ISLAMABAD – A newly spotted feature in WhatsApp’s beta version could make it easier to ask friends and family to share their whereabouts, but questions remain over how the tool will work and when it will roll out.
Ever asked friend on WhatsApp, Where are you? only to get reply like, How do I send my location? A potential new feature could soon make that familiar exchange a thing of the past.
Meta Owned app is testing “Request Location” option that would allow users to ask someone to share their location directly through a dedicated in-chat request, potentially eliminating the need to explain the process step by step.
The option was spotted during APK teardown of WhatsApp beta version 2.26.41.11. The publication’s team reportedly managed to activate the feature manually on a test device, offering an early glimpse of what could become a useful addition to the messaging platform.
The feature reportedly appears on WhatsApp’s “Send Location” screen, alongside the existing options for sharing a current location or live location. Tapping “Request Location” generates a card labelled “Location Request” in the chat. Rather than sending a message asking someone to share their whereabouts, users could potentially send a dedicated request with just a few taps.
The idea is particularly useful when someone needs an accurate map pin to find a friend, coordinate a meeting or arrange a pickup. It could also spare less tech-savvy users the confusion of navigating WhatsApp’s location-sharing menus.
The proposed feature would bring WhatsApp closer to functionality already available in Apple’s iMessage. iPhone users can open the location menu and select the request option to ask another person to share their whereabouts. A similar tool on WhatsApp could make location sharing more straightforward, especially for users who prefer receiving a precise map pin rather than a manually typed address.
However, the feature’s exact functionality remains unclear, and its appearance in a beta build does not guarantee that it will be released publicly.
The initial test reportedly had limitation. When the location request was sent to another phone, the receiving device displayed a message indicating that the feature was not supported. This one-way test left several important questions unanswered, including how the recipient will see the request, whether they will have to approve it manually and what options WhatsApp will provide for responding.
One possibility is that tapping the request card could take the recipient to a screen where they can choose between sharing their current location and enabling live location sharing. However, this remains speculation rather than a confirmed description of how the feature will operate.
For now, there is no confirmed public release date, and the feature appears to be at an early testing stage. Its presence in WhatsApp beta version 2.26.41.11 suggests that development is underway, but it remains uncertain whether it will reach all users or what its final design will look like.
With the expected launch, the new feature could remove small but familiar frustration from everyday messaging: asking someone where they are, only to spend the next few minutes explaining how to share their location.
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