How to change the location you share on WhatsApp
You can send any place on the map as a pin. Live location is different: it follows your phone for as long as you share it.
6 min read
WhatsApp has three ways to share where you are, and they behave very differently. Your current location is a single snapshot. A nearby place is a pin for a café, a station, or a venue. Live location keeps updating for as long as you choose. If you want to send a place other than where you stand, you usually do not need anything beyond the right option in the chat.
| Option | What the other person gets | Does it update? |
|---|---|---|
| Send your current location | A map image of where your phone is when you send it | No |
| Send a nearby place | A pin for the place you picked | No |
| Share live location | Your phone’s position, in real time | Yes, until the time runs out or you stop |
| Location on Status | A pin for the place you selected, for 24 hours | No |
Send a place that is not where you are
This covers most real needs: “meet me here”, the address of a party, or the hotel you are booked into.
- Open the individual or group chat.
- Tap the plus sign (Attach on Android), then tap Location.
- Choose a nearby place from the list instead of your current location.
- Send it.
If the place is not close to you, open it in Apple Maps or Google Maps and use the share button there to send it to the WhatsApp chat. The other person gets a link that opens the exact spot.
Share and stop live location
- Open the chat and tap the plus sign, then Location.
- Tap Share live location, and tap OK if WhatsApp asks.
- Choose how long to share. You can add a comment.
- Tap Send.
To stop in one chat, open it and tap Stop sharing. To stop in every chat, tap You, then Privacy, then Live location, and tap Stop sharing. WhatsApp says live location is end-to-end encrypted, so only the people in that chat can see it.
What stays after you stop
When live sharing ends, the chat still shows the first location you shared as a static thumbnail. People can tap it to see your last updated location. Stopping does not erase the history from their screen.
Live location and linked devices
WhatsApp says linked devices, such as WhatsApp Web and Desktop, cannot show live location at this time. Use the phone app to see or manage it.
Privacy controls that cost nothing
- Choose the shortest live location time that does the job.
- Send a nearby place instead of your current location when the exact spot is not needed.
- Set WhatsApp’s location permission to While Using the App or Never in iPhone Settings, under Privacy & Security, Location Services, WhatsApp.
- Check Privacy, Live location now and then to see where you are still sharing.
When the phone location itself matters
Current location and live location both come from what iOS reports. A nearby place does not. If you need the live or current option to show a different place, the change must happen at the phone level, because WhatsApp has no setting for it.
GhostMe is a Mac app that sets the location a connected iPhone reports. This is separate from choosing a place to send in a chat, and WhatsApp may not refresh immediately. It needs a Mac, a USB cable for the first pairing, and Developer Mode on the iPhone. See the iPhone location simulator page and the supported deviceslist. To go back, click Stop & Restore Location or restart the iPhone.
Be clear with people you share live location with. If someone relies on it for safety, such as a late walk home, they need the real thing. For family tracking apps, see the guide on Find My.
Common problems
WhatsApp shows the wrong current location
Check that WhatsApp has location permission and that Precise Location is on. Indoors, GPS can drift. Wait a moment for the map to settle before you tap send.
Live location stopped updating
The time you picked may have run out. Also check that WhatsApp can use location while it is in the background.
The other person cannot see my live location on a computer
Linked devices do not show live location. They need to open it on their phone.
Common questions
Can I send a location without sharing where I am?
Yes. Send a nearby place, or share a map link from a maps app.
Does sending my current location also share live location?
No. WhatsApp says the current location is a static image from the moment you send it.
Does a VPN change my WhatsApp location?
No. A VPN changes your IP address, not GPS. See fake GPS on iPhone: what actually works.
