Snapchat is introducing a new feature called ‘Footsteps’ to track your location history and keep a log of places you’ve traveled to on Snap Map. This feature was previously available only to Snapchat+ subscribers. Footsteps is coming to iOS, and iPhone users can start using it right away.
With “Footprints”, you can see how much of the world you have explored and where you have been by the Snaps saved in your Memories, tracking your real-time location. While this feature is great for keeping a record of adventures, privacy concerns may arise, as it requires permissions, including your precise location.
It creates a visual representation of your travel history, displaying how much of your city or country you’ve explored. For instance, the app might indicate that you’ve explored 30% of your city or 5% of Paris if you visited there.
This means that Snapchat will no longer rely on your Snaps for travel details but will instead use real-time location tracking. If Ghost Mode is activated—which hides your location from friends—Snapchat will not track your movement. However, this information is private and visible only to you.
This feature is similar to Google Maps’ ‘Timeline’, but since Snapchat can rely on both existing memories and location data, it starts with more user data, making it particularly useful for frequent travelers.While location history permissions persist, you can choose to share your travels with anyone by creating a custom sticker that showcases your history of travels. Snapchat allows you to turn off the feature if you no longer wish to use it. You can do this by going to the app’s settings under the “Map” section, where you can either disable Footsteps or delete your travel history.
Even though Snapchat collects location data, the company ensures users can control their privacy settings. However, some users may still feel uncomfortable with the app tracking their real-time location, even if the data is only visible to them. Whether this constitutes a privacy breach depends on individual preferences and how much control users feel they have over their data. As of now, this feature is limited to iOS devices, but it is expected to be available on Android soon.
Key Highlights:
- Snapchat’s ‘Footsteps’ Launch: Snapchat introduces the ‘Footsteps‘ feature for iOS users, tracking location history and displaying explored places on Snap Map.
- Privacy Controls: The feature relies on real-time location tracking, but users can disable it or activate Ghost Mode to prevent tracking. Data is visible only to the user.
- Comparison to Google Maps: Similar to Google Maps’ Timeline, ‘Footsteps’ combines location data and Snaps from Memories for a more detailed travel log.
- Custom Travel Stickers: Users can create custom stickers showcasing their travel history and share them with others, with full control over privacy settings.