncomfortability of sharing such data with Google.