Google Maps has a location-sharing feature that allows you to share your location with others. Users can set a time limit that shuts down this peek at your current location after the set time period has been reached. Or, the user can decide to keep this information available by choosing the setting that shares the current location “Until I turn it off.”
However, it appears that there is a problem, and some Google Maps users on the app’s support page are complaining that they are no longer able to select the “Until I turn it off” option. This bug is preventing Google Maps users from allowing someone to continue to monitor their current location until they turn off the location sharing feature.
A member of the Google Maps support page, Loes Frank, wrote, “Hi! I am sharing my location for a long time with my parents and brother. Always ‘until I turn it off’ instead of a limited time. For a while I shared my location with my boyfriend without a time limit but it suddenly doesn’t work anymore.”
Loes continues, “I am still sharing my location with my family without a time limit but with my boyfriend it’s impossible. Also with new people, it’s impossible. How can I fix this?” In other words, she complains that the option to keep sharing her location until she’s done is still showing up on her phone, but it is not working when she presses on it.
A Google Platinum Product Expert tried to blame the problem on Loes’ lack of verification which he says prevents Google from knowing her age which blocks her from using “features like enabling location history and browsing your Google Timeline. These features are only available for users whose accounts have been verified to meet the minimum age requirements.”
But the expert was quickly proven wrong when another Google Maps user wrote, “This is happening for me too, no option to verify the account so it’s already verified. On other family members’ phones they can still see the option saying ‘until you turn it off.’ Any ideas, Google?”
And another post in the Google Maps support page says, “My fiancés’ phone has been sharing locations with me for years and it stays on, on my phone, but every day his location sharing is set to ‘until I turn it off.’ When he gets near his own home maps, location disconnects yet he can see mine when neither one of us touched it.” The location-sharing feature is a handy tool for those who would like to be tracked as they travel just in case a situation arises where they need help.
Every person complaining about this issue says that Google Maps runs perfectly on their device with the location sharing issue the only problem that they are having with the navigation and mapping app. The problem started earlier this month and this timing has led some to believe that the bug was introduced via a recent software update. Whatever the cause of this issue, it seems to prevent the ‘until I turn it off’ option from working with certain contacts.
Google continues to work on Maps as it continues the evolution of the app which started as an application tasked with getting users from point “A” to point “B” safely, and in the fastest possible time. Besides additions to the navigation part of the app that warn you of delays, accidents, speed traps, tolls, and speed limits, Google Maps now helps you find places to eat, places to see, hotels where you can stay and famous landmarks to visit once you get to “B.”
