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- A new location-sharing upgrade for Google Messages has been spotted
- You will be able to add multiple map layers, including live traffic
- It is not clear how long it will take before the feature is activated for everyone
While Google has added many new features and refinements to its Google Messages app over the past few months and years, it still lags behind competitors like WhatsApp when it comes to various facets of the app — like sharing your location with other people.
This is something that’s essential for social gatherings, keeping tabs on the kids, planning travel times, and more besides, and hidden code seen by Android Authority suggests that location sharing in Google Messages is about to get a major upgrade.
This is code that is present but not yet activated in the latest beta version of Google Messages for Android, but the Android Authority team was able to make it work. It adds different map types and a map detail option if you choose to share your location.
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Currently, you can only display a standard Google Maps-style map when sharing the location in Google Messages, but the new options allow you to switch to satellite or terrain views instead, as well as overlay live traffic information on top.
Benefits for users
The satellite view would make it easier to find someone in relation to a landmark or feature or the landscape, for example, while the terrain view would give you a better idea of how easy (or otherwise) it might be to reach someone in a remote area.
Then there’s the traffic aspect – say, if the streets are closed around a person you’re trying to pick up in a car, you can get them to walk and meet you, instead of being unnecessarily stuck in a traffic jam.
Most of the time I tend to default to WhatsApp when it comes to letting people know where I am because everyone has the app and it’s easy to use. You can also set time limits for location sharing, something Google Messages doesn’t have.
If improvements like this continue, I might switch to Google Messages for Places instead – at least for those on Android. There’s still work to be done, but the feature only arrived this year, so it’s encouraging to see upgrades already on the way.
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