WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. One of its handy features is the ability to share your live location with contacts. This allows them to see where you are in real-time on a map.
You may want to forward a location you’ve received from someone else to another contact. So can you forward someone’s live location or pinned location on WhatsApp to another person? Let’s find out.
Quick Answer
Yes, it is possible to forward a location shared with you by another WhatsApp user. You can forward both live locations and pinned locations to any of your WhatsApp contacts.
To forward a live location or pinned location on WhatsApp:
- Open the WhatsApp chat with the contact who shared their location with you.
- Tap and hold on the location message.
- Select the Forward option.
- Choose the contact you want to forward it to.
The receiver will get the forwarded location with the name of the original sender. Live locations can be forwarded for up to 1 hour and pinned locations for up to 72 hours from the time of pinning.
Can I forward someone’s live location on WhatsApp?
Yes, WhatsApp allows you to forward live locations shared by your contacts. A live location is a real-time share of the sender’s location which updates as they move. It appears as a message with the sender’s name and a loading map icon.
To forward a live location on WhatsApp:
- Open the chat with the contact who is sharing their live location.
- Long press on their live location message.
- Tap the Forward button.
- Select the contact or group you want to forward it to.
The live location will now be shared with your selected recipient. They will be able to see the original sender’s name and location on a live map. You can forward a live location for up to 1 hour from the time it was originally shared.
Important Points
- You must have received the live location to be able to forward it.
- Forwarded live locations can be seen for up to 1 hour total.
- The name of the original sender is visible to the recipient.
- You can add a message when forwarding the location.
Can I forward a pinned location on WhatsApp?
Yes, WhatsApp also allows forwarding pinned locations shared by contacts. A pinned location can be shared for longer and appears as a message with a map pin icon.
Follow these steps to forward a pinned location:
- Open the WhatsApp chat with the contact who shared a pinned location.
- Long press the pinned location message.
- Tap Forward.
- Select a contact or group to forward it to.
The recipient will see the pinned location and original sender’s name on a map. Forwarded pinned locations remain available for up to 72 hours from the time they were originally pinned.
Key Points
- Pinned locations can be forwarded within 72 hours of sharing.
- The receiver can see the sender’s name and pinned location.
- You can add a message when forwarding the pinned location.
- Locations can be repinned after forwarding.
Steps to Forward a Location on WhatsApp
Follow these simple steps to forward any location shared with you on WhatsApp:
- Open the chat – Open the WhatsApp chat with the contact who has shared a live or pinned location.
- Long press the message – Long press and hold your finger on the location message.
- Tap Forward – This will open the forward menu. Tap Forward.
- Select recipient – Choose the contact or group you want to forward the location to.
- Hit send – Review the forwarded message and hit send.
The location will now be shared with your selected recipient, along with the name of the original sender. They will be able to view the sender’s location on a map.
Things to Remember
- You must have received the location to forward it.
- Live locations can be forwarded for up to 1 hour.
- Pinned locations can be forwarded for up to 72 hours.
- Add a message for context when forwarding.
Can I Forward Multiple Locations Together?
Unfortunately, WhatsApp does not allow forwarding multiple locations together in one go. You can only forward one location message at a time.
If you want to forward multiple locations shared by a contact to the same recipient, you have to forward each location separately:
- Open the chat with the location sender.
- Long press and forward the first location.
- Repeat the process for each additional location.
While this process takes longer, it ensures the recipient can view each location update properly. There is no limit on how many separate locations you can forward to the same person.
Summary Points
- You can only forward one location at a time.
- Each location must be forwarded separately.
- No limit on how many locations you can forward.
- Recipient will receive locations as separate messages.
Does Forwarded Location Update Automatically?
The answer depends on whether you are forwarding a live location or a pinned location:
- Live location – A forwarded live location will update automatically until the 1 hour expiry. The recipient will see the latest location of the sender.
- Pinned location – A forwarded pinned location is fixed and does not update. Recipients see only the pinned location on the map.
So if you want the receiver to see updated locations, forward a live location. But if you just want to share an address, forward a pinned location.
Key Differences
| Location Type | Updates Automatically |
|---|---|
| Live Location | Yes |
| Pinned Location | No |
Can I Forward Locations to Groups?
Yes, WhatsApp allows you to forward both live and pinned locations to groups and not just individual contacts.
To forward a location to a group:
- Open the chat with the location sender.
- Long press the location message.
- Tap Forward.
- Select the group to forward it to.
All members of the group will be able to view the forwarded location and the name of the original sender. There is no limit on the number of groups you can forward a location to.
Points to Note
- Locations can be forwarded to any group.
- All group members will receive the forwarded location.
- No limit on number of groups you can forward to.
- Group members see original sender’s name.
Does Forwarded Location Show My Name?
When you forward someone’s location on WhatsApp, the recipient will see the name of the original sender, not you.
So if John shares his location with you, and you forward it to Sarah, she will see that the location is from John. Your name will not show up.
This allows the recipient to know who originally shared their location when it is forwarded. It maintains privacy while still allowing useful location sharing.
Names Visible When Forwarding Locations
- Original sender’s name is visible.
- The forwarder’s (your) name is not visible.
- Recipient only sees name of original sender.
Can I Forward Locations Outside WhatsApp?
Unfortunately, locations shared on WhatsApp cannot be forwarded outside of the app. For example, you cannot forward a WhatsApp location via SMS or email.
Locations are only meant to be shared within WhatsApp. When someone shares a location with you, they are trusting you to only pass it within WhatsApp to recipients they know and approve.
Forwarding locations outside WhatsApp would violate the expectations of privacy and security for location sharing. It would also not convey useful information, as the location map and interface are only available within WhatsApp.
Limitations on Forwarding Locations
- Locations can’t be forwarded via SMS or email.
- Only forwarding within WhatsApp is allowed.
- Helps maintain expectations of privacy.
- External forwarding doesn’t include map interface.
Alternative Ways to Share Location
While you can’t forward WhatsApp locations externally, there are some alternative ways to share location with non-WhatsApp contacts:
Share Live Location Externally
Some options to share live location outside of WhatsApp include:
- Apple Find My Friends app (for iOS users)
- Google Maps location sharing
- Dedicated location sharing apps like Life360
- Location tracking apps like GeoZilla
Share Address or Meeting Point
To share an address, venue or meeting point with non-WhatsApp contacts, you can:
- Send the location name or address in a text message
- Email the address details and a map screenshot
- Use mapping apps like Waze or Google Maps to share the destination
Conclusion
To summarize, it is possible to forward live and pinned locations received on WhatsApp to your other contacts and groups on the platform. This allows useful location sharing while maintaining the original sender’s privacy.
Make sure to only forward locations when appropriate and never externally out of WhatsApp, to respect the expectations of the location sender. Use alternative options like dedicated tracking apps or mapping tools if you need to share locations with non-WhatsApp contacts.
With WhatsApp’s location forwarding, you can easily keep your friends and family in the loop about your location when it matters most to them.