How to Send Live Location on WhatsApp: Android and iPhone

Overview: WhatsApp gives you two ways to share your location: a static Current Location pin that shows where you are at the moment of sending, and a Live Location that tracks your real-time movement for 15 minutes, 1 hour, or 8 hours. This guide covers how to send both types on Android and iPhone, how to share live location in a WhatsApp group, how to stop sharing before the timer ends, and what WhatsApp Web can and cannot do for location sharing.

Location sharing is a personal and business feature -- useful for meeting coordination, delivery tracking, and emergency situations. For businesses managing outbound campaign sends to a full contact list, a WhatsApp bulk message sender free tool handles that separately. This guide covers location sharing only.

WhatsApp location sharing replaces the need for lengthy verbal directions, lost voice notes, or multiple messages about landmarks. Specific situations where it saves real time:

Meeting coordination: Send a Current Location pin when someone asks where to meet you. They tap the pin and get directions in their maps app immediately.

Journey updates: Share Live Location when someone is waiting for you at home, at a venue, or at the airport. They watch your approach in real time instead of asking "how far are you?"

Delivery and pickup: Drivers and recipients can share their live locations to avoid missed handoffs. Both parties see exactly where the other is, removing the need for constant check-in calls.

Safety and emergency: Share live location with a trusted contact when travelling alone, arriving late, or in an unfamiliar area. They can monitor your route without you needing to send updates.

Both options appear in the same Location menu in WhatsApp, but they work very differently. Choosing the right one depends on what you actually need the recipient to see.

Both location features require WhatsApp to have permission to access your device's location. If you denied this permission during setup, location sharing will not work until you re-enable it.

Android:

• Go to device Settings > Apps > WhatsApp.
• Tap Permissions > Location.
• Select While using the app or Ask every time.
• Return to WhatsApp. Location sharing is now available.

iPhone:

• Go to iPhone Settings > scroll down to WhatsApp.
• Tap Location.
• Select While Using the App.
• Return to WhatsApp.

• Open WhatsApp and go to the chat where you want to share your live location.
• Tap the paperclip (attachment) icon next to the message box.
• Select Location from the menu.
• A map appears showing your current position. Tap Share Live Location.
• Choose the sharing duration: 15 minutes, 1 hour, or 8 hours.
• Optionally add a message to accompany the location.
• Tap Send. The recipient sees a live map with your position updating in real time.

Also Read: How to Use WhatsApp on Two Phones with the Same Number

• Open the chat.
• Tap the paperclip (attachment) icon.
• Select Location.
• On the map screen, tap Send Your Current Location.
• Tap Send. A static map pin is delivered in the chat. The recipient taps it to get directions.

• Open WhatsApp and go to the chat.
• Tap the + (plus) icon at the bottom left of the message bar.
• Select Location.
• A map appears. Tap Share Live Location.
• Choose the duration: 15 minutes, 1 hour, or 8 hours.
• Add an optional note.
• Tap Send.

• Open the chat.
• Tap the + icon.
• Select Location.
• Tap Send Your Current Location on the map screen.
• Tap Send. A static pin appears in the chat for the recipient to tap and navigate to.

Also Read: WhatsApp Automatic Reply: How to Set It Up (2026 Guide)

Live Location in a group works the same way as in a one-on-one chat. You share your position to the group and every member can see your movements in real time.

• Open the WhatsApp group where you want to share.
• Tap the paperclip (Android) or + icon (iPhone).
• Select Location > Share Live Location.
• Choose the duration and tap Send.

Every group member sees your live location as a moving pin on the group's map. If multiple members share their live location simultaneously, all their positions appear on the same map. Group members can tap the location message to open the full map view and see everyone's positions at once.

No. Location sharing -- both Current Location and Live Location -- cannot be initiated from WhatsApp Web or the WhatsApp desktop app. The WhatsApp Web login allows you to send text messages, files, and media from a browser, but it does not access your computer's location services or let you send a location pin. Location sharing is a phone-only feature in WhatsApp.

What you can do on WhatsApp Web:

• View a location pin or live location that was sent by someone else.
• Tap a received location to open it in Google Maps or your default maps app in the browser.
• See when a shared live location expires or is stopped by the sender.

Live Location stops automatically when the timer you set expires. You can also stop it manually at any time before the timer runs out.

Android:

• Open the chat where you are sharing live location.
• Tap the live location message in the chat.
• Tap Stop Sharing.
• Confirm. Your position freezes immediately and the recipient sees the share has ended.

iPhone:

• Open the chat.
• Tap the live location message.
• Tap Stop Sharing.
• Confirm. Sharing stops and the map shows your last known position.

Closing WhatsApp does not stop live location. The share continues in the background until the timer ends or you manually stop it. To stop it while WhatsApp is in the background, open the app, find the chat, and tap Stop Sharing.

Location permission denied: The most common cause. Check Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Permissions > Location (Android) or Settings > WhatsApp > Location (iPhone). Set to While Using or Always.

GPS turned off: Location sharing requires your device's GPS to be enabled. Check your notification bar (Android) or Control Centre (iPhone) to confirm GPS is on.

Poor GPS signal: Indoor locations and dense urban areas can cause GPS drift. Move to an open area or near a window. Wait 30 to 60 seconds for the signal to stabilize before sharing.

WhatsApp not updated: Older WhatsApp versions may have location feature bugs. Update to the latest version from the Play Store (Android) or App Store (iPhone).

Battery saver or data saver mode: Both modes restrict background GPS and data usage, which stops live location from updating. Disable battery saver mode while sharing live location.

Also Read: How to Turn Off Blue Tick in WhatsApp: Android, iPhone, and Web (2026)

Location data is among the most sensitive information on your phone. These practices keep location sharing useful without creating a privacy exposure. For a complete view of WhatsApp's privacy controls beyond location, securing your WhatsApp business chats covers account-level and message-level settings worth reviewing.

Only share with people you trust: Live Location shows your real-time position to everyone in the chat. In groups, every member sees your movements. Verify who is in the group before sharing in a group context.

Choose the shortest duration that works: If you are 20 minutes from your destination, share for 15 minutes rather than 1 hour. The shorter the share window, the less data is collected.

Stop sharing when the purpose is met: Do not leave live location running after you have arrived. Stop it manually as soon as the recipient has confirmed your location or you have met.

Check for active shares: To see all your currently active live location shares, open any chat, tap the attachment icon, and select Location. Active shares show a notification. Or go to WhatsApp Settings > Privacy > Live Location to see all active shares.

Do not use for continuous monitoring: WhatsApp's live location is designed for temporary, consent-based sharing. Using it to continuously monitor another person without their knowledge violates both WhatsApp's Terms of Service and, in many jurisdictions, local law.

Delivery and field service teams benefit directly from live location. A driver shares their live location when out for delivery. The customer sees the approach in real time and is ready at the door. The number of "where are you?" calls drops to zero. Pairing the location share with a clear message makes the experience complete. WhatsApp message templates for business provides frameworks for the message that accompanies a location share -- such as "Your order is on the way, ETA 15 minutes" alongside a live location pin.

Other business uses: event coordinators sharing a venue pin to all attendees via a group. Field sales teams marking client locations for colleagues doing follow-ups. Service technicians sharing their arrival location to clients waiting at home.

WhatsApp location sharing covers two distinct needs: a Current Location pin for telling someone exactly where you are, and Live Location for tracking movement in real time. Both work in one-on-one chats and group chats on Android and iPhone. Neither works for sending from WhatsApp Web -- that is a phone-only feature, though received locations are viewable on Web.

Live Location is stopped manually or automatically when its timer runs out. For privacy, use the shortest sharing window that achieves the purpose, stop the share when the reason for sharing is done, and confirm who is in a group before sharing your real-time position to it.

For businesses using WhatsApp for more than location sharing -- campaigns, follow-ups, and announcements to a full contact list -- Roklo is a free bulk message sender that handles how to send bulk WhatsApp messages from a browser with no API, no saved contacts required, and no per-message charge.

Also Read: WhatsApp Campaign Software: How to Plan, Send and Track It (2026)