How To Tell If Someone Checked Your Location On Snapchat

Snapchat keeps adding new features every now and then. These are aimed at increasing the users’ engagement with Snaps and Snapchat stories. The Snap Map feature allows you to check out another fellow Snapchat friend’s location. Using this feature, you might find a friend hanging out nearby, and then, you can hang out with them. 

Does Snapchat tell you when someone looks at your location? This question must have crossed your mind many times. The simple and straightforward answer would be that Snap Map does not notify somebody when you check out their location. However, there are certain workarounds that can tell a user that you have viewed their location. Keep reading to find out!

Few Things You Should Know About Snapchat’s Location Feature

does snapchat tell you when someone looks at your location
  • If you want to share your Snapchat location on the SnapMap, your location will get updated each time you open the Snapchat app.
  • If a Snapchat user wants to share their location with their Snapchat friends, then the app will periodically ask the user if they are comfortable with the current Snapchat Location settings.
  • The Snap Map feature can be used by mutual friends to see each other only
  • Your precise location data will get deleted after some time. However, your general location data could stay retained a bit longer.
  • Tapping on your friend’s Bitmoji icon will show you when their location was last updated. For example, 1 or 2 hours ago. This location tells you when they had last opened Snapchat.
  • Your location will stay on the Map for at least 8 hours if the app is not opened again. When you open the Snapchat app again, your location will get updated based on where you are located currently.
  • If a Snapchat user has not opened the app for more than 8 hours, then, their location will entirely disappear from the Map.

Reasons Why You’d Want To Know If Someone Has Viewed Your Location On Snapchat

It goes without saying that if you upload any information about yourself online, you have the complete right to know who sees it. The privacy features of an application can sometimes be a barrier in this. Similarly, if someone can view your location on social media platforms, that might invoke a sense of anxiety in some people. 

So, knowing who has viewed your location will let you know about any kind of stalking behavior too. Given below are some reasons why you would want to know who has checked out your location on Snapchat:

  • See if any of your friends are close to your location. That could help you make quick plans.
  • Check if someone is exhibiting some unusual activity or stalking activity
  • Figure out if someone who you were suspecting would view your location has actually seen it or not.

What Is The Map Feature Of Snapchat?

snap map feature of snapchat

The Snap Map feature gives you the traveling locations of the Snapchat user. If a person travels from Houston to New York, the app displays the path as a dotted line. Traveling stories are quite similar to Snapchat’s regular stories. The difference is that it shows your location too.

Does Snapchat Tell You When You Look At Someone’s Location?

The early 2020’s version of Snapchat allowed people to see if someone has checked out their location. This was possible by opening the “eye” icon on their status page. But, in order to access this feature, you would have had to be traveling and set a status on Snapchat to check if someone has viewed your location.

However, since the mid-2020s, Snapchat has gotten rid of that status feature. So, you won’t know if someone saw your location. If you were to open your Snap Map, you won’t be able to check the status icon from the bottom of your Snapchat page.

Hence, it is guaranteed that a person would never be notified if you checked their Snap location from the Snap Map currently. Similarly, you too won’t know if someone is keeping tabs on your location via Snapchat.

How Long Does My Location Stay On Snapchat?

Your location stays on Snapchat for around 8 hours or so and then, it disappears from the map.  If you turned on the Ghost Mode, that would hide your location from people. You can also hide your location from certain people via privacy settings. In this case, your location will stay hidden from those people. 

For instance, if your location settings were set to “My Friends”, then, only your friends would have been able to track you via your Snapchat location. You can also set the Settings to “My Friends, Except…”, which would allow your friends to view your location but prevent some selected people from viewing your location.

my friends except list on privacy settings

In case you set your Snapchat location to “Only These Friends…”, only certain friends will be allowed to check out your location on the Snap Map.

only these friends list on snap map privacy settings

Will Ghost Mode Show My Last Location?

enable ghost mode to hide your location on snap map

No, enabling the Ghost Mode won’t show your last location to anybody. If you enable Ghost Mode, both your current and last location will stay hidden from people for a specific duration.

You will be able to set the duration while enabling the Ghost Mode by choosing from three different timers: 3 hours, 24 hours, or until you turn off the Ghost Mode

In case you choose the “Until turned off” as your duration of Ghost Mode, then nobody will be able to see your location until you turn off the Ghost Mode

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This is recommended for people who don’t want people prying on their location ever.

Can Someone’s Location Tell You The Last Time They Were On Snapchat?

You can know the last time someone was on Snapchat by checking out the time when their last story was posted or else, you can also view their location on the Snap Map. Go to the Discover page on your Snapchat app and tap on their story. Next, check the time when the story was posted under their Snapchat name. 

For instance, if the time says “3h ago from camera roll,” then, it is possible that they were using their Snapchat 3 hrs ago. However, this might not give you the exact time they were last using their Snapchat account because people can use Snapchat even after they have posted a story or they might not post a story but still use the app.

Given below are some steps to help you recognize the last time someone was on Snapchat:

  • Open Snapchat on your phone and it should be opened in the Camera interface.
  • Tap the circle icon of Snapchat and then, swipe down to see the Snap Map
swipe down from the top of the screen to open snap map
  • Next, tap the Friends icon located at the bottom-right side of the Snap Map.
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  • Then, look for your friend’s name
  • Then, tap on the friend’s Bitmoji to see the last time they were on Snapchat.
  • This will help you figure out the last time someone was using Snapchat. But, if they have not been on Snapchat for 8 hours or more, then, their location will go away from the Snap Map.
  • So, this method works only if the last time the person was on Snapchat is not more than 8 hours. 

Can You Check If Someone Has Viewed Your Location?

First, enable the Snap Map for any one of your friends on Snapchat so that they can check your location. We understand if you don’t want to because many people can be uncomfortable with letting others know about their whereabouts 24/7.

However, if it is enabled, then restrict it to who can view it via the privacy settings of your Snapchat profile. Now, there is a workaround to know if someone has viewed your Snapchat location

After you enable your Snap Map, you will have your Bitmoji Avatar shown on the map moving around the location you are currently at. 

If someone clicks your Bitmoji status, you will know that they have checked out your location. Your Snap Map status is just like a Snapchat story but it is accessible only from the Snap Map.  So, you can post a status and attach it to the Snapchat Bitmoji. This will tie all the photos or clips you upload tied to the location you’re at.

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Snapchat users have reported that they have tried this trick to know if someone is stalking their Snap Map locations. Sometimes, they would update their Bitmoji’s status but not change any activities.

Then, their stalkers would click on empty statuses and this was the bait. Now, you can check who has viewed your status just like in the case of Instagram stories, you will be able to know via this method if someone has viewed your location. 

How To Not Let People Know Where You’re At Even If Snap Map Is Enabled

Even if the Snap Map feature is enabled on your Snapchat, your location gets updated on it only if you use Snapchat. So, if you don’t open Snapchat when you’re out, then it won’t be updating your location in the background. Hence, nobody would be able to check where you are. 

Another way to not allow people to view your location is by temporarily disabling your location by going into Ghost Mode. But, this would make your Bitmoji hold a blue sign with a Ghost icon. This might invoke more questions from your friends and followers. So, if you care a lot about what people might say, the first trick will work wonders for you. 

How To Know If Others Can Know When You Look At Their Location?

Keep in mind that your name will not be displayed to the individual whose location you have just seen via Snap Map.  However, the number of people who have viewed their story can still reveal.

When you view someone’s location, they might be checking out their story viewer at the same time. They can only see the number of people who have seen their story and not the names of those people but they can still find out if you just saw it. 

Here’s how to figure out if others will know when you watch their Snapchat location:

  • First, you need to figure out if the specific person’s story is shared only with you or not. If they have shared their story with you only via Settings and see that the number of people who have viewed their story is 1, then, they can be sure that you have seen their story via the Snap Map.
  • To confirm this, you can go to your Snapchat privacy settings and make your story visible to only one person.
  • Next, go to the ‘Spotlight & Snap Map’ option. Post a story there by clicking on Add to Story
go to add to story from spotlight and snap map
  • Check the viewed people after a couple of hours. The number of people who have viewed your story will be shown only in numbers.
number of people who have viewed your snap map story
  • If you see that the story was seen by only one person, then, you can be sure that the person you allowed via Settings to see your story has seen it. 

How To Check If Someone Has Viewed Your Snapchat Location?

If you wish to use a tool that is capable of telling you if someone has checked out your Snap Map story or your location, then you can download a third-party app called ‘Snapchat ++’. This app is available for both iOS and Android devices.

Follow the steps given below to check if someone has viewed your Snap Map location:

  • Navigate to Google search and look for the Snapchat ++ application and install it.
  • Next, navigate to Settings and tap on the Spy mode
  • This will help to keep your privacy on Snapchat safe. Moreover, it will also give you a list of people who have viewed the story on your Snap Map.

Privacy Issue With Snapchat

After reading all the above-mentioned details about Snap Map, you must be wondering if we can give Snap Map the benefit of the doubt. However, we have to agree that it can be somewhat creepy and violating even.

After all, people don’t need to know if you went to a grocery store or a supermarket. Moreover, this might allow creeps and stalkers to misuse the feature and that may lead to your harm. 

What if some weirdo disguised as a friend on Snapchat shows up where you are going? That could be an extremely alarming situation to be in. As already mentioned, when you don’t want certain people to know your whereabouts do know your whereabouts, that could lead to some problems. 

Hence, it is important to make use of Snapchat Location settings so that you can restrict certain people from viewing your location. We would recommend that you should, at the very least, allow only friends to see your profile and Snap Map. That would bring at least some level of privacy and safety to your Snapchat account. 

Final Words

By now it must have become very clear to you that Snapchat would never notify you when someone looks at your location. However, there are certain workarounds that you can use to know if someone specific has been checking out your whereabouts. The above article gives you all the details regarding that and also attempts to clear other queries you might have about the Snap Map.