Google Maps Hidden Button Could Make Location Sharing Easier

Google Maps may soon make location sharing easier with a more visible shortcut on Android. Google is testing a floating button that could let users share their current location without first tapping the blue dot and opening a secondary panel.

The change has not been widely rolled out, and it may never ship in its current form. But if Google keeps it, the update would make one of Maps’ less obvious features much easier to find for quick meetups, pickups, and day-to-day coordination.

A shortcut replaces the hidden menu

According to Android Authority, the new shortcut appears as a floating action button with a share icon layered over a location pin. The report said the button was spotted in version 26.12.03.884026066 of the Google Maps Android app.

Right now, sharing a location in Google Maps takes a few extra steps. Users have to tap the blue dot that marks their position, open the panel that appears, and then select the sharing option. Android Authority said the new floating button removes one of those steps by putting the share control directly on the main map screen.

The report also said the button appears when users zoom in on their current location or tap the compass-shaped control. It hides when users move around the map, which suggests Google is trying to make the feature easier to reach without adding permanent clutter to the interface.

Google is testing other Maps UI changes too

The same report said Google is also testing changes to the navigation menu inside Maps. Instead of the current list layout, some options appear in a grid with larger icons. Android Authority said the “Show satellite map” and “Show traffic on map” toggles appear to be moving into Settings, while the “Share trip progress” option was missing from the test interface.

That does not necessarily mean Google is removing trip sharing, but it does suggest the company is still reworking how sharing tools are presented in Maps.

Because this was found in a work-in-progress build, there is no guarantee the feature will launch publicly, or that it will look the same if it does. Still, the test points to a familiar product lesson: when a useful feature is hidden, many people never use it. A dedicated button could give Google Maps location sharing a much more obvious place on the screen.

Also read: Google Maps’ “biggest update in over a decade” adds Ask Maps and Immersive Navigation.