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Creepy or useful, what do you think about battery status sharing in Google Maps?

By Daniel Petrov

Updated: Aug 08, 2018, 6:21 AM

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Creepy or useful, what do you think about battery status sharing in Google Maps?

Google has been testing its Maps location sharing service with a pretty unorthodox new feature for a while now. Yes, we are talking about the fact that you can now see the other person's phone battery life as well as track their whereabouts.

Some might consider this strange and somewhat of an intrusion on already shaky privacy grounds by Google, while others may love it, as it instills a sense of urgency if something goes awry, and the person needs to be located, plus you will know they went AWOL because their battery died rather than bust your head over more nefarious theories.

This is why we wanted to ask you if you are fine with Google sharing your battery life as well as your location with your exes. We kid, but it's a feature that is obviously going to be permanent within Maps' location sharing, and we'd like to hear your thoughts on whether you consider it a bit creepy, or actually useful. Or maybe both? Tell us in the poll below.

Creepy or useful, what do you think about Google's location and battery life sharing?

654 Votes

Creepy

30.12%

Useful

38.38%

Both

31.5%

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.