Live location sharing from Yandex Maps in Turkey: Users will be able to find each other in real-time

Yandex Maps has launched its new feature in Turkey that allows users to share their location in real-time. According to the company's statement, live location sharing will be available to iOS and Android users who are logged into their accounts on the Yandex Maps mobile app.

The new feature aims to simplify meeting and navigation processes, especially in large cities. Users will be able to share their location with selected individuals when meeting relatives at the airport, searching for friends in crowded shopping malls, meeting at a ferry terminal, or trying to find their way in an unfamiliar neighborhood.

Yandex Maps stated that the feature offers practical use in cities like Istanbul, where people move between different districts, transport vehicles, and busy points throughout the day. The statement cited crowded meeting points such as Galataport, Istiklal Street, the Grand Bazaar, Kadıköy, Beşiktaş, and Üsküdar as examples.

SHARING DURATION WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE USER

Users will be able to choose how long they want to share their live location. Sharing options can be set for 15 minutes, 1 hour, 8 hours, 1 day, or until the user turns it off.

The feature can be initiated by tapping on the current location point on the map, from the “Location” section in the profile icon, or via the live location sharing option offered when one wants to take a screenshot of the map. People with whom the location is shared will be able to see the user on their own maps and create a route to their current point.

Yandex emphasized that location sharing only works when the user enables the feature and that location information can only be viewed by the people the user has selected. Sharing can be terminated at any time from the profile section or by tapping on the current location on the map.

The company stated that the feature could also be useful for tourists visiting Turkey. According to Yandex Maps' internal data, more than 1.5 million tourists from different countries used Yandex Maps in Turkey in the summer of 2025; there were approximately 8 million interactions with the application throughout the summer.

Live location sharing has been added to Yandex Maps' existing features, such as indoor routing for airports and shopping malls, displaying public transport fares and schedules, and turn-by-turn voice navigation for public transport journeys.