What you need to know
- Android users can currently manage their location sharing settings in every app that supports them, but that could change soon.
- A recent update to Google Play revealed a new Google Location Sharing page in the Settings app, which requires manual activation.
- This menu contains all settings related to Google’s location sharing offering, including six applications.
Location sharing is used in a few Google apps, but managing location permissions is currently done on an app-by-app basis. However, it appears that Google is preparing to add all of these location sharing settings to a new menu called Google location sharing in the settings app. Android leaker AssembleDebug discovered an unpublished page for PiunikaWeb, which became available for manual activation after the latest Google Play Services update.
Version 24.15.14 The Google Play service is the settings menu located behind Location services tab. For now, if the user navigates to settings > Place > Location services > Google location sharing, will only be able to follow the link to the website that manages those shares with approved people. Of course, this is after the activation of the site. It’s likely that eventually at some point there will be toggles and options related to location sharing directly on this page.
With location sharing, Android users can allow people they trust to see their location information in real time. However, there are more apps where users can start sharing their location (or their device’s location) with others. These include Google Maps, Personal Safety and Find My Device. As such, if a user wants to revoke location sharing permission, they will need to remember which app was used to initiate the sharing.
The Google Location Sharing menu would eliminate this need. As the company explains on a blank settings page, Android users will be able to “manage all existing location shares regardless of which app they were created in.”
Google may be revamping its real-time location sharing hub on Android. Read – https://t.co/1Qy2JQuZ96#Google #Android pic.twitter.com/HyXwnOeMg8April 13, 2024
AssembleDebug scoured the Google Play Services update and found a list of six base64-encoded apps whitelisted to appear in the Google Location Sharing menu. Well-known applications are Google Maps, Find My Device and Personal Safety. However, there are reportedly a total of six apps that will be supported, and it’s highly likely that the Family Link app will be one of them.
Google is apparently testing this new menu, but we don’t know when it will be publicly released for Android users. It could be delivered via a future Google Play Services update or included in Android 15.