UPDATE: Here, a direct link to download the Find My Friends app from the App Store.

Apple has just released the Find My Friends app which lets you locate your contacts on a world map, share your own location with them, manage your temporary sharing settings and other features worried parents will admittedly deem enticing. The program is downloaded by visiting the iCloud.com site on your iOS device. There’s no need to log in, just visit that URL and you should be presented with an option to download the Find My Friends and Find My iPhone apps. Simply hit the Install Find My Friends button which will drop you right onto the App Store landing page.

From iTunes release notes:

The app is provided as a universal download weighing in at 10.4MB and supporting both iPhone/iPod touch and iPad. It requires iOS 5 or later (due later today) and a free iCloud account. Apple today launched iCloud for everyone so feel free to head over to iCloud.com to create yours or use your existing Apple ID with iCloud. Go past the break for more pretty shots and the official list of features. Apple also has a special page up dedicated to Find My Friends.

– easily locate friends and family – temporary sharing option – simple privacy controls – parental restrictions – free for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

The following two iPad screenshots courtesy of MacStories.

Some iPhone screenshots, courtesy of our reader Ian A.