Sharing your location on Whatsapp from an iPhone is easy and convenient. With just a few taps, you can send your current location or a pin dropped on a map to any of your Whatsapp contacts. This allows you to let others know where you are or guide them to a specific meeting spot. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to send a Google map location on Whatsapp using an iPhone.
Prerequisites
Before you can share a location on Whatsapp, you need to make sure:
- You have an iPhone running iOS 10 or later
- The latest version of Whatsapp is installed on your iPhone
- Your iPhone has an active internet connection (WiFi or mobile data)
- Location services are enabled for Whatsapp in your iPhone’s Settings
- You have a Google map location that you want to share
Share Your Current Location
To share your current location on Whatsapp using your iPhone:
- Open Whatsapp and navigate to the chat where you want to share the location
- Tap on the Plus (+) icon in the chat bar
- Tap on Location from the menu
- Select Share Live Location
This will immediately send your current GPS coordinates to the Whatsapp chat. The recipient will see a map preview with a pulsating blue marker showing your location. You can choose how long to share your live location – 15 mins, 1 hour or 8 hours. The location sharing will automatically stop after the chosen duration.
Share a Location From the Map
To pick a specific location you want to share:
- Open Whatsapp and navigate to the chat
- Tap on the Plus (+) icon
- Tap on Location from the menu
- Select Share Location
- This will open up Google Maps within Whatsapp
- Find the destination you want to share on the map
- Tap and hold to drop a pin on the location
- Tap on Share and select Whatsapp from the sharing options
- This will return you to the Whatsapp chat with the location shared
The recipient will see an interactive map preview of the location you shared with a red pin marker on the spot. They can tap on the preview to open it fully in Google Maps if they need directions.
FAQs on Sharing Locations on Whatsapp
Here are some commonly asked questions about sharing locations on Whatsapp from an iPhone:
Is location sharing accurate?
The location shared via Whatsapp uses your iPhone’s built-in GPS to pinpoint your location. So it is typically very accurate, usually within a few meters of your actual location.
How long does the shared location last?
If you share your live location, you can choose a duration of 15 minutes, 1 hour or 8 hours. The live location automatically expires after that time. If you share a pinned location from the map, it does not expire and the recipient can open it at any time.
Can I share locations when offline?
No, your iPhone needs an active internet connection to be able to access GPS and share the location via Whatsapp. Offline locations cannot be shared.
Can the recipient track my live location?
While sharing live location, the recipient can see you moving in real-time. So in a way it allows temporary location tracking. But this only lasts for the chosen duration and then automatically stops.
Is there a range limit for live locations?
There’s no definitive range limit set by Whatsapp. However, very large distances may make live locations less accurate or stop updating due to technical restrictions.
Can I share locations in group chats?
Yes, sharing locations works the same way in both private and group chats. The location you share will be visible to all participants in a group.
Does the recipient need to have maps installed?
No, they do not need Google Maps or any other map app installed to view shared locations. Whatsapp has an embedded interactive map viewer.
Can I share a location from desktop?
Currently sharing live locations is only possible through mobile apps. But pinned locations can be shared from Whatsapp Desktop as well.
Troubleshooting Tips
If you are unable to share a location on Whatsapp, try these troubleshooting steps:
- Check your internet connection
- Ensure Location Services is enabled for Whatsapp in Settings > Privacy > Location Services
- Update to the latest version of Whatsapp
- Restart your iPhone
- Uninstall and reinstall Whatsapp
- Ensure date/time is set correctly on your iPhone
- Clear cache and data for Whatsapp
Alternative Ways to Share Location
Aside from Whatsapp, you can also share locations on iPhone using:
- Messages App – share your location via iMessage
- Maps App – share location from Maps via Messages, Mail, etc
- Files App – save location to Files and share link
- Other Apps – social media, chat and travel apps that support location sharing
Whatsapp location sharing is often the easiest and quickest way, but the native options can also be handy backups if needed.
Conclusion
Sharing your location on Whatsapp for iPhone is a very useful feature for meeting up with friends, letting family know where you are, or sending destinations to contacts. With just a few taps, you can send an interactive map preview of either your current live location or a pinned spot you select. Make sure to have the latest version of Whatsapp installed along with the proper iOS and app settings enabled. With this guide, you should now be able to seamlessly share Google map locations right within your Whatsapp chats on iPhone.