Techniques for sharing a device location via a messaging system
A computer-implemented method may include receiving, in a messaging client executing on a first client device, a location request from a second client device; determining whether the second client device is authorized to send the location request to the first client device; starting a timer in response to receiving the location request when the second client device is authorized; and sending a location of the first client device to the second client device when the timer expires. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
1. A method comprising:
receiving, in a group messaging thread in a messaging client executing on a first client device, a selection of a control element by a user of the first client device, the selection of which authorizes a plurality of other participants in the messaging thread to request and receive a location of the first client device;
receiving a location request from a second client device requesting the location of the first client device;
determining that a user of the second client device is a participant in the messaging thread; and
sending the location of the first client device to the second client device.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
starting a timer in response to receiving the location request; and
delaying the sending of the location of the first client device to the second client device until the timer expires.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
de-authorizing all participants in the message thread after a pre-determined amount of time; and
refusing further location requests from participants in the message thread.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
de-authorizing all participants in the message thread when the message thread becomes inactive; and
refusing further location requests from participants in the message thread;
wherein the message thread is considered inactive if no message has been posted to the thread for within a pre-defined recency.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining that the location request from the second client device is received from a contact in a contacts list on the first client device, wherein the contact has been designated as a trusted contact; and
sending a location of the first client device to user at the second client device in response to receiving the location request.
6. A system comprising:
a processor on a client device;
a location determination component communicatively coupled to the processor; and
software, for execution by the processor, the software configured to cause the system to:
receive, in a group messaging thread in a messaging client executing on a first client device, a selection of a control element by a user of the first client device, the selection of which authorizes a plurality of other participants in the messaging thread to request and receive a location of the first client device;
receive a location request from a second client device requesting the location of the first client device;
determine that a user of the second client device is a participant in the messaging thread; and
send the location of the first client device to the second client device.
7. The system of claim 6 , the software further configured to cause the system to:
start a timer in response to receiving the location request;
receive a location of the first client device from the location determination component; and
delay the sending of the location of the first client device to the second client device until the timer expires.
8. The system of claim 6 , the software further configured to cause the system to:
de-authorize all participants in the message thread after a pre-determined amount of time; and
refuse further location requests from participants in the message thread.
9. The system of claim 6 , the software further configured to cause the system to:
de-authorize all participants in the message thread when the message thread becomes inactive; and
refuse further location requests from participants in the message thread;
wherein the message thread is considered inactive if no message has been posted to the thread for within a pre-defined recency.
10. The system of claim 6 , the software further configured to cause the system to:
determine that the location request from the second client device is received from a contact in a contacts list on the first client device, wherein the contact has been designated as a trusted contact; and
send a location of the first client device to user at the second client device in response to receiving the location request.
11. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:
receive, in a group messaging thread in a messaging client executing on a first client device, a selection of a control element by a user of the first client device, the selection of which authorizes a plurality of other participants in the messaging thread to request and receive a location of the first client device;
receive a location request from a second client device requesting the location of the first client device;
determine that a user of the second client device is a participant in the messaging thread; and
send the location of the first client device to the second client device.
12. The medium of claim 11 , storing further instructions that cause the system to:
start a timer in response to receiving the location request;
receive a location of the first client device from the location determination component; and
delay the sending of the location of the first client device to the second client device until the timer expires.
13. The medium of claim 11 , storing further instructions that cause the system to:
de-authorize all participants in the message thread after a pre-determined amount of time; and
refuse further location requests from participants in the message thread.
14. The medium of claim 11 , storing further instructions that cause the system to:
de-authorize all participants in the message thread when the message thread becomes inactive; and
refuse further location requests from participants in the message thread;
wherein the message thread is considered inactive if no message has been posted to the thread for within a pre-defined recency.
15. The medium of claim 11 , storing further instructions that cause the system to:
determine that the location request from the second client device is received from a contact in a contacts list on the first client device, wherein the contact has been designated as a trusted contact; and
send a location of the first client device to user at the second client device in response to receiving the location request.