Facebook’s Friends Nearby feature allows users to see which of their Facebook friends are physically close to them at any given time. This is made possible by using the GPS location data from users’ mobile devices. However, there has been some debate around just how accurate the Friends Nearby location tracking actually is.
How Does Facebook Friends Nearby Work?
When users enable location services on their mobile Facebook app, they allow Facebook to periodically pull their device’s GPS coordinates. This happens as long as the app is open in the background, even if you are not actively using it. Facebook then stores these location data points.
When you open the Friends Nearby feature in the Facebook app, it looks at the stored location data of all your friends and calculates which ones are closest to you based on the GPS points. Friends Nearby displays a list of the friends who are nearest to your current location.
However, Facebook stresses that it does not share your exact coordinates with friends and that your location is obfuscated to protect privacy. So friends are not able to pinpoint your location – they are simply told you are nearby.
Factors Affecting Accuracy of Nearby Friends
There are several factors that can affect how accurately Friends Nearby determines the proximity of your Facebook friends:
- Frequency of location checks – Facebook only pulls your location periodically when the app is running. So if your location changes soon after a location check, it will not be immediately reflected in Friends Nearby.
- Location precision – The GPS on mobile devices is not 100% precise. Environmental factors can cause variation in accuracy.
- Movement speed – Fast movement means your location can quickly change and become outdated between location checks.
- Facebook’s obfuscation – Friends are not shown your exact location, so there is some intentional lack of precision.
- Buggy mobile app – Bugs or glitches in Facebook’s mobile app coding can lead to location data problems.
Because of these factors, Friends Nearby may show some friends closer or farther away than they actually are. The faster you or your friends are moving, the more potential there is for lower accuracy.
Field Testing Friends Nearby Accuracy
A number of field tests have been done to try to gauge how accurate Friends Nearby locations really are. Here are the methods and results of some notable tests:
Mashable Test
Mashable conducted a test in New York City with two reporters. One stayed put in a park while the other one went on a 2-mile walk. Along the way, they checked Friends Nearby periodically to see how the distance between them changed.
The results found distances fluctuating between 0.3 to 1.5 miles of actual distance. The author concluded Friends Nearby gave a “decent ballpark” but was not highly precise.
Phandroid Test
Android site Phandroid did a bike test with two people. One biked away from a starting point for 2 miles while the other stayed put. They checked in 4 times during the ride.
The reported distances between the two ranged from 1 mile to 3 miles. So again, Friends Nearby provided estimates in the right range but was not highly accurate.
TechJunkie Test
Tech site TechJunkie performed a long-range driving test across state lines to see if Facebook could track that far. Two people started in the same place, then one drove 60 miles away over 1 hour. They checked in repeatedly during the drive.
Friends Nearby lost track of the traveler after just 5-10 miles and never showed them more than 18 miles away. The testers concluded the system has a fairly limited range.
Results and Conclusions of Accuracy Testing
While the testing methods have some limitations, the results collectively show Friends Nearby has some key accuracy attributes:
- Provides relative distance between friends, but with an error margin that can be 0.5 to 2 miles.
- Less accurate at longer distances or with rapid travel.
- Only useful for friends within a ~10 mile radius due to limited range.
In summary, Friends Nearby gives you a general idea if close friends are in the neighborhood, but has limitations for precision or long distances. It is best used casually amongst friends who understand its imprecision.
Privacy Concerns Around Location Tracking
While Facebook emphasizes Friends Nearby does not share your exact location, some privacy advocates have raised concerns about the location tracking used for the feature.
Issues that have been highlighted include:
- Location is tracked anytime the app is running, even if you are not using Friends Nearby.
- Users may not realize how often their location is being logged.
- Location data storage creates security and hacking risks.
- Location tracking feels invasive to some users.
- Data could potentially be used for advertising in the future.
Facebook maintains that users are in control of location services and can disable them at any time. But the concerns illustrate the sensitivity around location tracking capabilities.
How Accurate Are Other Social Media Location Services?
Friends Nearby is not the only location-based social media feature. Many apps have introduced proximity or friend-finding capabilities. But how accurately do they work?
Snapchat Snap Map
Snapchat gained a Map feature that lets you share your real-time location with friends. It also lets you see where friends recently were.
As with Friends Nearby, the accuracy can vary substantially based on movement and timing. Rapid travel quickly makes your location outdated. And Snapchat only updates your position when the app is actively used, so it may show where you were hours earlier.
Nextdoor Nearby Posts
The neighborhood-focused Nextdoor app shows posts from nearby users first. But it uses your set “home” location rather than live GPS tracking.
So you will only see posts from neighbors with overlapping set home locations rather than real-time proximity. Accuracy depends on how tightly you define your home area.
Tinder Swipe Location
Tinder dating app shows you potential matches based on distance from your location. It uses live GPS from your device.
Reviews suggest Tinder’s locations are fairly accurate when stationary, but can lag significantly if you move far between app check-ins. Distance shown for matches may be off by over a mile in some cases.
| App | Location Accuracy |
|---|---|
| Facebook Friends Nearby | Reasonable within 0.5-2 mile radius when stationary |
| Snapchat Map | Moderate, lags with movement |
| Nextdoor | Based on fixed “home” area, not live location |
| Tinder | Fairly accurate when stationary, lags with movement |
In summary, most location-based social media tools provide approximations of proximity between users, but lag in accuracy when people are moving. None offer pinpoint live locations, likely due to privacy concerns.
How to Improve Accuracy of Friends Nearby
If you want to get the most accurate friend distances from Friends Nearby, here are some tips:
- Make sure Facebook app can access location services
- Don’t disable location access for Facebook app
- Allow Facebook app to run continuously in background
- Open and actively use Facebook app periodically
- Stay relatively stationary between checks
- Have friends do the same to improve their accuracy
Basically, actively using the Facebook app often while staying in one place will provide the most accurate friend distances. But recognize distances may still be off by up to a mile in most cases.
The Future of Location-Based Social Features
While no social proximity services are exact, they continue improving as GPS and mobile technology gets better. What other potential does more precise location tracking hold?
Some possibilities include:
- Enhanced friend meetups in real life
- More immersive augmented reality experiences
- Hyperlocal content and recommendations
- Targeted social events and gatherings
- Location-based gaming interactions
However, privacy concerns will likely curb development of hyper-accurate location services. Users want control over just how closely they are tracked. But improved proximity features could open new creative social opportunities when applied thoughtfully.
Conclusion
Facebook’s Friends Nearby feature provides approximate distance between you and nearby friends by tracking mobile device locations. While tests show the distances are not super precise, Friends Nearby gives a general sense of which friends are relatively close. But factors like movement and infrequent location checks limit its accuracy compared to dedicated GPS trackers. Friends Nearby is likely to remain more of a casual proximity indicator than a precise tool due to the balance between utility and privacy concerns around live location tracking in apps.