Google Launches a New Application: Trusted Contacts

Google unwrapped a new application yesterday called Trusted Contacts, that's somewhat similar to other services like Google+ Location Sharing and Google Latitude. The idea behind it is to offer a solution for those who need to know the location of a friend or loved one. Trusted Contacts isn't tied to a specific service though (like Google+ Location Sharing and Google Latitude were), which is what we're seeing a lot of from Google lately.

Once you install the application, you'll be allowed to label a number of the contacts you have in your phone as 'trusted'. By setting a contact to be trusted, you're not allowing them to automatically see your location though (and vice versa). You're basically just allowing them the opportunity to see your location. So, after you have set someone as a trusted contact, they'll be able to request your location from the new application.

At first, this will only be a request because the recipient can deny it. The person you are requesting the location status from will receive a full screen notification (similar to a phone call). If the person does not respond in 5 minutes, then the location of that person will automatically be sent to the one who requested it. Once they receive that full screen notification, they will have the ability to decline the location request or instantly share it.

Trusted Contacts is currently available for Android and can be downloaded directly from the Play Store right now. They tell us the app is coming to iOS in the future, but didn't give an estimation about when it will be made available. They did set up a landing page for it here though, so you can request to be notified when the iOS application will be made available to the public.

Source: Google Blog

from xda-developers http://ift.tt/2h23394
via IFTTT