Use this function to quickly send your location via text if you have a problem

Use this function to quickly send your location via text if you have a problem

Are you lost, stranded, or in danger somewhere? Text your precise location to a friend or rescuer. They'll be able to help you knowing exactly where you are.

It's not always easy to explain to someone over the phone where you are, so you can arrange a meeting point. While it's easy enough in the city, with street names and numbers, it's much more complex to describe your location verbally in the middle of the countryside, where the roads all look the same. All the more embarrassing if, for example, your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. Or, even worse, if you feel unsafe and stressed in a place, especially if you're being harassed or assaulted. And the same applies if you've been injured in a fall or accident, whether in the city or out in the countryside. Calling a loved one or a rescuer to come and get you, while trying to explain where you are, is likely to waste precious time with more or less precise descriptions and uncertain results.

Fortunately, your smartphone can give you a hand with a simple text message. Whether you're using an Android mobile or an iPhone, the messaging app associated with the Google Maps or Apple Maps mapping service allows you to transmit your precise coordinates to your correspondent in a matter of seconds with a simple message. 

Your contact will then have a map on their mobile with your location as a reference point. The good news is that the method works regardless of the type of mobile your message is sent to. So you can send a location text message from an iPhone (with Map) to an Android smartphone and vice-versa without worrying about compatibility problems. So you'll be out of trouble in no time. The only requirement is that the device must be connected to a 3G/4G/5G or Wi-Fi network to send this geolocation data.

How to send your location via a text message

Indicating your location in an SMS is as easy as sending a photo:

  • In the SMS app, open a conversation with the person to whom you wish to send your location.
  • Tap the + button to the left of the message input field. Then tap the Location icon on Android or iPhone. You may need to authorize the app to use your exact location.
  • On Android, simply press the little SMS arrow in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. The message with your contact details will be sent immediately.
  • On iPhone, press the Send waypoint option. You can add a text message to explain the situation before sending the SMS as usual.

If your correspondent uses the same type of mobile as you (Android or iPhone), the map showing your position will be displayed directly in the messaging app. If he uses an iPhone and you an Android, or vice versa, he will be invited to open the message in the appropriate app or in his web browser to display the map.