- Live location sharing heads to Google Messages on Android
- It is a function that other messaging apps have offered for a long time
- There will also be an upcoming adjustment to how group chats are started.
Google Messages has received quite a few useful updates recently, and there are signs that two more are on the way: live location sharing to let other people know where you are and an easier way to start group chats.
First of all, live location sharing. This was actually spotted in hidden code last year, but as Android Authority reports, the feature is now more prominent within the Android app, although it’s not yet available to users.
The Android Authority team managed to enable the feature with a bit of code hacking, so we can all see how it works. You’ll be able to control how long your location is shared and which contacts can see it, and there will be a persistent notification within chats if you’re currently broadcasting your whereabouts.
There also appears to be some integration with Find Hub on Android here, although locations can also be viewed via a web browser. It shouldn’t be long before Google decides to roll this out to everyone.
Start group chats
Next up, we have a smaller tweak to group chats, and we’re again indebted to Android Authority for spotting the change. This appears to be something that is currently being tested in the beta version of Google Messages.
Updated workflow shows a multiple contact selector when you press the button Start chat Press the button in the bottom right corner of the main conversations list, to make it a little easier to get a new group chat going.
You can still select a single contact and start an individual chat, but starting a group chat now requires one less tap: you can start choosing multiple contacts right away, without having to tap the Create group button, like you do now. It’s a tweak that could well start rolling out more widely very soon.
Now that iPhones are compatible with the RCS standard that Google Message implements and many updates are also coming for the application, Google Messages is quickly becoming one of the most capable and important applications that Google develops.
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