As we cover Snapchat a lot here on TechJunkie and I have covered both Snapchat and Snap Maps, this reader question was given to me to answer. The question was ‘Can you tell if someone has checked your location on Snapchat? Specifically Snap Maps?’ I honestly didn’t know at first but here is what I found out.

Ever since Snapchat introduced Snap Maps, the social network has been courting praise and pressure. Praise for adding a new dimension to the social network and pressure because Snap Maps also provides a huge privacy window for others to exploit. Whatever side of the fence you’re on, protecting yourself while using social media is essential.

Snap Maps

If you have read any of our coverage of Snap Maps, you will already know what it is. If you haven’t, Snap Maps is a relatively new feature for Snapchat that shows where you are on a map when you use the app. Every time you log into Snapchat or use the app, your location will update on a special map. Anyone you follow or are friends with on the app will be able to see where you are at any given time if you have the app open.

In turn, you will be able to see where they are at any given time too. Which is where the problems begin.

Can you see if someone checked your location on Snapchat?

In a word, no. There is currently no way to tell if someone is stalking you or looking at you on Snap Maps. Even if they follow your every move, select your Bitmoji and watch every move you make, you are not notified. You are notified if they view a story though which is something I guess.

This may change as Snapchat has certainly garnered a lot of negative press about Snap Maps in its present form. Changes may be afoot and we may soon be able to see if anyone is checking where we are. Or there may be no such changes planned, we just don’t know.

Why Snap Maps isn’t all good news

A friend of mine, Jess lives in New York. A city of 9 million or so and a place that is easy to get lost in and stay anonymous. Not when you’re using Snap Maps it isn’t. Here is a conversation she sent me that happened last week thanks to Snap Maps.

The names have been changed and I have removed all the text speak. Partly for ease of reading and partly because it is incredibly annoying.

Jake: ‘Jess, I see you, James, Jon and Jacob are all in the coffee shop? Why wasn’t I invited?’

Jess: ‘It was a spur of the moment thing, we met at the book store and decided to hang out.’

Jake: ‘Thanks for inviting me! I thought we were friends!’

Jess: ‘Nothing personal, you can come down if you want.’

Jake: ‘No thanks, if you wanted me there you would have invited me.’

Sure Jake is needy and insecure and this could have happened anywhere at any time. But, this was specifically enabled by Snap Maps. Jess was checking Snapchat at the time and it automatically updated her location. The others were presumably doing much the same thing so all showed up in the same place at the same time.

This is why Snap Maps is dangerous. It isn’t just about young children showing their whereabouts or ex-partners knowing where you are. It’s about those little lies we tell each other in social situations. If you sneak off to the game without inviting your buddies or have a quick drink after work without your best friend, the secret could potentially be out without you even knowing.

Two tweets I saw recently sum it up nicely.

sam @Sam_Posts

‘The new snapchat update is finally going to expose me when I send “on my way” but I’m really still sitting in bed wrapped in a towel.’

val ⚡️ @vallachine

‘ya this snapchat map is creepy but then again I find myself casually looking at it throughout the day asking myself “why isn’t ___ at home?’

These two are relatively harmless but show that there are consequences to being tracked. We are used to governments and big businesses knowing where we are and what we are doing but do we now need to contend with our friends doing the same?

If you don’t have insecure friends or don’t mind people knowing where you are any time you use Snapchat then Snap Maps is all good. If you have children, don’t want to be tracked and mapped every time you take a snap, it isn’t so good. Your answer is to either turn on Ghost Mode or not use Snapchat when you are out and about. Otherwise your whereabouts are out there for any friends to see!