Snapchat introduced a new feature called Home Safe on Thursday, allowing users to notify friends and family when they have arrived home safely after being out.
How “Home Safe” Works
To activate the feature, users first set their home location by tapping their Bitmoji on Snap Map and selecting “My Home.” When heading out, they can notify a friend upon arrival by opening the chat, tapping the Map icon, and then pressing the Home Safe button. The friend will automatically receive an alert in the conversation once the user gets home.
Snapchat stresses that Home Safe alerts can only be sent to friends who already share the user’s location. Since location sharing on Snap Map is off by default, no one can see your location or receive alerts unless you choose to share it.
“Whether you’re heading back from a first date, a crowded concert, or a weekend getaway, Home Safe can offer a close friend or family member peace of mind that you’ve made it home safely,” the company wrote in its blog post.
Growing Popularity of Snap Map
This feature arrives just two months after Snapchat revealed Snap Map has surpassed 400 million monthly active users. Since its 2017 launch, Snap Map has evolved from a simple friend location tracker to a tool for discovering local hotspots and events worldwide.
What The Author Thinks
Snapchat’s Home Safe feature is a simple yet thoughtful addition that leverages the social network’s strengths to help users feel more secure. By giving people an easy way to check in with friends and family, it offers peace of mind without being intrusive. Privacy remains key, and Snapchat’s default-off location sharing is a responsible choice. Features like this show how technology can enhance real-world safety in subtle but meaningful ways.
Featured image credit: Marco Verch via CCNull
For more stories like it, click the +Follow button at the top of this page to follow us.