Advertisement
Sections
WhatsApp is working on a new feature that lets group members share a 'Live Location' with each other
This feature has to be one of the most interesting feature for WhatsApp in a long time (even better that addition of Video calling) because it gives you the option to share your location with your friends in a group making it easier to coordinate.

WhatsApp developers have been working on several new features. The latest feature is called 'Live Locations' for group users.This feature has to be one of the most interesting feature for WhatsApp in a long time (even better that addition of Video calling). This feature is a hidden feature which is nor available for Beta users and has to be enabled using configuration file as reported by WABetaInfo. But despite all that, this feature will roll out once all the bugs are ironed out.
The reason that this is one of the most interesting features is because it gives you the option to share your location with your friends under the 'Show my friends' option in the group settings. On tapping the option, it gives you an option to enable the feature for limited time. The options presented in the list are to enable the feature for one minute, two minutes, five minutes or to enable it indefinitely.
This makes it easier for all the group plans where you have meet your friends at a particular location and some of them don't know the directions to the meeting location. You can tap on 'Show my friends' and this will bring up a map which will show the location of all your friends. This map is powered by Google Maps and gives you the option to switch to Map, Satellite or Terrain view.However, the addition of 'Show traffic' is the best. It may behave as a double edged sword for all the slackers in the group who arrive late but it is great if you want to help your friends or even family navigate faster to a location.
This can be the way to collaborate and coordinate where you can see where everyone is and direct them in advance about the routes they can take to reach faster. This means that you can't lie about being stuck in traffic. One thing to note is that currently we are unable to enable it and test it, possibly because of a server switch from WhatsApp's end.[caption id="attachment_359573" align="aligncenter" width="640"]
Image Credit: WABetaInfo[/caption]One good thing about the implementation of this feature is the fact that by default, you can enable the feature for a limited number of time to avoid massive battery drain. The company has also added other UI tweaks for the 'Status' feature that adds a visual notification in the tab for new statuses on the home screen. You will see a dot to signify new status updates besides the 'Status' tab and WhatsApp will notify that the status that you will share will disappear after 24 hours. The screen will notify you about your privacy settings while composing a new Status.WhatsApp gives you the prompt to 'Add to Contacts' when a contact in your WhatsApp list sends contact details in vCard format. The developers have also added a forward button for audio recording, something that already appears for Photos. This comes right after Whatsapp developers accidently enabled 'Edit' and 'Revoke' feature for messages sent in conversations. WhatsApp also added the ability to queue messages while your are offline on iOS.Last but not the least, a story about 'WhatsApp' enabling notifications for Screenshots in conversations is doing the rounds of social media. There is no reference of this feature in WhatsApp hidden features or the code as confirmed by famous WhatsApp leaker WABetaInfo. In addition, there is no reference to WhatsApp CEO or developers talking about working on a feature like this. According to all the evidence, this report is a fake news story to spread misinformation.
The reason that this is one of the most interesting features is because it gives you the option to share your location with your friends under the 'Show my friends' option in the group settings. On tapping the option, it gives you an option to enable the feature for limited time. The options presented in the list are to enable the feature for one minute, two minutes, five minutes or to enable it indefinitely.
This makes it easier for all the group plans where you have meet your friends at a particular location and some of them don't know the directions to the meeting location. You can tap on 'Show my friends' and this will bring up a map which will show the location of all your friends. This map is powered by Google Maps and gives you the option to switch to Map, Satellite or Terrain view.However, the addition of 'Show traffic' is the best. It may behave as a double edged sword for all the slackers in the group who arrive late but it is great if you want to help your friends or even family navigate faster to a location.
This can be the way to collaborate and coordinate where you can see where everyone is and direct them in advance about the routes they can take to reach faster. This means that you can't lie about being stuck in traffic. One thing to note is that currently we are unable to enable it and test it, possibly because of a server switch from WhatsApp's end.[caption id="attachment_359573" align="aligncenter" width="640"]
Image Credit: WABetaInfo[/caption]One good thing about the implementation of this feature is the fact that by default, you can enable the feature for a limited number of time to avoid massive battery drain. The company has also added other UI tweaks for the 'Status' feature that adds a visual notification in the tab for new statuses on the home screen. You will see a dot to signify new status updates besides the 'Status' tab and WhatsApp will notify that the status that you will share will disappear after 24 hours. The screen will notify you about your privacy settings while composing a new Status.WhatsApp gives you the prompt to 'Add to Contacts' when a contact in your WhatsApp list sends contact details in vCard format. The developers have also added a forward button for audio recording, something that already appears for Photos. This comes right after Whatsapp developers accidently enabled 'Edit' and 'Revoke' feature for messages sent in conversations. WhatsApp also added the ability to queue messages while your are offline on iOS.Last but not the least, a story about 'WhatsApp' enabling notifications for Screenshots in conversations is doing the rounds of social media. There is no reference of this feature in WhatsApp hidden features or the code as confirmed by famous WhatsApp leaker WABetaInfo. In addition, there is no reference to WhatsApp CEO or developers talking about working on a feature like this. According to all the evidence, this report is a fake news story to spread misinformation.First Published:Jan 27, 2017, 12:10:57 IST
Advertisement
Advertisement

Why AI notetakers are raising serious privacy and security concerns
AI notetakers promise effortless meeting summaries, but experts warn they could expose confidential conversations, corporate secrets and personal voiceprints. As businesses increasingly adopt AI-powered meeting assistants, questions over data storage, privacy, consent and legal risks are becoming impossible to ignore
5 min read
China's low-cost AI models are changing the global AI race. Here's why Silicon Valley is worried
As Chinese firms continue to improve performance while keeping prices low, the AI race is no longer just about building the smartest model—it is increasingly becoming a battle over who can deliver the best value
2 min read
China's Kimi K3 challenges US AI leaders with frontier-level performance at lower cost
Chinese artificial intelligence startup Moonshot AI has unveiled its latest open-weight AI model, Kimi K3, with early results suggesting it could compete with some of the world's most advanced AI systems developed by leading US companies
2 min read
How did Instagram run ads promoting child abuse in India?
India has issued a notice to Meta after an investigation alleged that Instagram displayed paid advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material. MeitY ordered Meta to remove such Instagram ads and explain within seven days how they were approved
8 min read
Why has India halted WhatsApp’s username feature before launch?
India has halted WhatsApp’s planned username feature, citing concerns about cybercrime, impersonation, and law enforcement challenges. As Meta races to address security concerns, here’s why MeitY has paused the rollout, what the feature does, and how it could influence privacy and online safety in India
3 min read
Advertisement
Advertisement
