How to share your location on WhatsApp

What you will learn

In this guide, you will learn how to share your location with someone through WhatsApp. This is useful when meeting someone, letting family know where you are, or sharing directions to a place.

What you need

• An iPhone or Android phone
• WhatsApp installed and set up
• Location services turned on
• An Internet connection

The steps

Step 1: Open a WhatsApp conversation

Open WhatsApp and tap on the conversation with the person you want to share your location with. This can be a private chat or a group chat.

Step 2: Tap the attachment button

Tap the ”+” button (iPhone) or the paperclip icon (Android) next to the message box at the bottom of the screen. A menu of options will appear.

Step 3: Tap Location

In the menu that appears, tap “Location”. If WhatsApp asks for permission to access your location, tap “Allow While Using App”. Your phone needs this to find where you are.

Step 4: Choose your sharing option

You will see two options:

• “Send Your Current Location”: This sends a snapshot of where you are right now. The other person sees a map pin but your location does not update.
• “Share Live Location”: This shares your moving position in real time.

Choose the option that fits your situation.

Step 5: Set the duration (for live location)

If you chose “Share Live Location”, you will be asked how long to share: 15 minutes, 1 hour, or 8 hours. Tap the duration you prefer. You can optionally add a message (like “On my way”).

Step 6: Send your location

Tap “Send”. The other person will now see a map in the chat showing where you are. If you shared your live location, they will see your position update as you move.

To stop sharing your live location early, open the conversation, tap the location message, and tap “Stop Sharing”.

Helpful tips

• Check your location is accurate: Before sharing, make sure the blue dot on the map matches where you actually are. Sometimes GPS takes a moment to find your exact position.
• Share a place: You can also search for a specific place (like a restaurant) in the location screen and send that instead of your own position.
• Privacy: Only share your live location with people you trust. You can stop it at any time.
• Group meetups: Live location is perfect for group meetups. Everyone in the group can share their live location so you can see each other on the map.