Snapchat introduced the Snap Maps feature over a year ago, but some users are still having trouble working with it or learning to live with it. There are still concerns about how much information it provides in your location, so it’s crucial that you can turn it off when needed. Today’s post is about that. How to disable Snap Map. Also, I’m going to show you a few cool tricks to increase privacy on Snapchat a little more while using the social network.
In theory, Snap Maps is a great feature. You can see where people are when using Snapchat. See where celebrities hang out, where your friends use Snapchat the most, and all that good stuff. There’s even an online global Snap Map where you can see who is using the feature and where.
However, there is also the question of how much information you want to disclose about privacy and security and where you are and which places you frequently go to. Location tracking is part of Snapchat, so it may offer geolocation features and geofilters, but the map may be a step too far for some.
Disable Snapchat map
Snapchat was quickly notified of concerns over how much Snap Map was providing and allowing you to turn it off. Snap Maps is a recording service, so you may not be using it anyway. Here’s how to find out what you’re using and turn it off:
Open Snapchat and zip the homepage. If you see notifications or a page that says ‘See the World’ asking you to grant access to your location, you’re not included in Snap Maps.
If you have it enabled, you can turn it off.
- Open Snap Map and select the gear settings icon in the upper right corner of the screen.
- Select Ghost Mode and toggle it on.
Snapchat will continue to track your location as usual, but will not broadcast it to the world. If you want to go further, go to the GPS or location setting on your phone and revoke Snapchat’s access to it. Then Snapchat won’t find you at all. This means that geofilters do not work, but privacy is significantly improved.
Other tips to improve your privacy on Snapchat
Most people don’t realize how much information they post on social media every day. Snapchat isn’t worse than other social networks, but it’s not better either. Fortunately, there are a few simple things you can do to improve privacy on Snapchat. Here are just a few of them.
know your audience
Controlling who can see your Snaps and Stories is a good first step to restoring some privacy. This is easy to do in the settings menu.
- Select the settings gear icon in the upper right corner of the Snapchat profile screen.
- Select ‘Who Can…’ from the menu.
- Work with Contact Me, View My Story, See My Location and See Me on Quick Add and filter as you wish.
You can choose Everyone, My Friends or Private. I suggest you use my friends. This is usually set by default, but it’s so easy to change that it’s worth checking out.
Turn off Find Friends
Find Friends is a neat feature that allows someone to find your Snapchat account from your mobile number. It’s okay if you keep this number private but allow anyone to scan the numbers and find their respective Snapchat accounts. If you don’t need people to find you like this, you should turn it off.
- Select Snapchat Settings.
- Select Mobile Number and turn off ‘Allow others to find me using my mobile number’.
Use a strong password
A good password is your first line of defense when using social media, and Snapchat is no different. Because the network is so popular, it is equally popular with hackers. This means that a strong password is required to protect your account. Use a password as complex as possible while keeping it memorable.
For a little extra security, use a password and also use a mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters.
Use two factor authentication
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is an excellent security measure you can take to further secure your account. You should use it on every website or account login to reduce the risk of being hacked.
- Select your Snapchat profile from within the app.
- Select the gear button to access the settings.
- Select Two-Factor Authentication and follow the setup wizard.
These are some viable ways to disable Snap Map and improve privacy on social network. Do you have any other suggestions? If you do, tell us below!
