Facebook unveils new 'Nearby Friends' geolocation meetup feature

Posted:
in iPhone edited April 2014
Facebook users will now have an easier time meeting up with friends at social events or planning group activities using the social network's new Nearby Friends feature, an opt-in service that alerts friends when they are close to each other.




With Nearby Friends enabled, users will receive a home screen notification telling them which friends are around their area. Users can then drill down to see roughly how far away those friends are and how recently their location was updated.

Another feature allows users to broadcast their exact location, in a manner similar to Apple's Find my Friends app. Users can select a set of friends and instruct Facebook to allow those friends to pinpoint the user on a map for a specific period of time.

Facebook says the service is completely optional, allowing those who prefer privacy to keep their location a secret. The setting is somewhat granular, so users can also allow only certain friends -- for example, a spouse -- to know where they are.

Nearby Friends will debut on both iOS and Android "in the US over the coming weeks." There is no word on when Facebook might expand the functionality internationally.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 26
    chandra69chandra69 Posts: 638member

    Facebook does not know that all Facebook friends are not real friends. 

  • Reply 2 of 26
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member

    I deleted Facebook from my iPhone a long time ago and never looked back.

  • Reply 3 of 26
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    I would rather have an app that can warn me when certain people are getting too close to my location.
  • Reply 4 of 26
    nagrommenagromme Posts: 2,834member
    I like Apple's short-term option: "find each other at this big event, then automatically shut down." Very useful. Beyond that%u2014and anything involving companies that sell info on me* to advertisers%u2014is of no interest!

    * Anonymized? A myth. They know enough to ID you, and the info is valuable. You are for sale.
    http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2009/09/your-secrets-live-online-in-databases-of-ruin/
  • Reply 5 of 26
    512ke512ke Posts: 782member

    Find my Friends?  They should just call it, Track My Movements, or Tell My Boss, or Facebook Spy, or I Know Where You Are At All Times Muahahahaha.

     

    It's just copying Blendr/Grindr etc.  Progress marches on, I guess, like it or not.

     

    You KNOW what's coming next lol.  Here is a preview (my guess anyway):

     

    FARMVILLE 2 notification: JIM has a sheep to give you, and he's 154 feet away from you.

     

    Get ready for uber complicated Facebook privacy settings that make it very difficult for you to be absolutely sure your Facebook friends can't discover your physical proximity and location.

  • Reply 6 of 26

    For pity's sake, when will Facebook realise that there are people outside the US that would like to use its nice shiny new services and apps (like Paper)?

     

    How long has Paper been out now? No sign yet in the UK (unless I'm seriously behind the times)

  • Reply 7 of 26
    phone-ui-guyphone-ui-guy Posts: 1,019member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by 512ke View Post

     

    Find my Friends?  They should just call it, Track My Movements, or Tell My Boss, or Facebook Spy, or I Know Where You Are At All Times Muahahahaha.

     

    It's just copying Blendr/Grindr etc.  Progress marches on, I guess, like it or not.

     

    You KNOW what's coming next lol.  Here is a preview (my guess anyway):

     

    FARMVILLE 2 notification: JIM has a sheep to give you, and he's 154 feet away from you.

     

    Get ready for uber complicated Facebook privacy settings that make it very difficult for you to be absolutely sure your Facebook friends can't discover your physical proximity and location.


     

    What some people don't realize is that for you to give this information to a few close friends or your spouse as in the example, you must also share your location with Facebook. No Thanks!

  • Reply 8 of 26
    tundraboytundraboy Posts: 1,885member

    And merrily we prance down Facebook's brick road of creepiness.

  • Reply 9 of 26
    gqbgqb Posts: 1,934member

    How do I find the 'opt-in' page to be sure that I'm opted out?

  • Reply 10 of 26
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by GQB View Post

     

    How do I find the 'opt-in' page to be sure that I'm opted out?


     

    Well, see, that's the tricky bit.  It's 'opt-in', but the opt-in checkbox just happens to be checked by default (for convenience).

  • Reply 11 of 26
    solipsismx wrote: »
    I would rather have an app that can warn me when certain people are getting too close to my location.

    Same difference? A proximity alert doesn't care what your attitude is towards the target, right?
  • Reply 12 of 26
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member
    solipsismx wrote: »
    I would rather have an app that can warn me when certain people are getting too close to my location.

    For second I thought you simply said "certain people getting too close" :D
    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/icelandic-antiincest-app-aims-to-stop-families-getting-too-close-8578404.html
  • Reply 13 of 26
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,093member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post



    I would rather have an app that can warn me when certain people are getting too close to my location.



    Hatebook?  :)

  • Reply 14 of 26
    I deleted Facebook from my iPhone a long time ago and never looked back.

    Yep, Bro. Facebook, MS, google are not the sort of businesses I want to associate with.

    Why is it Apple, tesla (sort of), Toyota Prius, whole foods charge a premium, but I view it as well worth it? Hmmm
  • Reply 15 of 26
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member
    Yep, Bro. Facebook, MS, google are not the sort of businesses I want to associate with.

    Why is it Apple, tesla (sort of), Toyota Prius, whole foods charge a premium, but I view it as well worth it? Hmmm
    I was surprised to find the Prius is one of the least expensive hybrids when my wife and iI were looking at that category late last year. One of the very few that isn't premium-priced.
  • Reply 16 of 26
    gatorguy wrote: »
    I was surprised to find the Prius is one of the least expensive hybrids when my wife and iI were looking at that category late last year. One of the very few that isn't premium-priced.

    Yep, we just got my GF a new Prius C. She loves it. Her lic. plate is LV53MPG.

    As hybrids go, price wise, ur probably right. The Prius is a big seller in California, and the tesla is out selling, Lexus, MB, BMW, etc.

    When I said "premium" I was thinking more about compared to a similar gas only car. :)

    Me personally, I'd rather give the few thousand $'s for a hybrid to Toyota than OPEC. 53MPG vs. ~40MPG (gas only)

    I may be naive, but I look at as encouragement (-sp?) to Toyota and saving the planet'a air. I guess.

    Best regards, Gator

    P.S. I would imagine prices for Prius are coming down. They seem to sell a lot of them. Don't quote me, but I think they're well over a million units sold.
  • Reply 17 of 26
    Will Facebook is be available on Paper? I haven't used the "old" Facebook app since Paper's release.
  • Reply 18 of 26
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    solipsismx wrote: »
    I would rather have an app that can warn me when certain people are getting too close to my location.
    Easy. Open a new FB account and friend everybody on your avoid list. ;)
  • Reply 19 of 26
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    paxman wrote: »
    Easy. Open a new FB account and friend everybody on your avoid list. ;)

    That is definitely easier than creating OcciputBook.
  • Reply 20 of 26
    There is already an app out there available worldwide that does this across devices.

    https://www.yeahyoapp.com/download.app

    It also works on older versions of IOS that dont support Find my Freinds.

    What is impressive is that the app was written by a 13 year old tokyo school girl.
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