Snapchat has announced a new feature to improve user safety. The Home Safe feature automatically notifies pre-selected contacts when users return home safely after spending time away. This feature, especially aimed at improving security in conversations with people they’re meeting for the first time, works in conjunction with location sharing.
Snapchat Improves User Safety
The Home Safe feature requires users to share their location information via Snap Map beforehand. The Home Safe setting can then be accessed via the location icon in the chat screen.
Once the system is activated, a “safely arrived home” notification is automatically sent to the contacts they select upon arrival. This eliminates the need to manually notify loved ones, especially if users are out late at night or traveling alone.
Snapchat has rolled out this security feature to all users. The feature is available to both free users and Snapchat subscribers. The new system not only increases security but also automatically activates in cases where users may forget to notify the other party.
Similar security systems have been implemented on other platforms before. Tinder’s recently announced Share My Date feature allowed users to share details about their dates with trusted contacts. Snapchat’s Home Safe system aims to help users lead safer social lives by leveraging support from their social circles.
The new feature is seen as a significant step in making users, especially female users, feel safer. Before its expansion, the system, which only worked with people who had location sharing enabled, could be managed through the app’s chat screen.
Following the announcement of this feature, Snapchat also released a dedicated app for Apple Watch users. This will allow users to monitor notifications directly from their smartwatches, not just their phones.
Home Safe adds another social media app that prioritizes user safety. The impact of this feature on daily life and the extent to which it will impact user habits will become clear in the coming days.
