Snapchat Introduces New Location-Based Safety Features

Snapchat has introduced new location-sharing features to its Family Center, an in-app hub designed to help parents and caregivers stay connected with their teens. The Snap Map, used by over 350 million people monthly, already lets users share their locations with friends and family. Now, with the addition of Family Center, parents can request their teen’s live location through a simple button. Teens can also share their location with parents, ensuring everyone is aware of each other’s whereabouts.

In addition to location sharing, Snapchat is enhancing visibility into teens’ privacy settings. Parents will be able to see which friends their teen shares their location with, encouraging open conversations about safety and sharing preferences. A new travel notification feature will allow parents to choose key locations, like home or school, and receive alerts when their teen arrives or leaves these places, providing peace of mind.

These features are part of Snapchat’s ongoing efforts to ensure safety and transparency for families. The location-sharing option is only available when both parties opt in, and location sharing is turned off by default, ensuring that it can’t be used to track users without their explicit consent. Additionally, Snapchat will send reminders to users who share their location with all friends, urging them to review their settings for safety and prompting them to turn off tracking for anybody who’s no longer a trusted friend.

The new location-sharing features in Family Center will be available in the coming weeks, offering more tools for families to stay connected and informed about their teens’ activities while prioritizing safety and privacy. While this is obviously meant for families first, it can also be used between friends as needed, meaning that it’s an invaluable safety feature for any close-knit group.