What is live location vs current location in WhatsApp?

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. One of the handy features in WhatsApp is the ability to share your location with your contacts. There are two options for sharing your location on WhatsApp – live location and current location.

What is Live Location?

Live location allows you to share your real-time location continuously for a specific amount of time. When you share your live location, your contacts can see your location on the map moving in real-time as you move. This allows them to see where you currently are and track your journey.

Here are some key things to know about live location sharing on WhatsApp:

You can choose to share your live location for either 15 minutes, 1 hour or 8 hours.
Your contact will be able to see your location update in real-time during the entire time period you select.
A notification will be sent to your contact when you initially share your live location, along with a map link to see your location.

Your contact does not need to have the WhatsApp app open to receive live location updates. They will get notifications and map links even if WhatsApp is running in the background.
You can stop sharing your live location at any time before the time limit you set is reached.
Your contact will get a notification when you’ve stopped sharing your live location.

Live location is great for situations when you want your contact to continuously track your whereabouts for safety or convenience purposes. For example, you can use live location when traveling alone so your loved ones can keep tabs on you. Or when meeting someone somewhere so they know when you’re getting close.

How to Share Live Location on WhatsApp

Sharing your live location is easy to do right from an individual or group chat:

Open the WhatsApp chat with the contact you want to share your live location with.

Tap on the attach button (paperclip icon).
Tap on Location.
Tap on Share Live Location.

Select the length of time you want to share your live location – 15 minutes, 1 hour or 8 hours.
Tap on Share Live Location to start sharing.

A message will be sent in the chat saying “Shared location” along with the options to Stop sharing or Change time. The contact will also get notifications with a map link to follow your live location.

What is Current Location?

Current location allows you to simply share your exact location at any particular moment. It sends your contact a pin of your location on a map as it is at that specific time. Your location only updates if you send it again – it does not automatically update as you move around.

Here are some things to know about current location:

It sends a one-time snapshot of your location.

The location pin does not move or update automatically. It just shows where you were at the moment you shared it.
You have to manually resend your location each time you want to update it.
There is no time limit – your shared location pin will stay on the map being viewed by your contact until you share an updated location.

It does not notify your contact when you share your location. They will only see the location pin when they open the chat.

Current location is useful for just quickly conveying your general whereabouts without giving constant access to view your movements. You can easily drop a location pin to tell someone where you are at the moment.

How to Share Current Location on WhatsApp

Sharing your current location is quick and easy:

Open your chat in WhatsApp with the contact.
Tap on the attach button (paperclip icon).
Tap on Location.

Tap on My Location.
WhatsApp will access your phone’s location and attach a map showing your current location.
Tap Send to share your location on the map.

Your contact will see a map preview in the chat with a blue dot showing your location when you shared it. They can tap on the map to open your location in a full map view.

Key Differences Between Live Location and Current Location

While both allow you to share your location in WhatsApp, there are some important differences between live location sharing and current location:

Live Location	Current Location
Real-time tracking of your location	One-time snapshot of your location
Location updates automatically	Have to share repeatedly to update location
Can select time limit for sharing (15 min, 1 hour, 8 hours)	No time limit
Notifications sent when started/stopped sharing	No notifications, have to open chat to view

When to Use Each Location Sharing Method

Due to the differences between live location and current location, each is better suited for certain use cases:

Use live location when:

You want someone to track you in real-time for safety or logistics.
You are traveling and want loved ones to follow your journey.
You are meeting someone and want them to know when you are arriving.

You are on a first date or otherwise want a trusted contact aware of your location.
You are in an unfamiliar area and want someone to monitor your location updates.

Use current location when:

You just want to convey your approximate area.

You want to show someone where you are at a specific moment.
You are providing location details for a place you recommend.
You want to give your location but don’t need constant tracking enabled.

You only need someone to know your location once rather than an ongoing view.

Location Permissions

To use either live location or current location in WhatsApp, you need to have location access enabled:

On an iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and make sure WhatsApp has permission to access your location.

On Android, go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > App Permissions > Location and make sure location is allowed for WhatsApp.

You can also grant or revoke location access directly within WhatsApp by going to Settings > Account > Privacy > Location and toggling location on or off.

Location Settings

Within WhatsApp’s location settings, you have options to control how your location is shared with your contacts:

Live Location – Choose whether all contacts, only your contacts, or specific contacts can see your live location. You can also disable live location.
Current Location – Select what location information you want to include when sharing your location. You can share precise location, approximate location or disable sharing current location.

Adjust these as needed to control what location access you give to WhatsApp contacts.

Location Privacy

Location sharing does involve some privacy considerations. While it can be extremely helpful to let trusted contacts view your location, always be mindful of enabling access to your real-time whereabouts. Here are some tips for location sharing privacy:

Only share live/current location with contacts you know and trust.
Avoid sharing your home location with those you don’t know well.

Limit live location duration to the shortest needed time period.
Turn off live location promptly when finished using the feature.
Use approximate location whenever precise location is not required.

Frequently review your location settings and revoke access if ever uncomfortable.

Enabling location sharing means giving up some privacy. While WhatsApp’s sharing features are secure, be careful when providing live views of your location. Analyze risks, only share details needed for the situation, and stay in control of your location access settings.

Conclusion

Live location and current location are handy WhatsApp tools to keep your contacts informed of your whereabouts. Live location provides real-time tracking and alerts for ongoing views of your movements. Current location simply drops a pin on a map to convey where you are at a specific moment in time. Each serves its own purposes based on the context. When enabled with the right contacts and settings, WhatsApp’s location sharing can provide connectivity, coordination and peace of mind.