Facebook is attempting to eliminate the deluge of "Where are you at?" messages we send each other every day with a new location sharing feature.
Conversions now include a map of your exact location, or another rendezvous point to meet friends, as one of the messages, explained the social media company today.
Location sharing in Facebook Messenger isn't actually new. This just works in a more privacy friendly way than its current method hidden within every message and sent unless you opt out.
The new update forces users to tap the location pin icon at the bottom of the screen and then send a map of where they are or want to go in an obvious message.
It's been done
Facebook Messenger is a helpful feature that beams your coordinates in a more transparent way than before, but it's hardly new to app messaging services.
Google Hangouts lets users share their current location and even includes a trigger button that pops up when someone asks "Where are you?" Tapping the button sends a map.
iMessages includes two handy location sharing features within a message's Details menu: Send My Current Location and Share My Location.
The latter gives the friend or group of friends your location for one hour, until the end of the day or indefinitely, which is convenient for keeping large groups together in a theme park or stadium.
In a way, Facebook is just catching up. But it also adds the idea of sending a meet up point to friends, which is a little different than other messaging apps.
Today's Facebook Messenger app update is currently rolling out to iOS and Android devices, in case you are tempted to ask the age-old, hopefully eliminated question: "Where are you at?"
