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If you’re someone who sleeps better knowing a loved one has arrived home safely, you’ll enjoy a new feature from Google Maps. Now, instead of pestering people to “let me know when you get back home,” you can get an automatic notification from Google Maps when someone arrives at or leaves a designated location.
With this new notification feature from Google Maps, you can get a notification when a friend has arrived at a sports venue so you can head to the arranged meet-up spot. No need to nag them, you get a notification automatically when they arrive.
You can also set a Google Maps notification before a loved one leaves on a solo hike, bike ride, or rock climbing trip so you know when they arrive at their destination. You can alert someone if they don’t reach their destination within a reasonable time. Or celebrate with them from afar when they’ve reached their destination.
How the New Google Maps Notification Feature Works
Setting up Google Maps location notifications is easy if you know how. Note that you and the person you are setting location notifications for must be sharing your location with each other on Google Maps.
How to Share Your Location with Someone Using the Google Maps App
If you’re not already sharing your location with someone on Google Maps, you must set that up first before you can set location notifications.
To share your location information with someone on Google Maps, open the app on your phone or tablet. Tap your profile photo. A new window will open.
Tap Location Sharing.
On the next page, tap Share Location.
Next, select the contact you want to share your location with. Then tap the Share button.
Choose how long you want to share your location with someone. Then tap Save.
You can stop sharing at any time by tapping the Cancel button.
How to Set Location Notifications on the Google Maps App
To get a notification when someone arrives at or leaves a location, open the Google Maps app, tap your profile photo, then tap Location Sharing.
Choose the person you want to get a notification from when they arrive at or leave a destination. Then add the address to get a notification from Google Maps when they arrive at or leave that location.
Next, choose whether you’d like the notification when your friend arrives there or leaves there.
Then tap Save.
Both parties will be notified when this location notification feature is activated. Either party can turn off this feature at any time.
When the person arrives at the designated location, Google Maps will send a notification.
You can also turn off this feature so for a specific person so they can’t set up notifications for you. They will not be notified that you have turned off this feature for them.
How to Set Location Notifications on the Google Maps Website
To set location notifications using your computer, open the Google Maps website. Click your profile photo. Click Manage your Google Account in the window that appears. A new page will open. Click People & sharing in the left menu.
Scroll down to Location Sharing. Tap Manage Location Sharing. Choose the person you want to get a notification about. Click Add to add a location you’d like to get notification about when they leave or arrive at a location. Then choose whether you’d like to get the notification when they leave or arrive at that location. Then click Save.
You can turn off notifications from this page as well.
Availability
According to Google, Maps location notifications are rolling out worldwide. Location notifications will be available on the Google Maps website and on the Google Maps app for iOS (iPhone and iPad) and Android.
If you don’t see location notifications available, check Google Maps again soon for the update.
Your Thoughts
Do you like knowing when a loved one gets home safely? Have you ever wished someone could be alerted when you’ve reached a destination safely? Will you be using this new notifications feature from Google Maps?
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!
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*Top of the mountain image (edited) from Google
Oh wow! I never knew this! Thanks for the Google Maps tip!
Hi Linda, This is a new feature for Google Maps. I hope you find it useful!
Never knew this feature existed on Google Maps! This will definitely help with an additional way of keeping our loved ones safe and keeping a tab.
Hi Archana, Yes, exactly. This is a very helpful new tool from Google Maps that can help us avoid nagging our loved ones to let us know when they’ve arrived somewhere safely.