One of the unique features that sets Snapchat apart from other social media apps is the Snap Map. Snap Map is a map display that shows where your friends are currently, and can even show where large groups of people are gathered. This can be useful for meeting up without having to give directions, and for a number of different scenarios. However, the feature has also faced backlash due to privacy and safety concerns. By default, the app won’t share your location unless you opt in. If you do, however, you can use the Add Nearby feature. So, here is a guide to what is Add Nearby on Snapchat, how it works, and how to use it.
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How Does Add Nearby Work
Active users on Snapchat who opt into sharing their location will appear on the Snap Map. If they post a story, they will appear on the map with a blue spot. These are known as hotspots. It’s important to note that this means your location is publicly available, and not just available to your friends on the app.
How To Add Nearby Friends
Add Nearby can come in handy in a variety of different situations. For example, you might go out and strike up a conversation with some new people. You get along very well, so you want to make sure you can stay in touch before you leave. Instead of exchanging usernames and having to type them out in the search bar, using Add Nearby can allow you to simply locate who you want to add from the list of people that are near you on the map. This makes it much easier and more straightforward to become Snapchat friends.
To use Add Nearby, go to your Snap Map by tapping the icon on the bottom left. Allow your location to be shared if a prompt comes up, and then tap the hotspot closest to you. From there, you can swipe through stories until you find who you’re looking for.
Ghost Mode And Ghost Trails
Ghost Mode is Snapchat’s full privacy mode. By default, users have Ghost Mode enabled, but you can choose to switch it on or off. Since Ghost Mode doesn’t share any of your location information, if you have it on, you won’t be visible on Snap Maps, and others won’t be able to add you via Add Nearby.
Another major feature on Snapchat+ currently is Ghost Trails. This feature allows users to see their friends’ location history for the past 24 hours. A yellow line will appear on the Snap Map showing the different locations the user has been to in that period of time along the route they took.
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