Facebook launches Nearby Friends feature for mobile

Wondering which of your Facebook friends are in the neighborhood? Facebook now gives you that answer. Soon, Android and iOS users will be able to opt-in to a location service called Nearby Friends.

Facebook stressed in the blog post announcement that this is opt-in (compared to many other services Facebook launches, which are opt-out). Facebook has done something similar in the past, where users are notified when a friend checks in somewhere nearby, but now you’ll be able to see who is around without them checking in.

Users who do this will be able to choose who can see their location.

Product Manager Andrea Vaccari wrote about this new feature:

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.