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I'm looking for an app that not only shows a route with directions (like Google Maps) but also tracks friends following the same route, with all of them showing at the same time. Think of it as Find my Friends + Google Maps. Ideally I should be able to see multiple friends at the same time.
The reasoning behind this request is that I'm trying to organize a trip, and thought it would be nice to see where my friends are relative to me so far on the route, somewhat like the map in Mario Kart.
One can use the phone application Waze to see one's connections on the same map: https://youtu.be/hGDrzDw2a7s
Note: https://www.waze.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=243565
It's not really live, it's just an animation that moves the pin at the theoretical speed it should move based on distance + ETA, it's quickly out of sync too unless you refresh the page once in a while. Through the friend sharing you get an updated real location every 2 minutes.
I haven't used the feature for a few years so I don't know its current status.
For a list of applications for tracking friends on a map (but don't show directions), see this question.
https://www.slashgear.com/facebook-buying-waze-in-1bn-social-map-deal-tip-insiders-09281249/:
Yes, for Google Maps you can share your position (Location sharing) with others (and they with you). I assume a Google Account is needed for both parties. This can be turned on and off when needed. You also get general email reminders that you are still sharing your location information.
In the Google Maps application you can see the persons position, based on their gps signal and are somehow connected to the internet.
I found this to be useful where a visitor regularly wanders around the city during the day, to eventually meet in the late afternoon.
Depending in the gps signal, you can the see if the person is on their way back and get a general idea when they will arrive.
Can one view more than one tracked car at once on Google maps?
You are not locating a car, but a person (or more precisely a Google Account that is logged in to a device) that must be in each car. No mention of a maximum amount of 'friends and family' in their text. So assume that more than one is allowed. In the maps application it is shown as a icon with the name on the map.
When moving on a Bus, then the position will 'hop' every few minutes from one position to another. One should look for any refresh setting that may be possible.
Sources:
One service that might be of help to you is Glympse. It is specifically designed to share your location (temporarily).
When sending a Glympse, you can specify the time your location will be available for and your destination. It doesn't show any directions, but only a trail of the route taken.
The location is only shared for a period of time you specify, so you couldn't use this to continuously see someone's location.
As long as all of your friends send you their locations, you will see all of them on a map and be able to focus on one of them at a time. The application also shows their speed and heading and leaves a trail of their past movements for some time.
I use strava for bicycling. I think it does everything OP is asking for.
It is for biking, but I do not think the world would explode if you used it for driving.
It would probably not even upset the records that much. The segments are sufficiently segregated so that you will probably be on different segments. I know because I did a combination bike ride/metro ride. On those metro segments, I hit 50+MPH but they were separate and distinct from the roughly parallel bike segments where I usually do 15MPH.
