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Share your GPS location without compromising your privacy
CNET's Antuan Goodwin shows you how to use your Android phone's Google Maps app to share your location with others.
Share your GPS location with an Android phone
There are plenty of location-sharing apps such as Foursquare, Latitude, and Gowalla that allow you to share your location with your friends, but these apps require that both parties be signed up and using the service in order to work. Many people simply aren't keen on having an app like Google Latitude watching their comings and goings. For those times where you need to let someone know where your are, I'm going to show you how to share your GPS coordinates with your friends or family members without compromising your privacy or theirs using little more than your Android phone's Google Maps app and a well-placed text message or e-mail.
Pop over into the Google Maps app and hit the Find Me button in the upper-right corner of the screen. It should look like a little compass. The app will then try to figure out where you are in the world using GPS and mark your location with a small, blue arrow.
Tap the arrow marking you position, then tap the resulting text bubble. This should bring you to a menu screen with details and actions relevant to your location.
Next, tap the options that says "Send location to others" and you'll be presented with a list of sharing options. You will now be able to send a Google Maps link to your exact location via text message or e-mail. Depending on the other apps installed on your phone, you may also be able to share this link via social networking services, such as Facebook or Twitter.
I use this technique all of the time to help friends find me in large crowded public areas, to share the location of businesses or meeting places with others, and to send notes to myself marking great driving roads I'd like to remember. If you've got a clever application of Google Maps' share location feature or a better way of sharing your location with others, why not share it with us in the comments?
