借助现代技术，您可以非常轻松地使用手机分享您的实时位置。您可以通过 Android 共享您的位置，或者通过(share your location from your Android)让他们从任何移动设备共享自己的位置来(having them share their own location from any mobile device)跟踪您的家庭成员。
有些人甚至伪造他们的位置(fake their location)，以便他们可以掩盖他们正在做的事情或保护他们的隐私。
但是，实时位置共享最有用的目的是保护您的个人安全。在许多情况下，让人们知道您的位置将有助于您保持安全，并让其他人了解您周围的环境。
1. 夜间在公共场所行走
您在夜间在公共场所行走时受害的几率不是很高，但可能比您预期的要高。
根据美国司法局的数据(Bureau of Justice)，男性有 37% 的几率，女性有 22% 的几率在其一生中至少被抢劫一次或多次。男性有 82% 的机会，女性有 62% 的机会在其一生中至少受到一次攻击。
这些可能性在晚上甚至更高，当潜在的窃贼感觉他们在使用黑暗的掩护时。
通过突出显示您的位置，您可以更快地获得发送给您的帮助。当你面前有人拿着刀或枪站在你面前时，这几秒钟可能会决定生死。
有几种好方法可以设置这种紧急位置共享。
在 iPhone 上，您可以使用内置的紧急 SOS(Emergency SOS)系统来触发 911 呼叫。紧急 SOS(Emergency SOS)应用程序会立即通过您当前的位置向您的所有紧急联系人发送短信 。
Android手机上默认的电话(Phone)应用程序具有类似的功能。当您使用它拨打 911 时，您的手机将以文本和地图的形式显示您的地址，以便您可以向 911 接线员大声读出您的位置。
可以执行此操作的其他几个应用程序包括：
- SMS Text 911 ( Android )：拨打 911 时查看您的位置，并使用您的GPS位置自动向直系亲属发送突发短信(SMS)。
- SirenGPS（电话）：创建紧急配置文件，以便在您触发紧急呼叫时，急救人员已经知道您的联系方式，您的手机将提供您的位置。
提前安装这些应用程序或准备好您的手机非常重要，这样您就可以随时准备在夜间独自行走时立即采取行动。
2. 远足时不要迷路
徒步旅行(Hiking)是一种美妙的消遣。这是保持健康、享受户外活动以及以探索和冒险精神生活的好方法。
荒野中有很多值得一看的地方。不幸的是，它也是人们最容易迷路的地方之一。
所需要的只是走一段很短的距离，而且很容易掉头。每个方向的一切(Everything)看起来都一样，然后恐慌开始了。
可悲的是，借助现代技术，使用实时位置共享非常容易，以避免迷路或在迷路时找到回去的路。
以下实时位置应用程序可以帮助您保持正轨，即使您感觉自己完全迷失在任何森林中。
- AllTrails：这个应用程序是迄今为止最有用的，无论何时你在野外外出。它可以帮助您在出发前获取有关远足的信息，但最重要的是，它还可以让您将地图保存到手机中以供离线使用。这很方便，尤其是当您可能无法访问任何移动信号时。
- FatMap：此应用程序提供专为户外探险者设计的全球 3D 地图。它是规划户外探险的最佳地图之一，但最重要的是，无论您身在何处，它都具有全球离线访问功能。
- 徒步旅行项目(Hiking Project)：这个应用程序是为徒步旅行者创建的。将您的实时位置显示为地图上的蓝点。即使您没有信号，您仍然会看到您的实际位置。这几乎是您所要求的不迷路的保证。
- ViewRanger：此应用程序提供了一项独特的功能，可让您使用增强现实识别山峰。这是使用地标来识别您的位置的好方法。最重要的是，它使用离网GPS技术离线工作。
这些和其他实时定位应用程序的美妙之处在于，即使你一无所知，它们也可以告诉你你在哪里。如果您仍然找不到出路，他们还可以让您提供准确的经度和纬度坐标，从而帮助紧急救援人员找到您。
3.商务旅行(Business Trips)期间的实时位置共享
实时位置共享派上用场的最有用的方法之一是在您出差时让您的家人放心。在旅途中使用 Google 地图应用分享您的实时位置(sharing your live location using the Google Maps app)，帮助您的配偶和孩子减少担忧。
他们所要做的就是使用您发送的链接检查他们的应用程序，他们可以随时查看您当前的位置。
每当任何家庭成员长途旅行时，它都可以为家庭其他成员提供极大的安心。
应用程序可以通过许多其他方式使用您的实时位置在商务旅行期间为您提供帮助。
- 一些收据管理应用程序(receipt management apps)与您手机的GPS传感器集成以记录您的位置。
- 使用里程跟踪应用程序(mileage tracking apps)来跟踪您的费用报告里程。
- 使用Google 街景(Google Street View)获得实时和交互式步行导航，尤其是在您尝试导航新城市时。
4. 让您的孩子保持数字化(Digital Leash)
没有什么比在人群中失去你的小孩更可怕的了。当您在某些地点（如节日或主题公园）时，这种情况尤其可能发生。这不仅对您来说是一次可怕的经历，对您的孩子也是如此。
确保(Make)在您孩子的手机上启用实时位置共享。您可以在整个行程期间启用Google Maps实时位置共享，也可以使用众多其他(Google Maps)应用程序之一来实时跟踪您的孩子(apps that let you track your children in real time)。
连接并保护自己
手机(Mobile)和应用程序受到很多指责。但它们也可以是救生设备。打电话让您的亲人知道是让他们安心的积极方式。您可以更进一步，使用实时位置共享让他们保持在循环中。
4 Situations When Live Location Sharing Could Save a Life
With modern technology, it’s very easy to share your live lоcation using your mobile phone. You can share your location from your Android, or track your family members by having them share their own location from any mobile device.
Some people even fake their location just so they can cover up things that they’re up to or protect their privacy.
However, the most useful purpose of live location sharing is protecting your personal security. There are many situations where letting people know your location will help you stay safe and others informed of your immediate surroundings.
1. Walking in Public at Night
Your odds of being victimized while walking in public at night aren’t extremely high, but they may be higher than you expect.
According to the Bureau of Justice, men have a 37% chance and women have a 22% chance of getting robbed at least one or more times in their lifetime. Men have an 82% chance and women have a 62% chance of getting assaulted at least once in their lives.
These odds are even higher at night, when potential thieves feel like they use the cover of darkness.
By highlighting your location, you can get help sent to you much more quickly. Those few extra seconds can make the difference between life and death when you have someone standing in front of you holding a knife or a gun.
There are a few good ways to set up this kind of emergency location sharing.
On an iPhone, you can use the built-in Emergency SOS system to trigger a 911 call. The Emergency SOS app immediately texts all your emergency contacts with your current location.
The Phone app that comes default on Android phones has a similar feature. When you use it to dial 911, your phone will display your address in text and on a map so you can read your location aloud to the 911 operator.
A couple of other apps that can do this include:
- SMS Text 911 (Android): See your location when you call 911, and automatically send a burst SMS to immediate family members with your GPS location.
- SirenGPS (Phone): Create an emergency profile so when you trigger the emergency call, first responders already know your contact details and your phone will provide your location.
It’s important to install these apps or prepare your phone ahead of time so you’re always ready to act immediately in an emergency any time you’re walking alone at night.
2. Never Go Lost While Hiking
Hiking is a fantastic pastime. It’s a great way to stay healthy, enjoy the great outdoors, and live in a spirit of exploration and adventure.
There’s much to see out in the wilderness. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most likely places where people get lost.
All it takes is stepping off a trail for just a very short distance, and it’s extremely easy to get turned around. Everything looks the same in every direction, and then the panic sets in.
The sad thing about this is that thanks to modern technology it’s extremely easy to use live location sharing to avoid getting lost or find your way back if you do get lost.
The following live location apps can help you stay on track, even when you feel like you’re completely lost in any forest.
- AllTrails: This app is by far the most useful whenever you’re going out in the wilderness. It’ll help you get information about hikes before you head out, but best of all it also lets you save maps to your phone for offline use. This is handy, especially when you may not have access to any mobile signals.
- FatMap: This app provides global 3D maps designed for outdoor adventurers. It’s one of the best maps for planning outdoor adventures, but best of all it features global offline access wherever you are.
- Hiking Project: This app was created for hikers. See your live location as a blue dot on the map. And even when you have no signal, you’ll still see your actual location. It’s about as close to a guarantee to not get lost as you can ask for.
- ViewRanger: This app offers a unique feature that lets you identify mountain peaks using augmented reality. This is a great way to use landmarks to identify your position. Best of all, it works offline with off-the-grid GPS technology.
The beauty of these and other live location apps is that they can tell you where you are even when you are clueless. They can also help emergency responders find you by letting you give your exact longitude and latitude coordinates if you still can’t find your way out.
3. Live Location Sharing During Business Trips
One of the most useful ways live location sharing comes in handy is putting your family at ease when you’re on a business trip. Help your spouse and children worry less by sharing your live location using the Google Maps app during the duration of your trip.
All they have to do is check their app using the link you’ve sent and they can see your current location at any time.
It can provide tremendous peace of mind for the rest of the family whenever any family member is traveling over a long distance.
There are a lot of other ways apps can use your live location to help you during a business trip.
4. Keep Your Kids on a Digital Leash
There is nothing quite as terrifying as losing your small children in the middle of a crowd. This scenario is especially likely when you’re at certain locations like a festival or a theme park. It’s not only a scary experience for you, but also for your kids.
Make sure live location sharing is enabled on your children’s phone. You can either enable Google Maps live location sharing for the entire duration of the trip, or you can use one of the many other apps that let you track your children in real time.
Connect and Protect Yourself
Mobile phones and apps get a lot of blame. But they can also be life saving devices. Making a call to let your loved ones know is an active way to give them peace of mind. You can take it a step further by using live location sharing to keep them in the loop.
