Snapchat is the original proprietor of the ephemeral sharing idea, before major players such as Instagram began copying its ideas. Looking to gain a leg up on competitors like Instagram, Snapchat is expanding its location sharing features..
As reported by TechCrunch, Snapchat is rolling out a new Send and Request location feature that allows friends to get your real-time always updating location, or request their location if need be. All of this shows up in the Snap Map and in message threads.
This builds on top of previous Snapchat location features, but carries a new focus on privacy. Snapchat’s over location sharing features have been criticized for lacking privacy controls.
TechCrunch was able to confirm that this feature will be rolling out to both iOS and Android users within the coming weeks.
Now when you long-press on a friend’s name or hit the three-line hamburger button on a chat thread, you’ll get the option to Send Location or Request location. It only works with bi-directional friends, so you can’t ask for the spot of your favorite Snap star if they don’t follow you back, and you can turn off getting requests in your settings if people are spamming you.
Location data will only show for up to 8 hours since you last opened the app, with the ability to stop sharing your location at any time.
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