Snapchat’s Real-time Location-sharing Feature is Like WhatsApp: How It Works

Snapchat's real-time live-location sharing feature can be used for a short period by the users.

Snapchat launches a WhatsApp-like live-location sharing feature. Image used for representative purposes. 

(Photo: iStock)

Snapchat has officially announced its plans of introducing a WhatsApp-like feature on its platform. It will launch a new feature that will allow users to share real-time locations with their friends for a limited period.

The platform that is popularly known for sharing pictures is also introducing the new real-time location sharing, a feature similar to WhatsApp.

Snapchat made an official announcement about this new feature through a Twitter post.

The Twitter post reads, “Make sure you and your friends get home safely with temporary location-sharing."

This new feature by Snapchat is quite interesting as it will help the users feel safe by sharing their location with friends and family.

Snapchat has teamed up with a nonprofit programme called 'It's On Us'. It's On Us works against campus sexual assault.

Snapchat Real-time Location-sharing: Uses and Limitations

This brand new feature of sharing real-time location by Snapchat is very similar to the feature on WhatsApp. People can share their location on Snapchat with other users, for a certain period of time.

However, Snapchat has set certain limitations to the feature keeping in mind the safety of the users.

Users can share their location with individual friends on Snapchat. The platform does not allow users to share their real-time location with all their friends on Snapchat.

While sharing the live location, users need to check whether the person they are sending the location to is added as a friend on the platform.

If the person is added as a friend, only then will they be able to track the location of the user.

A report by TechCrunch states that the users will be notified with a reminder to use the tool only with close friends and family when they try to disable it.

Snapchat Real-time Location-sharing: Snap Map Feature

Snapchat had introduced Snap Map back in 2017. This new live location sharing feature is going to be a part of Snap Map.

Snap Map is a feature that allowed users on Snapchat to check the location of their friends when they were last active on the platform.

The report by TechCrunch also mentions that there are approximately over 250 million Snapchat users worldwide who use the Snap Map feature to locate their friends and look after their safety.

The new Snapchat real-time location sharing feature that appears to be similar to Whatsapp's feature has created a buzz among the users.

(Written with inputs from Times of India.)