When Snap Maps launched last June, some privacy concerns were raised. But the company had the right idea, turning off sharing with all for everyone by default.
Today, Snapchat is providing an update to Snap Maps that I wish had been included earlier. You can now request a location or share yours on an individual basis through Chat. Simply hold down on a friend’s name, and you’ll be given the option to “Request Location” or “Send My Location.”
This update will clearly make it easier to share location quickly. You’ll appear on the user’s Snap Maps, and they in return will appear on yours.
You can only share location with bi-directional friends, this is an important note. And you can’t request or share your location with a celebrity or influencer on the platform.
Snapchat is probably hoping this will get more people to use the feature. Snap Maps original on-boarding process is still here, meanwhile, and still sets you to private, aka Ghost Mode, from the start. (You can also remove any friend’s access to your location at any time in Chat or via Snap Maps.)
The feature has gotten some heat in the past — specifically, that it could tell what activities you were doing or where you were traveling. A good rule of thumb is to share only with select friends. Also good to know: If a user has shared their location but not opened the map in 8 hours, they’ll disappear from the map. And if you decide you don’t want your location to be visible, you can enter Ghost Mode.
Snap Maps is approaching its year anniversary. We’ll be on the lookout for more features coming soon.
