Now it sounds hard to imagine, but not so long ago, you couldn't contact someone anytime you wanted. Once your child, spouse or friend is out of sight, you really have no way of knowing if anything is wrong until reality.

Mobile phones are a thing of the past, but smartphones have taken the ability to keep tabs on people you care about to the next level.

Whether you have an Android or iOS device, you can now permanently share your location with others and they will do the same for you.

This means you can check where they are anytime by using the Google Maps app or by visiting the website. Most importantly, you will always be able to see their last known location as well as the remaining battery life in their phone.

Obviously, iPhone users can use apps like Find My Phone or Find Friends, which is a better option than Google Maps, but it's still worth knowing. For Android users, this is a great option.

Share places via Google
Map

Before anyone can share their location, both
everyone needs to have a Google account and be in someone else's contact list. This
will automatically happen if either of you has emailed each other
or Hangouts message.

Because your mobile device is something you can monitor, you can only do this from your phone. If you access this feature on the website, you can only view locations that have been shared with you. Whether you are a user on iOS or Android, the process is basically identical.

First, open Google Maps application. Note that you must be logged in to share location to work.

Now press the menu Hamburger icon on the far left.

Choose Share location> Add person. It is a small symbol that looks like a plus next to a small person.

Now choose the time period you want to share your location. By default, it sets to an hour.

Then press Choose people.

Enter the email address of the person you want to share your location with in this box.

Once you've selected the right people and confirmed, they will see your real-time location in their Google Maps application. Now you will never have to worry about where your loved one will be again!

Note that for all this to work, you will need to change a few settings on your phone. On your iPhone, you will need to grant location access to the Google Maps application Always and you will need to turn it on Refresh the background application.

When you do that, others will be able to view your location continuously until sharing is turned off. If others have not shared their location with you, that will be indicated on the screen. You can click here Request button for them to share their location.

Note that nefarious people who can touch your phone can turn this feature on without your consent. You can always know when your location is being shared if you see the location arrow at the top of the phone on the home screen.

To check and see which apps are using your location, go to Settings - Privacy - Location Services and scroll down until you see the app with a purple location icon.

This means that the app has recently used your location. You can then go in and check to make sure location sharing is turned off if desired. You can also know who you are sharing your location with and hope to catch them. Enjoy!