Hey AAA Community!

[G+_Andrew Vaughan]

Hey AAA Community!  

 

Since the demise of Latitude, I'm wondering if anyone has found a good real time map-based tracking app, or can tell me how to do this with Google tools.

 

The latest Google Maps update unceremoniously retired Latitude, and I was actually using it pretty heavily.  Google points to G+ as an alternative, but I haven't figured out how to do this with Maps.  I can share my location with my 'family' circle in G+, and indeed if they go to my profile they can see what town I'm in, and click to get a dot on a map.  That's fine, but how about the real time map view of old?

 

Here's a use case that I'd like to replicate: every summer, I go to the beach with my extended family.  We meet up at my parents' house in Richmond, and then caravan down to the Outer Banks in 4-6 different cars/trucks/vans.  Most of the cars contain at least one small child, so we don't really bother trying to stay together...we stop when we need to, eat when we need to, etc.  For the past few years, I've managed to make sure that each car has an Android phone with Latitude, and this has been truly wonderful.  You can watch everyone's progress as a matter of curiosity.  You can see if anyone is nearby if it's time for lunch.  You can see if anyone's already at the house (so they've already gotten the key).  You can get an estimate on the ETA of that straggler.

 

So...is there a good way to replicate that map feature of Latitude?

 

Thanks!

Drew

[G+_Joseph Cappellino]

If you open the sidebar in Google+, click Locations. This should show it on a map. That being said, location sharing has to be reciprocal, meaning they have to share their location back to you. This is still in its infancy, but will be expanded, I hope, in the future.

[G+_Andrew Vaughan]

Hey Joseph Cappellino, this sounds like exactly what I want, but I don't see it.  You mean the sidebar if I hover over the "Home>" area in the upper-left?  I get a bunch of options there (Profile, People, Photos, Communities, etc), including "Local", but not Locations.  "Local" tries to show me restaurants nearby and whatnot.

 

I'm not worried about the reciprocal thing...Latitude was the same way.  Before my trip, I had to sit down with all of the phones and share-and-share-alike.

[G+_Andrew Vaughan]

Ah, I see....it's in the mobile app.  Ok, awesome.  For some of my other applications (like giving my wife the comfort of knowing that I've dropped off the kids safely), I'm hoping for a desktop version too.  But it looks like this will at least address my use case above.  Thanks!

[G+_Harry Chaffee]

On the desktop, go to that person's profile, scroll up so you can see the whole cover photo, and hover over the person's location at the bottom of the cover photo. The cover photo will become a map and show the person's location.? This only works if that person is sharing their location with you.

[G+_Ned Jeffery]

I don't see what the issue is. The real time features are the same in G+ as they were in lattitude are they not?

 

The only problem I see is you have to manually activate location sharing again.

[G+_Jim Jackson (J3xtr)]

I love Glympse for limited sharing. I works different than Latitude though.

[G+_Gary A Hanson]

Glympse! https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.glympse.android.glympse

[G+_Andrew Vaughan]

Hey Ned Jeffery, Harry Chaffee!  Thanks for the help.  With Latitude of old, you could bring up the Latitude layer of the map and see everyone at once.  I had a dozen people sharing with me, and their little avatars were always pins on my map.  The G+ solution appears to be one-at-a-time, no?

[G+_Andrew Vaughan]

Glympse looks promising, I'll check that out.  Thanks!

[G+_Saurabh Kumar]

Andrew Vaughan G+ solutions works exactly same as latitude (i.e. multiple people on the map)... only catch is .. all of you must have G+ app (only map will not work) .... plus there is an added bonus: location sharing need not be reciprocated like in latitude

[G+_Harvey Smith]

The problem with Glympse last time I tried it was 2 hour session limit. The problem with G+ is almost no one I want to share location with use it, so it's a much more involved explaining process to get them on board (since  G+ is a much larger animal then Glympse)

[G+_Michael Abernathy]

Harvey Smith it's 4 hours for the max time.  But I think while you're using it, there is an option to extend the time pretty easily.  Glympse is about as real time as it gets also Andrew Vaughan  .  The maps location is sometimes way off in G+ because I think it uses cell towers and NOT GPS.  Whereas Glympse shows you even how fast someone is traveling and in which direction.  My wife and I use G+ for generality but Glympse when we want to show exactly.  Glympse can also be used on the desktop by the recipient with the live updating map and everything.  It's wonderful.

[G+_Fred Schmitthammer]

Life 360 is awesome. Try that app. It is also cross platform.

[G+_Harry Chaffee]

Andrew Vaughan The G+ solution is one at a time on the desktop, yes. But the G+ mobile app has a map with everyone at once.

[G+_Joe Savery]

For ETA and tracking during a trip I would use TWIST. Gives updates and allows others to join the trip without having to go through a sharing setup.