Sharing your location has become an everyday task: guiding a delivery rider to your door, helping a guest find a wedding venue, or letting family know you have reached safely. It only takes a few taps, but it helps to know how accurate the location is, what kind of link you are sending, and who can see it.
Latitude and Longitude in Plain Words
Every point on Earth can be described by two numbers:
- Latitude says how far north or south of the equator you are, from 0° at the equator to 90° at the poles.
- Longitude says how far east or west of Greenwich in London you are, from 0° to 180°.
All of India lies north of the equator and east of Greenwich, so both numbers are positive. New Delhi is at about 28.6139, 77.2090, which can also be written as 28° 36' 50" N, 77° 12' 32" E. Both forms point to the same place; the first is easier to paste into an app.
The number of decimal places decides how precise the position is:
| Decimal places | Example | Precision (approx.) |
|---|
| 2 | 28.61 | 1.1 km: a neighbourhood |
| 3 | 28.614 | 110 m: a street |
| 4 | 28.6139 | 11 m: a building |
| 5 | 28.61390 | 1.1 m: a doorway |
| 6 | 28.613900 | 11 cm |
How Accurate Is Your Location?
Your device uses the best source it has, and the difference is large:
- Phone with GPS, outdoors: usually within 5 to 20 metres.
- Phone indoors: GPS signals weaken, so it mixes in Wi-Fi and mobile towers. Expect 20 to 100 metres.
- Laptop or desktop: most have no GPS and rely on Wi-Fi networks or the internet connection. The result can be hundreds of metres or even a few kilometres away.
Good location tools show an accuracy figure such as ± 15 m. Treat it as a circle around the pin: you are most likely somewhere inside it. If the figure is large, step outside or near a window, turn on GPS or "Precise location", and try again.
A Fixed Pin or a Live Location?
There are two different ways to share where you are, and choosing the right one matters.
| Fixed pin (current location) | Live location |
|---|
| What it shows | Where you were when you shared it | Where you are now, updated as you move |
| Best for | Your home, shop, venue or parked car | Travelling, especially at night or in a new city |
| How long | The link works permanently | Stops after the time you choose, such as 15 minutes, 1 hour or 8 hours |
When you share a fixed pin, the other person can still open it in Google Maps and get directions. Their own position moves live on their screen as they come towards you; only your pin stays still. If you will be moving too, send a live location instead.
How to Share It
- A fixed pin from any device: our My Current Location tool shows your coordinates and accuracy, then sends a Google Maps link with a "directions to reach me" link on WhatsApp in one tap.
- Live location on WhatsApp: open the chat, tap the attach icon (📎 on Android, + on iPhone), choose Location, then "Share live location", pick a duration and send.
- Live location on Google Maps: tap your profile picture, then "Location sharing" and "Share location", choose how long and pick a contact.
Share Safely
- Share with people you trust, and prefer a direct chat over a large group.
- Always set a time limit for live location, and stop sharing when you have arrived.
- Do not post your home location publicly, for example on social media, and check that photos you post do not reveal where you live.
- Review app permissions every few months in your phone's settings, and turn off location access for apps that do not need it.
- In an emergency in India, dial 112. It is the single emergency number for police, fire and ambulance, and the 112 India app lets you send an SOS.
Location features in apps change from time to time, so menu names may differ slightly on your phone. To see your own coordinates, accuracy and position on a map right now, open the My Current Location tool below.