Google has released a new location-tracking app that allows users to share their location with close friends and family.
Once a user has added a trusted contact, that contact is able to see whether they’ve moved around recently and are online. If the user feels they are in an unsafe situation, they can also share their exact location with their contacts.
Likewise, contacts can request your exact location. If you’re safe and it’s not necessary you can decline the request, however if you don’t respond within five minutes your location is automatically shared — which could raise some privacy qualms, though Google notes that “you can stop sharing your location or change your trusted contacts whenever you want.”
Google also states that Trusted Contacts can be a handy tool even in non-emergency situations. For instance, users can feel a littler safer on their walk home by sharing their location with a contact then turning off the share once they reach home. Of course, beyond an assurance of safety, the app could be handy just for meeting up.
The app is currently available on Android devices through Google Play. iOS users can sign up here to receive a notification when the app is available for iPhones.
Related: Google Play announces the top five most popular apps and games of 2016
[source]Google[/source][via]The Verge[/via]
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