It seems Google has been busy making adjustments to a number of its apps – from Google Lens to Play music, Duo and now Google Maps. The recent update to Google Maps is focused on the real-time location sharing interface which now includes a less-pronounced bar, a new floating button and a card with your name, current address and phone battery charge.

The blue bar which shows ‘location sharing’ is now replaced by a white one, and the new floating button which used to read ‘get started’ now reads ‘new share’. With the ‘New Share’ button, you’ll see a list of your contacts, with whom you can share your live location and choose for how long – once you tap on it.

To access the location sharing menu, simply tap on your profile avatar located at the top right corner of the Map and then location sharing. The updates still let’s users share their location via several app platforms.

To access the new Google Maps interface feature, you’ll need to have the app updated to version 10.40.2. The updated version should already be out on Android and iOS devices.

Read more to get started with the updated Google Maps App