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Live Location Sharing

Live Location Sharing allows you to broadcast your real-time GPS position for a defined duration, either for personal tracking or by sharing directly with family and trusted contacts. Use this tool to ensure your location is accessible during travel or emergencies.

Access Live Location Sharing​

  1. Open The SOS App on your Android device.
  2. From the top menu, tap the Location icon (📍).
  3. Wait for the app to fetch and display your current location on the map.
  4. Tap Location Sharing to configure your sharing session.

Track for Myself​

Use this option to continuously record your live location for personal reference.

  1. After tapping Location Sharing, select Track for Myself.
  2. Choose the tracking duration by selecting an interval (for example, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 1 hour).
  3. Tap Start Tracking.
  4. A floating progress indicator appears, showing elapsed time and real-time coordinates.
tip

Background tracking may increase battery usage. For extended sessions, connect your device to a charger or power bank.

  1. To stop tracking before the timer ends, tap Stop Tracking on the map screen.
  2. Confirm by tapping End Tracking in the dialog.

Share with Family​

Use this option to broadcast your live location to registered emergency contacts or via external messaging apps.

  1. After tapping Location Sharing, select Share with Family.
  2. Choose between:
    • Current Location: Sends a one-time snapshot of your position.
    • Real-time Location: Shares continuous updates for a specified duration.

Share Current Location​

  1. Tap Current Location.
  2. The app fetches your GPS coordinates and displays a map preview.
  3. Select how to share:
    • Share with Emergency Contact: Sends a link and timestamp directly to in-app emergency contacts.
    • Share via SMS/WhatsApp/Link: Opens your chosen messaging interface (SMS, WhatsApp, Email, etc.) with a pre-populated location link and note.
  4. Complete the sharing process in the selected messaging app.

Share Real-time Location​

  1. Tap Real-time Location.
  2. Select the sharing duration (for example, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 1 hour).
  3. Tap Start Sharing.
  4. Choose your sharing method:
    1. Share with Emergency Contact
      • Select one or more contacts from your SOS-registered emergency list.
      • Tap Share Now. Each contact receives a live-tracking link that updates until the timer expires.
    2. Share via SMS/WhatsApp/Link
      • Tap the desired messaging icon (SMS, WhatsApp, or other sharing options).
      • A draft message appears with a live-tracking URL and brief instructions.
      • Select recipients and send.
info

Live location updates approximately every 30 seconds (subject to network conditions). Ensure GPS and mobile data are enabled for uninterrupted sharing.

  1. To stop sharing before the timer expires, return to the map screen and tap Stop Sharing.
  2. Confirm by tapping End Sharing in the prompt.
note

Real-time sharing requires both GPS and a stable internet connection. If either is disabled, updates may pause or fail until connectivity is restored.

FAQs​

Q1: Can I use Live Location Sharing without mobile data?

No. Track for Myself records locally without data, but Share with Family requires mobile data to send continuous updates.

Q2: How do I extend my sharing duration?

Before the timer ends, tap Extend Sharing and choose an additional interval. The remaining time will reset accordingly.

Q3: Will recipients see my location after I stop sharing?

No. Once you tap Stop Sharing or the timer expires, the link becomes inactive and no longer updates.

Q4: Can I switch from Track for Myself to Share with Family mid-session?

No. You must first Stop Tracking or Stop Sharing, then restart the desired mode under Location Sharing.

Next Step​

Continue by exploring Location History to know the previously visited, saved, and shared locations.

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