Google Messages is about to get a big location sharing feature
Google is constantly updating its core Android apps with new features, including Google Messages. Throughout 2025, it received a host of new goodies, like better RCS support, and now we’re about to get another long-standing great feature to help it compete with iMessage and others.
In December, a Google Messages beta update added easy SIM swapping, improved media controls, different link previews, and changes to location sharing. This last point is important, because real-time location sharing is one of the few options still missing from Google’s feature-rich text platform.
Sure, you can already share a unique location and PIN in Messages directly from the attachments menu, but the latest Google Messages beta is about to feature real-time location sharing with friends and family.
Spotted by Android Authority in the latest Messages beta (20260220_01_RC00), Google is preparing to let users share live location data continuously, or during set periods, directly from a conversation.
While many Google Messages users are probably familiar with the button above, which lets you share your current location, Android Authority has managed to enable a new secondary button called “Real-Time Location,” and it works exactly as you’d expect.
First, you need to allow Google Messages to see and share your location. You can then choose to share in real time for one hour, today only, or set a custom limit, for example one year. From there, you’ll see a persistent banner at the top of the chat letting you know the location is shared, and tapping it can also quickly end sharing.
Like iMessage and other chat apps, the recipient can click the real-time location link to view your location directly in Google Messages. However, this only works in the app if Google’s Find Hub app is installed. Otherwise, you will view locations using a web browser map.
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It’s worth noting that the recipient doesn’t need to share their location to see yours, but that will likely be an option once the feature rolls out to everyone. As a result, it doesn’t appear that Google Messages real-time location sharing is limited to Pixel devices or specific app versions, making it more user-friendly.
Again, we saw progress on this feature late last year, and now it looks like Google is finally ready to release it to everyone in the coming days or weeks. Additionally, we see a redesigned read confirmation button, which now sits inside the chat bubble rather than underneath, providing a cleaner reading experience. Stay tuned for more details.
Source: Android Authority
