Microsoft is reportedly developing a brand new location-sharing app named People Sense, which may soon be available for Windows Phone users to download and install from the Windows Store.
The app will function similar to the Find My iPhone feature for Apple devices, allowing users to find out where their friends are at any given point in time.
While there are several third-party apps that can determine the locations of a user's friends, such as the location services of Facebook's Messenger, People Sense will be the first such app that will be native for the Windows Phone system.
People Sense will reportedly bring together the messaging features of Windows Phone and Bing Maps, which will provide users with real-time updates on where their friends are located. The app will also allow users to get directions on how to get to where a friend is located, in addition to call and message features to let the friend know that the user is on the way.
A video posted by Spanish website Microsoft Place, which had People Sense codenamed as Buddy Aware, reveals an early look at the new app. From the video, it can be seen that People Sense keeps the fun style of Windows Phone.
The video shows that People Sense features a map that reveals the locations of all the user's friends. When the user searches for a specific friend, the app reveals the location of the person, when the friend was last seen, and the person's current status.
Tapping on icons at the bottom of the app will allow the user to message or call the friend. Tapping on the car icon, meanwhile, will provide directions to the user on how to get to the friend's location.
The app will not be revealing the user's location to everybody though, as People Sense will only have the user select a certain number of contacts, which Microsoft calls a "trusted circle," to which the user's location will be known.
It has not yet been determined, however, when exactly People Sense will be launched. In addition, it is not clear on whether the app will only be for Windows Phone devices or if it will have versions for desktops, laptops and tablets running on Windows.
People Sense will, of course, most likely only work with Windows Phone, and perhaps with other Windows devices. Friends on Android and iOS devices will likely not be tracked by the app.
