Facebook announced on Thursday its latest feature called Nearby Friends. As the name suggests, Facebook will inform its more than 1.2 billion members which of their friends are nearby. This is an optional feature and is strictly available for users 18 years old and above and can be turned on or off anytime. On the default setting, the user’s precise location will be shared for one hour, but the user can manually change it to a longer time.
“Sharing your location with Nearby Friends goes two ways — you and your friends both have to turn on Nearby Friends and choose to share with each other to see when you’re nearby. Your friends will only be able to see that you’re nearby if you share this info with them and vice versa,” a statement reads on the official Facebook news blog.
According to Facebook, Nearby Friends allows users to choose the kind of friends who can see them such as friends, close friends, or list of specific friends. Users can also choose to share a precise location (via a map) with their friends they choose. As an example, a user who is heading to watch a movie can tell it to his or her friends. Those who are nearby can meet up with the user so they can watch the movie together.
Likewise, users who are using this customizable feature will see whose nearby friends are travelling and the city or neighborhood they are that time. If a user has been to that vicinity before or he knows it well, he can easily recommend a restaurant or any beautiful place within the area. He can also meet his friends if he happens to be in the same place that time.
Facebook said Nearby Friends will be available to all iOS and Android devices in the US over the coming weeks.
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