【2012 Archives】

Snap Maps012 Archivesnow famous for providing a lens into disasters and movements. But along with sharing those moments, Snapchat is doubling down on being a social network.

An update called Map Explore lets Snapchat users more easily see what their friends are up to, without any action required by the user. Your status might update itself based on where a your friends are and what Snapchat predicts you're doing. And maps can populate your status when you appear to be taking a road trip, flying to a new destination, or using a particular geofilter, a Snap spokesperson told Mashable.

Think of it as Snap re-imagining the old AIM "away" status as literally showing where you are or what you're doing.

SEE ALSO: Snap Maps shows chilling view of gun control walkouts spreading across the country

The goal for Snapchat is to keep users engaged with the app based on being more connected to friends. A Snap spokesperson declined to share usage data around Snap Maps but says it has grown in recent months, granted Snap Maps was added to the web in February and can now be shared as links outside of Snapchat. The move comes as loyal Snapchat users and celebrities have criticized the app's redesign in part for being confused to find stories from friends. For example, my roommate's best friend on Snapchat is listed as the 45th person on her Friends page.

Now, if Snapchat users choose to share their location with each other, they will see a curation of updates. A button called "New Updates" lets users easily swipe horizontally through friends statuses and featured Snapchat Stories, such as breaking news or cultural events. Here's what it looks like:

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

Beyond friends' statuses and Our Stories, Snapchat users also can see their own updates on Map Explore. To do so, users can tap the Settings button on the top-right corner of the Map page. The current update will show as well as the friends who have seen it, similar to how users can see what friends have viewed their Story. Users can also delete their statuses via this page.

Here's how personal updates look:

For Snapchat users who don't want any of this in their lives, there's Ghost Mode. Since Snap Maps was released in June 2017, location sharing has been opt-in. Users also can set their location to be viewed by all their friends or a specific set of people.

A user's location only updates when the app is open, which means it isn't a major battery drainer or data hog.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

So, Kylie Jenner and other Snapchat fans, with this update, we now have another reason to keep Snapchat. If you hate sending texts that ask, "What are you up to?" the app now can often answer that question automatically. Whether that technical counts as "stalking" is up to you.

---

Featured Video For You

---

This song addresses what it's like to grow up surrounded by social media

---

Topics Snapchat Social Media

• Science
• Games
• Social Good
• Deals
• Entertainment
• Tech
• Digital Culture
• Life

• Keeping Hope Alive
• Google Cloud caused massive internet outage, Cloudflare says
• Meta sues 'nudify' app Crush AI for violating advertising policies
• 25 most popular products Mashable readers bought last month
• Best robot vacuum deal: Save $140 on roborock Q7 Max Robot Vacuum
• 'Sew Torn' review: 'Pushing Daisies' meets 'Run Lola Run'
• Internet down: Social media users are not taking it well
• Best robot vacuum deal: Get 43% off the Eufy Omni C20 robot vacuum and mop at Amazon
• NYT Strands hints, answers for May 1
• AMD Ryzen 5000 IPC Performance Tested

• Film director perfectly sums up the feelings of all the 'Downton Abbey' haters
• According to Little Mix's new track, Zayn isn't as good at sex as he thinks he is
• Russia Today claims UK bank accounts have been 'frozen'
• It's Monday and you deserve this sexy Harry Potter boudoir shoot
• Shepard Smith discusses his sexuality while defending Roger Ailes
• Twitter is now worth less than its Chinese clone
• What the hell is going on in Russia?
• A very sleepy Kathy Bates stayed up all night because you monsters wouldn't stop tweeting her
• Wine lovers rejoice, this 24 hour red wine fountain is free
• Colin Kaepernick and the Hollywood redemption story that wasn't

• Is it 'Thunderbolts*' or *The New Avengers'?
• 26 Years of The Elder Scrolls
• Best headphones deal: Save $55 on SHOKZ OpenRun Pro
• Best headphones deal: Save $55 on SHOKZ OpenRun Pro
• NYT Strands hints, answers for April 23
• Best Kindle deal: Save $15 on Kindle Essentials Bundle
• Cloudflare outage: What to know, latest updates
• NYT Connections Sports Edition hints and answers for June 13: Tips to solve Connections #262
• Against Fear
• Instagram rolls out long

• Asus VivoWatch 6 AERO measures blood pressure and ECG
• Best smartphone deal: Get the Samsung Galaxy A16 for $175
• Best Kindle deal: Save $15 on Kindle Essentials Bundle
• Cloudflare outage: What to know, latest updates
• No Time for a Negative Peace
• Best Apple deal: Save $50 on 11
• Best TV deal: Save $20 on Amazon Fire TV 2
• Against All Odds: How Netflix Made It
• NYT Connections hints and answers for April 14: Tips to solve 'Connections' #673.
• Best smartphone deal: Get the Samsung Galaxy A16 for $175