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Facebook unveils optional feature Nearby Friends to help make meeting up with friends easier

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By Ishbel Macleod, PR and social media consultant

April 18, 2014 | 2 min read

Facebook has launched a new feature, Nearby Friends that, when activated, will allow users to discover the whereabouts of their friends, whether to check that they’ll make it to the cinema on time, or to see where they are travelling to.

Users who have the feature turned on will receive occasionally notifications when friends are nearby, “so you can get in touch with them and meet up”.

Explaining the feature, Andrea Vaccari, product manager at Facebook, said: “Sharing your location with Nearby Friends goes two ways — you and your friends both have to turn on Nearby Friends and choose to share with each other to see when you’re nearby. Your friends will only be able to see that you’re nearby if you share this info with them and vice versa.

“If you turn on Nearby Friends, you can also choose to share a precise location with the particular friends you choose for a set period of time, such as the next hour. When you share your precise location, the friend you choose will see exactly where you are on a map, which helps you find each other. Then you can meet up and spend time together.”

Nearby Friends will roll out on Android and iPhone in the US over the coming weeks.

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