What Is Snap Map and How Does it Work?

The virtual market has a robust collection of mobile applications and programs that significantly benefit users. Examples of such reliable tools are cross-platform messages apps. These third-party messaging apps provide a convenient and positive venue to reconnect with loved ones, communicate with business partners or colleagues, and meet new friends. Snapchat, for instance, offers a wide array of unique and innovative features, making it one of the most popular social networking platforms.

Aside from enabling billions of users from across the globe to connect, Snapchat boasts built-in settings and protocols that could help ensure privacy, safety, and security - one of which is Snap Map. This feature allows users to share locations with specific friends and switch to ghost mode. Read on to learn more about how it works and how it could help you, especially if you’re a parent or an employer.

What Is Snap Map?

So what is Snap Map? This is one of the many features of Snapchat allowing users to share their location with friends. It’s a Google Maps-like interactive section enabling users to roam around places virtually. You can scroll through Snap Map and see what your friends are currently up to and view recent news, important events, and big celebrations from anywhere across the globe. Hence, Snap Map involves more than just location sharing.

To open the Snap Map, simply access Snapchat’s camera screen and pinching it like how you’d zoom out an image. Once opened, here are the things you can see on the map.

• Snaps - The image or video you share through Snapchat is called a Snap. Users can freely share Snaps to Snap Map - or more commonly known as Heatmap, allowing other users to view them. There are indications on the map to let you know where most users are currently sharing their Snaps from - blue means few while red means many.
• Stories - A Snapchat story is a shared photo or video viewable by other users or select friends for 24 hours. These could also be viewed from Snap Map and are indicated by a circular glowing-like icon.
• Friends - Anyone from your friends list who shares their location will appear on your Snap Map. From there, tap on the indicator icon to chat with a friend or view their profile. If you’re having a hard time locating a friend, utilize the Search field located on top of the Map.
• Places - Snap Map shows your favorite shops and local businesses within your current location or in nearby places. Through this feature, users simply tap on the indicator icon to view and interact with them.

How Does Snap Map Work?

Now that we have a deeper understanding of what Snap Map is, let’s see how Snap Map works. First, let’s discuss how to open Snap Map.

1. From your signed in and opened Snapchat account, tap on the Location or Map Pin icon located at the bottom part of the screen.
2. You may then scroll through the Map and tap on the icon you wish to view - a friend, a snap, a story, or a place.
3. If it’s your first time accessing Snap Map, a welcome screen and customization guidelines will appear. Such settings can be altered anytime so there shouldn’t be any issue skipping this during the initial use.

If you’re utilizing Google Maps or Apple Maps, it should be easy to utilize Snap Map as it works similarly. Using the device’s built-in GPS sensor, it can capture and show user locations.

Unlike other web mapping services though, Snap Map isn’t programmed for real-time GPS location tracking. There will be regular updates but if you don’t open the app for quite some time, you’ll most likely disappear from your friends’ maps too. The same is true with your inactive friends on the Map.

Snapchat users are shown on the map as an

Actionmoji (Action Emoji) - an avatar that you can create and personalize using Snapchat’s Bitmoji app.

Snap Map enables you to tap share anytime, anywhere, and with whomever you want. From the Settings page, choose from any of these status availability options.

• All Friends - By choosing this, everyone from your Snapchat contacts - old or new - can see your location.
• Select Friends - By choosing this option, only hand-picked friends get to see your location. Your Select Friends list won’t be notified you’ve selected them to be part of your list.
• Ghost Mode - By choosing this option, no one can see your location on the Map. This works like an Only Me feature. However, this won’t affect your view; even on Ghost Mode, you still get to see your friends who’ve shared their locations.

How To Turn Off Snap Map

When you choose to share your location with a friend, they’re able to view your location on Snap Map for as long as you allow them to or while you’re actively utilizing the app. In the same way you can easily turn this feature on at any time, it’s also a straightforward process to stop sharing your location.

If you’ve changed your mind about your friends being able to access your Snap Map location, here’s how to turn off Snap Map.

1. Navigate to your phone’s Settings page.
2. Go to Apps.
3. Browse through the list and select Snapchat.
4. Locate the Location option.
5. Tap on the Disable button.

Alternative GPS Location and Snapchat Tracking Apps

The Snapchat online feature, Snap Map, isn’t just some basic location sharing feature. The real-life activities could be associated with your locations or the places you visit. So, if your friends on Snapchat share such data with you, it could also be a great tool for tracking and monitoring - which is most beneficial for parents and employers.

However, should you need to conduct in-depth, real-time monitoring, here are three of the best apps you can trust and rely on.

• Auto Forward
  Auto Forward tracking software works with all versions of iOS and Android. It’s packed with various monitoring features and parental controls providing remote real-time access to the target device. One of its widely used features is its accurate GPS location tracking.
  
  
• Highster Mobile
  This tracking tool can be installed without the need for rooting or jailbreaking. It’s designed to work stealthily in the background, automatically extracting information and simultaneously uploading data to a web-based dashboard. Highster mobile keeps records of previous and current activities, including GPS logs that have been deleted.
  
  
• PhoneSpector
  The PhoneSpector program offers modern and innovative solutions through the use of cutting-edge technologies. It’s programmed with advanced features and a sleek control panel with a user-friendly interface. The easy-to-access dashboard is where the acquired information including messages, call logs, GPS locations, and more are viewable.