How to send map locations using iMessage

iMessage isn't just for texting, you can easily and instantly share your location with friends, family, and colleagues as well. Whether you're lost or need someone to give you directions, or you're waiting and want to help someone find you, iMessage is as simple as hitting the share button and sending.
- Launch the Maps app from the Home screen.
- Tap on the little location arrow in the bottom left corner to find your current location.
- Tap on the blue dot and it will show your current location by address.
- Tap the blue arrow on the right of the pin to bring up the details about your current location.
- Tap Share Location at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap the Message option.
- Choose the contact you'd like to send it to by typing their name or tapping the blue plus sign to add them from your contacts.
- Tap Send and you're done!






That's it! Your contact will get an iMessage with your current location. If they're on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch it will allow them to click into it and it will load automatically onto a map for them in the default Maps app. They can then plug it in to find directions for you and send them back to you.
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There are 13 comments. Add yours.
Top tip, thanks.
They need to have this right from the iMessage app too. Hopefully, they'll replace the camera icon next to the text entry with a multifunction button - share location, start Find My Friends request, send photo/video, send contact info, send calendar invite, send reminder, etc...
This is so dumb (not the topic of this article, but the fact that I am impressed with seeing our area on iMore) but I still think it's cool when I see my "hometown" area on these posts. Keep up the great work!!!!
can't you send this to someone regardless of whether "iMessage" is used. For example names of people without iphones could be added to the message. I didn't actually hit send as i don't want to spam them. But this is not imessage specific is it? It's just how to send your location with a text message. Or am i misunderstanding? Does it refuse to send if the person doesn't have an iphone and imessage?
i Actually just tried this with a friend of mine. He has a Galaxy nexus and i have an iphone. When i sent it to him he got a message from me that just showed a bunch of data with a few highlight-able data points and a thing about a server. Suffice to say this is ios only feature or maybe he just needs to update.
It won't work with text. Try the email option to your friend with the galaxy nexus. I have a nexus and this is how I tell my iPhone friends to send me their location.
Cool. Thanks
Apple should implement this feature within the messages app. Doing all of these steps just takes way too much time. Changing the camera button to a share button would be fantastic!
Great idea, why didn't I think of that?
Whooops. I guess great minds think alike!
Not to be pedantic, but is it still iMessage, or is it now Messages??
Messages is the name of the app, and the Messages app can send SMS/MMS or iMessages. iMessages is the name of the service, which can be sent using the Messages app or via in-app share sheets.
Hey great article Allyson. You can also try this free location sharing website: mydoorhandle.com