The ability to share your location with a friend using your smartphone is nothing new, and there are more than a few options available. Unfortunately, most of those options require that the users on both ends of the equation have the app on their phone, and many have also raised a few privacy concerns, especially when they are “always on” features.

An app called Geoflik solves both problems by sending a one time location request via SMS. While users requesting a location need the Geoflik app to do so, the people on the receiving end do not.

The idea for Geoflik came from the complicated hassle of prospective buyers meeting a real estate agent at a new property. “A lot of these new homes are in developments that aren’t even on the map yet, so having an address won’t really help you,” Geoflik COO Ron Tiongco told me, explaining that the app relies on coordinates rather than addresses. “Geoflik lets you locate someone right at that moment, but you don’t have to be friends with them already to use it.”

Tiongco explained that as long as the person on the other end has a smartphone with data and SMS, Geoflik’s location feature will work. He joked, “And since it is a one time share, you don’t have to worry about black helicopters following you.”

How it works

Requesting a location

To use Geoflik to find a friend, just tap “Request Location” on the Geoflik app and either enter a phone number manually or choose a contact from your phonebook. Your friend will then receive a text from your phone number with a link they can follow to share their location.

After they tap the link, it will still ask if they want to allow their location to be shared in case they changed their mind, but once they allow it, you will receive an alert letting you know.

You can then view a satellite image of their location thanks to the app’s built in integration with Google Maps, and you also have the option to open the location in the Google Maps app to get directions.

Sharing a location

Sharing a location works the same way as requesting one, but in reverse. Tap “Share Location” on the Geoflik app and once again enter your friend’s number or select them from your contacts list.

Your friend will receive a link via SMS that will take them to a map showing them your location at the time you shared it.

Geoflik is currently free to use both to send and receive location requests, and it is available for download now on both iOS and Android. For more info on the app, you can visit the official website at Geoflik.com.

Photo (top) by sonstroem
App image courtesy of Geoflik