Google Maps is testing a feature that lets users share their location with anyone for up to 72 hours

Google Maps is testing a feature that allows users to share their live location for up to 72 hours without needing a Google account, the company announced today. Once the location has been shared, users can set an expiration period of 15 minutes, one hour, six hours, or up to 72 hours. After the time has expired, the shared location will no longer be accessible.<br><br>To use the feature, users will need to tap on their profile picture or initial within the Google Maps app, then tap "Location sharing" > "Share live location" > "Share for an extended period."<br><br>After sharing their location, users will see a countdown for when the link expires. If they want to share it for a longer period of time, they can select how long they want their location to be shared. To stop sharing their location, they will need to go to the Google Maps app and tap "Stop sharing" when the countdown is over.<br><br>Google Maps' new feature aims to make sharing live locations easier, as users will not have to provide their contact information when sharing their location with others. In addition, users don't need to have a Google Account to access or share the live location link.<br><br>The ability to share live locations with anyone is currently available to Android users and will roll out to iOS users in the coming weeks.<br><br>The feature may come in handy for people who are traveling alone or want to share their whereabouts with someone in real-time. For example, if a user is taking an Uber or Lyft alone at night, they can quickly share their live location with family members or friends who can track their ride in real-time.<br><br>Google Maps has been working on improving the app's location-sharing features over the past year. In October, the company announced a feature that allows users to share their location directly from the Google Maps desktop app to their Android or iOS devices. Before this, users had to start location sharing from their mobile device in order to access the feature across different devices.<br><br>&#x200B;