Calling Google Maps location sharing a replacement for Trusted Contacts isn’t quite right. Trusted Contacts was more privacy-focused than today’s Google Maps sharing. While both let you share your location, Trusted Contacts did not have an “always-on” location sharing mode. It would let you give people permission to request your location via the emergency request, but they wouldn’t be able to see where you are all the time. In Google Maps, there is no request system, so if you want other people to be able to see your location in an emergency, you need to proactively share your location for a set time or turn on always-on sharing.
Google’s new take on a safety app is the Pixel-exclusive “Personal Safety” app, which doesn’t let people request your location on an emergency-only basis. You can proactively schedule a “safety check,” which will let you set a timer for a dead man’s switch that will alert your emergency contacts if you don’t answer. Google envisions people using this for things like going on a walk alone or going to a party.
If you have a ton of trusted contacts, Google will let you download them from the trusted contacts page until December 1.
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Google shuts down Trusted Contacts, its emergency location sharing app
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