Location-based context information sharing in a messaging system
Methods, systems, user interfaces, media, and devices are described for sharing the location of participants of a communication session established via a messaging system. Consistent with some embodiments, an electronic communication containing location information is received from a location sensor coupled to a first client device. A current location of the first user is determined based on the location information. A current location of the first user is displayed, on a display screen of a second client device, the current location of the first user being displayed within a messaging UI during a communication session between the computing device and the second computing device. The location information may be updated during the communication session as messages are exchanged and as a current location changes. Various embodiments may include additional information with the current location, such as a time period associated with the location, or other such information.
1. A method comprising:
receiving, at a server computer, from a first client device of a first user, via a wireless communication over a network, an electronic communication including location information from a location sensor coupled to the first client device, the location information indicating a current location of the first user;
determining that the current location and a travel speed of the first user corresponds with the first user traveling towards a habitual place, the habitual place corresponding to a location at which the first user has spent a threshold amount of time; and
initiating, based on determining that the current location corresponds to the habitual place, transmission of location-based context data to a second client device of a second user, for display, on a display screen of the second client device, the location-based context data of the first user being displayed within a messaging user interface, the location-based context data corresponding to an interface element which includes a name of the habitual place, an icon indicating that the first user is in motion, and the travel speed, the messaging user interface being displayed while a communication session is established between the first client device and the second client device,
wherein the messaging user interface includes a message thread between the first user and the second user, and a message input box for composing a new message to add to the message thread, the interface element being positioned in between the message thread and the message input box, and being positioned directly above the message input box.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
updating the current location of the first user displayed within the messaging user interface as new location information is received.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the habitual place of the first user is associated with a geographic scope, and
wherein the determining is based on the current location of the first user being within the geographical scope of the habitual place.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
causing display, on the display screen of the second client device, of a geographically-based graphical user interface including a map depicting an avatar associated with the first user, the avatar being a selectable user interface element, and wherein the messaging user interface is displayed based on detecting a user interaction with the avatar.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
updating the location-based context data of the first user displayed within the messaging user interface as new location information is received.
6. A computing device comprising:
a display screen;
a processor; and
a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the computing device, which is associated with a first user, to perform operations comprising:
displaying on the display screen a geographically-based graphical user interface including a map depicting an avatar associated with a second user of a messaging system, the second user being associated with a second computing device; and
displaying on the display screen a messaging user interface that can be reached from the geographically-based graphical user interface,
wherein the messaging user interface displays location-based context data of the second user, based on a determination that a current location and a travel speed of the second user corresponds with the second user traveling towards a habitual place, the habitual place corresponding to a location at which the second user has spent a threshold amount of time,
wherein the location-based context data corresponds to an interface element which includes a name of the habitual place, an icon indicating that the second user is in motion, and the travel speed, the messaging user interface being displayed while a communication session is established between the computing device and the second computing device,
wherein the messaging user interface includes a message thread between the first user and the second user, and a message input box for composing a new message to add to the message thread, the interface element being positioned in between the message thread and the message input box of the messaging user interface, and being positioned directly above the message input box.
7. The computing device of claim 6 , wherein the current location of the second user is based on location information from the second computing device.
8. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the messaging user interface is configured to update the current location of the second user as new location information of the second user is received during the communication session.
9. The computing device of claim 8 , wherein the determination is based on the current location of the second user being within a geographic scope associated with the habitual place of the second user.
10. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the icon is a user interface element selectable to directly access the geographically-based graphical user interface.
11. The computing device of claim 6 , wherein the avatar is a user interface element selectable to cause display of the messaging user interface.
12. The computing device of claim 6 , wherein the avatar is a user interface element selectable to initiate the communication session between the computing device and the second computing device.
13. The computing device of claim 6 , wherein the avatar is a user interface element selectable to restore the communication session between the computing device and the second computing device.
14. The computing device of claim 6 , wherein the messaging user interface is configured to update the location-based context data of the second user as new location information of the second user is received during the communication session.
15. A computing device comprising:
a display screen;
a processor; and
a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the computing device to perform operations comprising:
displaying on the display screen a messaging user interface, the messaging user interface being configured
to display messages from a communication session,
to display an indication of a current location of a second computing device participating in a communication session between the computing device associated with a first user and the second computing device associated with a second user, and
to display location-based context data of the second computing device, based on a determination that a current location and a travel speed of the second computing device corresponds with the second user traveling towards a habitual place, the habitual place corresponding to a location at which the second user has spent a threshold amount of time,
wherein the location-based context data corresponds to an interface element which includes a name of the habitual place, an icon indicating that the second user is in motion, and the travel speed,
wherein the indication of the current location of the second computing device is selectable within the messaging user interface to directly reach a geographically-based graphical user interface including a map depicting an avatar associated with the second computing device,
wherein the messaging user interface includes a message thread between the first user and the second user, and a message input box for composing a new message to add to the message thread, the interface element being positioned in between the message thread and the message input box of the messaging user interface, and being positioned directly above the message input box.
16. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the messaging user interface is configured to update the indication of the current location to a new location as the second computing device moves to the new location as new messages are displayed within the messaging user interface as part of the communication session.
17. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the avatar within the geographically-based graphical user interface is a user interface element selectable to directly reach the messaging user interface.