How to find nearby Snapchat friends ?

Geolocation extends Snapchat’s reach into offline life. Indeed, you can locate your friends in real time through a map accessible from the web or the mobile application. The Snap Map also allows you to locate the areas with the most snaps near your location.

This way, you will discover places, events or interesting groups nearby.

Snap Map: what is it ?

The Snap Map is a Snapchat location-based system that aims to foster social connections in both virtual and real life. It has been integrated into the social app since 2017 and became available on computers the following year. Through this feature, the social network seeks to bring Snapchatters together, both online and offline. The concept has managed to seduce many users since its launch.

Unlike a traditional map, the Snap Map is not only used to indicate your geographical position. It was mainly thought to help you find interesting friends or events. The functionality allows you, for example, to join a party, a concert, a trade show, a festival… Moreover, you can identify the most animated areas through the number of snaps sent.

In short, the Snapchat map doesn’t try to show you where you are, but rather where you should be. This is the basic idea of the designers of this feature. Thanks to the interactive map, you will be able to find exciting places or profiles as soon as possible.

Snap Map also allows you to share your location to encourage other network members to add you or join you on location.

How to use Snap Map ?

Your location is part of your sensitive data online. Snapchat has thus provided measures to limit the risks, especially regarding tracking and harassment. The network also displays warnings when you’re on Snapchat getting started with Snap Map.

For security reasons, you are supposed to share your GPS data with friends and family only.

Following the same logic, you will only be able to share your location in real time with a friend. Sharing also requires a mutual friendship on the social network. Moreover, the application does not offer any option to send your location data to all your friends at the same time.

You will then choose wisely the recipients of this information.

On the other hand, geolocation sharing is only active for a limited time. It can also be interrupted at any time without any notification. You will be protected from the main dangers of the web (spying, fraud, identity theft, harassment…).

Finally, the application will regularly remind you who can know your location, through your Profile and your Chat window.

How to share your geolocation with a friend ?

Once you’re aware of the risks and constraints, you can broadcast your friend’s location geographic position in real time on Snapchat. To do this:

• Open the application;
• Go to the Chat tab;
• Select the desired chat;
• Press on your friend’s ID, on the top left of the screen;
• In Snap Map, click on Share my location live;
• Choose between the 3 activation times available.

Depending on your choice, sharing will be automatically deactivated after 15 minutes, 1 hour or 8 hours. You can also share your GPS data directly in Snap Map. You just have to tap on the bitmoji of the friend you want to share with.

This will give you access to the option to share your location in real time.

How to hide your location ?

Snapchat offers a ghost mode, if you want to use the interactive map only to find friends. By activating this feature, only you will see your location on the map. You will still receive location data from other users. In order to hide your location:

• Go to the Snapchat home interface;
• Open Snap Map by tapping on the location icon at the bottom left of the screen;
• Click on the cogwheel icon to open the Settings;
• Activate Ghost Mode using the toggle under My Location ;
• In the interface displayed, set the duration of the Ghost Mode.

To disappear completely from the map, simply stop sharing your location or disable the GPS service. This second solution may be necessary in case of a problem with the display or the application. This way, you’ll be sure to stop sending your location data.

How to find nearby Snapchat friends ?

Snapchat makes it easy to expand your list of friends, if you are particularly sociable. In Snap Map, you will be able to find potential friends, in your neighborhood or city. The name of the location is displayed at the top of the screen when you open the interactive map.

By clicking on it, you will be able to discover the stories of the users present on this territory.

In large cities, it is best to filter stories according to the location of their creator. You can also discover the most popular places in the area by clicking on the Places icon at the bottom of the screen. Just choose the areas with the most snaps to find potential new friends.

In addition, you can save promising locations to your Favorites.

How to locate friends nearby on an Android ?

Snap Map is a great way to find friends while traveling or meet new people in your city. This highlights Snapchat’s strengths as a social network. To find friends on an Android mobile:

• Launch Snap Map by clicking on the icon at the bottom left of the screen;
• Allow Snapchat to use your location;
• Select a visible hotspot near your bitmoji ;
• Explore the stories posted from this location by swiping right or left ;
• If you want to add a profile, tap on its story and swipe up;
• Access the user’s account by selecting the Creator tab.
• Click the Subscribe button to follow that person’s snaps.

If nearby hotspots are scarce, expand the exploration of stories to the whole city. All you have to do is click on the name of the town at the top of the screen to expand the search field. You can then find interesting people, activities or areas in the region.

How to search for friends with an iPhone ?

If your cell phone is on iOS, you can also increase the number of meetings in your vicinity thanks to Snap Map. To take advantage of this feature:

• Open the interactive map by clicking on the location icon at the bottom left of the Snapchat home interface;
• Allow the app to access your device’s location;
• Choose an access point near your location;
• Scroll through the stories by swiping left or right;
• If you want to follow a user, slide your finger to the Try Lens option at the top of the screen;
• Open the Creator tab to explore this person’s profile;
• Tap “Subscribe” to interact with the user.

The Snap Map hotspots work exactly the same way on all devices (Android, iOS and Web). Thus, you can explore the stories published in your city, if your immediate environment is not very lively. This approach is all the more interesting when you are travelling.

This way, you will always find Snapchatters and exciting sites to liven up your trip.