Best apps to find out where your friends are in real time | Maps and location

Apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, and Google Maps can share the user's location in real time with others through data collected by the phone's GPS. With the feature, you can find friends, send directions or track the route of acquaintances. Most services allow you to not only monitor contacts who have made their position available, but also disable their transmission at any time.

With the help of a tracking app, instead of exchanging messages with addresses and landmarks, you can instantly find your friends. So to get you inside the main geolocation tools, the dnetc has prepared a list of nine free apps available for download on Android or iPhone (iOS).

WhatsApp Questions and Answers with Real-Time Localization

WhatsApp: How to enable and disable real-time localization

WhatsApp: How to enable and disable real-time localization

Want to buy a cell phone, TV and other discounted products? Meet the Compare dnetc

Google Maps lets you share real-time location with others Photo: Playback / Raquel FreireGoogle Maps lets you share real-time location with others Photo: Playback / Raquel Freire

Google Maps lets you share real-time location with others Photo: Playback / Raquel Freire

To make it easier to meet in unfamiliar places or even tell you how long it will take you to get somewhere, Google Maps has a feature for sharing your live commute with friends. The user can still send the location in real time through third party applications such as WhatsApp and Messenger.

Current location submission on WhatsApp Photo: Reproduction / Paulo AlvesCurrent location submission on WhatsApp Photo: Reproduction / Paulo Alves

Current location submission on WhatsApp Photo: Reproduction / Paulo Alves

The popular WhatsApp messaging service allows contacts to track your live location. To activate the function simply select "Share current location" and set the time, which varies from fifteen minutes to eight hours. You can stop sharing at any time. The feature works for both individual and group conversations. In addition, the app also shows on a single map the location of everyone who shared the place in the same conversation.

Sending current location to Messenger friend Photo: Playback / Raquel FreireSending current location to Messenger friend Photo: Playback / Raquel Freire

Sending current location to Messenger friend Photo: Playback / Raquel Freire

In addition to enabling a fixed point transmission, Facebook Messenger lets you share your position, even on the go, for up to 60 minutes. To use the feature, turn on your smartphone's GPS, open a conversation, and choose the Location option, indicated by an arrow. Finally, tap the blue bar to send the live information.

4. Search My Friends for iOS

Sharing location with a friend Photo: Reproduction / Helito BijoraSharing location with a friend Photo: Reproduction / Helito Bijora

Sharing location with a friend Photo: Reproduction / Helito Bijora

Fetch My Friends is the Apple app for you to easily find friends and family who have chosen to share locations. The app comes with iOS 9 operating system and, if not installed on the device, can be downloaded for free by users of iOS 8 or later. With the service, the user can warn when he has left or arrived somewhere or set up notifications for when the contact arrives or leaves a certain point. Learn how to find someone's location with the Search My Friends app.

Monitoring a person in Life360 Photo: Reproduction / Helito BeggioraMonitoring a person in Life360 Photo: Reproduction / Helito Beggiora

Monitoring a person in Life360 Photo: Reproduction / Helito Beggiora

Free for both Android and iPhone, Life360 is ideal for tracking friends and family. The user can register a Connection Circle to track the movement of their contacts. The app also has some paid functions like emergency roadside assistance and protection against mobile theft. It also has a panic feature that alerts your entire circle through call, email and SMS.

See where your friends are with Zenly Foto: Divulgao / ZenlySee where your friends are with Zenly Foto: Divulgao / Zenly

See where your friends are with Zenly Foto: Divulgao / Zenly

With Zenly's social map, you can follow friends in real time. In addition to showing where a person is, the tool, available for Android and iPhone, offers a free integrated chat. According to the developer, the app has an algorithm that allows the continuous sharing of location using less battery.

Share the status of your trip with Uber Photo: Reproduo / Athus SilveiraShare the status of your trip with Uber Photo: Reproduo / Athus Silveira

Share the status of your trip with Uber Photo: Reproduo / Athus Silveira

Among Uber's familiar functions, such as sharing the real-time location with the driver, the service also offers a way of sharing trips between acquaintances. In addition, the app provides a function of contacting authorities in cases of risk, passing on the current location and driver information.

Share the route on 99 with friends Photo: Reproduo / Athus SilveiraShare the route on 99 with friends Photo: Reproduo / Athus Silveira

Share the route on 99 with friends Photo: Reproduo / Athus Silveira

To increase passenger safety, 99 has released a feature to share the route, in real time, with trusted users. In addition to the location, the contact also receives the name of the driver and the license plate. The app updated with this function, temporarily called New 99, becomes available with the existing app update.

Send a Glympse with your location to your contacts Photo: Reproduction / Athus SilveiraSend a Glympse with your location to your contacts Photo: Reproduction / Athus Silveira

Send a Glympse with your location to your contacts Photo: Reproduction / Athus Silveira

Glympse has as its main objective to share the location of the user. With a profile on the service, you can send a notification of your position to any device with Internet access, even if it does not have the application installed. To send a glympse with your location, the app releases a link that can be shared by SMS or other media such as Facebook, WhatsApp and email.