Share your location by link: your live position in the browser, no app
A friend does not have DriveBattle but should still find you. In DriveBattle for Android you create a link to your live location and send it through the messenger you both use anyway. Whoever opens it sees you on a map in the browser, with no app and no account.
How to create the link
Open the Drive tab, tap "Follow me" and then "Via link". In the "Share via web link" dialog you pick how long the link stays valid: 30 minutes, 1, 2 or 4 hours, with 1 hour preselected. After "Create link" the Android share menu opens with a ready-made text and the link. You pick the messenger you want to send it through. The link is active at once, there is no acceptance step like with an invitation to a rider. The link stays in the dialog, and "Share" sends it again.
What the other person sees in the browser
Whoever opens the link lands on a DriveBattle page in the browser. They can enter a name (up to 30 characters) and tap "Join". The page then asks for the location of their device and shows a map with you, including name and speed. No account and no installation are needed. As long as the page is visible, it keeps the screen awake.
You see the guest too
If the guest shares their location in the browser, you see them as well. In your list their name then replaces "Public web link", with "connected via web link - you see each other". If they refuse, they see you and you do not see them, and the page cannot calculate a route to you. Their position reaches you about every 10 seconds. If they switch to another app or turn the display off, the browser slows down the location updates, and they briefly show as offline. The page reminds them to keep it open.
Navigating to you
On the map the guest taps "Navigate". The page calculates a car route from their location to your current position and shows maneuvers and the remaining time. The speaker button turns on voice guidance. If you keep moving, the page recalculates the route every 20 seconds, and sooner when you are more than 150 metres from the route end.
Whoever knows the link sees you
The link is not tied to a person. Everyone who has it sees your live location while it is valid. Nobody can guess it, and search engines are told not to index the page. If you post it in a group or someone forwards it, everyone there can open it. Privacy zones do not apply to this kind of sharing, because you hand over your location on purpose. So send the link only to people who may see you.
Several people on the same link
The guest has a single location slot. If several people open the link and share their location, you see whichever was sent last, recognisable by the name in your list. If several friends want to find you, an invitation through "To a driver" for each of them or a separate link for each is the clearer solution.
Ending the link
In the list in the Drive tab the link carries the badge LINK. "End" stops it at any time, otherwise it expires after the duration you picked. After that the page shows the guest "Share ended" and "This live location is no longer available". As long as the link runs, your phone sends your position even without a ride running. Without a connection that does not work, not even with offline maps.
Link or invitation to a rider
"To a driver" sends an invitation to someone who has DriveBattle. They accept, and you see each other. The link needs neither acceptance nor an account. Both ways sit under "Follow me", and the Follow me page explains the whole feature. The permanent map of your crew is something else, it has its own page, Live crew map.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I share my location by link?
- In the Drive tab open "Follow me" and tap "Via link". Pick how long it stays valid, tap "Create link" and send the link through the share menu to the messenger of your choice. The recipient opens it in the browser and sees your live location.
- Does the recipient need the app or an account?
- No. The link opens in the browser, with no account and no installation. You yourself need DriveBattle for Android to create the link.
- How long does the link stay valid?
- In the dialog you pick 30 minutes, 1, 2 or 4 hours. "End" stops it earlier. After that the page shows "Share ended".
- Who can see my live location?
- Everyone who has the link, as long as it is valid. Nobody can guess it, but it is not tied to a person. Send it only to people who may see you.
- Do I see the other person's location too?
- Yes, if they share their location in the browser. They then appear in your list with their name. Without that, they see you and you do not see them.
- Can the recipient navigate to me?
- Yes. With "Navigate" the page calculates a car route to your current position, with voice guidance on request, and adjusts it as you keep moving. This requires the recipient to share their location.
- Do privacy zones apply when sharing by link?
- No. The link shows your exact location, even when you are inside a zone. Privacy zones protect routes and the crew's live map.
- Is sharing by link part of Premium?
- No, it is not on the Premium list. Premium includes the curvy navigation and offline maps, among other things.