The Problem with Texting While Driving
If you are driving to a dinner party or meeting a friend at a restaurant, it is standard etiquette to let them know when you will arrive. The problem is that traffic is unpredictable. If you hit a massive traffic jam on the motorway, your original estimate becomes entirely wrong.
In the past, drivers would handle this by picking up their phone while driving and texting, “Running late, traffic is awful, be there in 20 mins.” This is both illegal and incredibly dangerous. You should never be calculating math or typing out text messages while operating a two-ton vehicle at high speeds.
To solve this, Apple integrated a brilliant safety feature directly into Apple Maps called Share ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival). With just two taps before you start driving, Apple Maps will automatically send a text message to your friend with your exact arrival time. More importantly, if you get stuck in traffic, Apple Maps will silently and automatically text them an updated arrival time—without you ever having to touch your phone.
How to Share Your ETA During a Journey
You can only share your ETA after you have entered a destination and officially started the route guidance.
- Open the Apple Maps app on your iPhone.
- Search for your destination and tap the green GO button to start the turn-by-turn navigation.
- At the bottom of the screen, you will see a grey panel showing your arrival time and the remaining distance. Tap and pull up on this grey panel to reveal a menu.
- Tap the button labeled Share ETA.
- Apple Maps will display a row of your most frequent contacts. If the person you are meeting is there, simply tap their face. If not, tap the Contacts icon (the silhouette of a person) to search your phonebook for them.
- Once you tap a name, a blue ring will appear around their icon, indicating that your ETA is now being actively shared with them.
You can now put your phone down and focus entirely on driving.
What Does the Recipient Actually See?
The experience varies depending on what type of phone the recipient is using.
If the recipient has an iPhone (using iMessage):
They will receive a standard iMessage notification stating, “I’m arriving at [Destination] at [Time].” If they open the Maps app on their own iPhone, they will actually be able to see your little car icon moving along the route in real-time on a map, allowing them to track your exact location until you arrive.
If the recipient has an Android (using SMS text messages):
They cannot see your live location on a map. Instead, Apple Maps will automatically send them a standard SMS text message stating your arrival time. If you hit traffic, Apple Maps will automatically send them a second SMS text message updating them on the delay. It handles all the communication for you.
How to Stop Sharing Your ETA
The ETA sharing automatically stops the moment you arrive at your destination. You do not have to remember to turn it off.
However, if you change your mind mid-journey (for example, if you decide to stop for coffee and don’t want the person tracking your location), you can manually cancel the share.
- While navigation is running, pull up the bottom grey menu panel again.
- You will see the Share ETA button now shows the face of the person you are sharing with, surrounded by a blue ring.
- Simply tap their face again. The blue ring will disappear.
Apple Maps will immediately stop sharing your live location and will not send any further updates regarding your arrival time.
