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04/15/25

5 min

Who's Following You: How Does Snapchat Location Work

author photoOlivia Martinezexpert photoEthan Smith

Have you ever wondered how well the app knows where you are? Or how to share location on Snapchat?

Contents:

Have you ever wondered how well the app knows where you are? Or how to share location on Snapchat? 

Its feature enhances communication but raises privacy and accuracy concerns. 

Do you want to know how to share your location in real time, but still feel safe? Then you should definitely figure out how to turn off location on Snapchat when necessary, or vice versa, how to turn on live location on Snapchat so that your friends always can track a phone location. 

In this article, we'll look at all the subtleties: 

  • from how accurate is Snapchat location

  • to how does live location work on Snapchat

  • when does the app update your location

Learn to manage geolocation settings for better privacy and selective sharing.

Main Features of Snapchat Location Tracker

It’s more than just a photo sharing app. The geolocation on Snap Map detection feature opens up many possibilities, allowing you to share your movements with friends and find out where they are. But what does live movements mean on this app, and how does it actually work? 

  • The app uses GPS and Wi-Fi to determine your movements and display it on Snap Map. 

  • The Live feature on the app allows you to share your movements in real time with selected friends. 

  • How does live geolocation work? The app constantly updates your data so that your friends can see your movements.

Screenshot of a Snap Map showing the location of friends.

Geolocation Snap Map Features

Connect with friends

Find out which friends are nearby and make an appointment.

Geofilters

Use the geolocation filter to add fun effects to your pictures that are only available in specific.

Quick add

Is Snapchat quick add based on GPS movements? Yes, it uses geolocation data to suggest nearby friends to you.

Snapchat Plus

Are you interested in whether you should subscribe? 

  • does Snapchat plus show who viewed your location - no

  • does Snapchat plus tell you when someone views your location - no

  • can they see when you view their location - no

It Is Important to Remember

  • Accuracy

    • Is Snapchat location accurate? Usually yes, but accuracy can be affected by various factors, such as the availability of a GPS signal and the quality of a Wi-Fi connection.

  • Problems

    • Sometimes it happens that Snapchat location is not updating. 

    • In this case, try restarting the app or checking the geolocation settings.

A Snapchat user profile with a dedicated settings button.

How to Share Your Geolocation

Let's figure out how to share a live geolocation. The main thing is to remember your privacy and share information only with those you trust. 


Enabling detection function

  1. Open the app and go to your profile (click on your Bitmoji icon in the upper-left corner).

  2. Click on the gear icon to open settings.

  3. Scroll down to the "Privacy" section and select "Location".

  4. Select one of the options: 

    1. Everything

    2. My Friends

    3. Only these friends

    4. Ghost Mode

Sharing your geolocation via Snap Map

  1. On the Snapchat home screen, bring two fingers together to open Snap Map.

  2. Find yourself on the map.

  3. Tap on your Bitmoji to adjust the geolocation visibility settings.

Other ways to share 

  • How to put location on Snapchat: You can add movement stickers to your Snaps.

  • How to add location on Snapchat story: Add geolocation to your story so your friends know where you are now.

  • How to tag location on Snapchat: Tag it on the app.

Snapchat geolocation settings with list of friends

Iportant Privacy Issues

  • It is important to know that Snapchat does not always tell you whether Snapchat does tell you when someone looks at your movements or can people see when you look at their movements on the app. 

  • You can try to determine how to know if someone turned off their movements just for you, but it's not always possible to do this for sure.

  • Can I find out how to tell if someone is active on Snapchat without their location? - Sometimes it is possible, but it requires certain skills and is not a reliable way. And remember, does live location on Snapchat mean they are active? Not necessarily, the person could just forget to turn off the function.

Remember! Keep your safety in mind and share your geolocation only with those you trust. And don't worry, did Snapchat get rid of live geolocation or did Snapchat remove live geolocation: the feature is still available and actively used. 

Snapchat live location last seen - the last movement mark your friends saw.

How Do You Pause Your Location on Snapchat? 

You can freeze your movements. The app allows it. 

Pausing updates:

  1. Open Snapchat and go to your profile.

  2. Click on the gear icon (settings).

  3. Select "Geolocation" (in the "Privacy" section).

  4. Turn on "Ghost Mode".

  5. Choose how long you want to remain "invisible": 3 hours, 24 hours, or "Until I turn it off."

  6. Or just how to turn off live location on Snapchat by disabling this option in the settings.

What Happens When You Are "Frozen"

  • Your movements stops being updated. Your friends will see your last known position before activating the Ghost mode. And can people see when you check their location on the app? No! 

  • "Freezing" is a temporary measure, unlike how to change movements on the app (geolocation substitution, which is a violation of Snapchat rules).

  • You can how to pause your Snapchat location without turning it off by using Ghost Mode and selecting friends who can see your position. Others will only see the last known geolocation.

Real-time GPS tracker

Start Tracking