Home Safe Alerts: A New Way to Let Friends Know You’re Back Safely

Starting today, a new feature called Home Safe will give Snapchatters a simple way to let a friend know when they’ve returned after being out and about – without having to remember to send a message. 

So, whether you’re heading back from a first date, a crowded concert, or a weekend getaway, Home Safe can offer a close friend or family member peace of mind that you’ve made it home safely.

Home Safe alerts are designed with safety and privacy in mind: Alerts can only be sent to friends you already share your location with, and the notification goes out only once, then shuts off automatically. As always, location sharing on Snap Map is off by default, so no one can see your location or receive a Home Safe alert unless you proactively choose to share it.

To get started:

• Set your home location by tapping your Bitmoji on Snap Map, then “My Home.” Once you set this up, it is only ever visible to you and the friends you’ve chosen to share your location with on Snap Map.

• When you’re heading out and want to notify a friend when you get home, open your conversation, tap the Map icon, then tap the “Home Safe” button

• This will activate an automatic, one-time alert in your chat conversation letting your friend know when you’ve returned home, without having to remember to send a message.

Snap Map is already one of the most popular maps on mobile with more than 400 million people using it every month to connect with their friends and family and find places to visit nearby. Last year, we brought location sharing to Family Centre, our in-app parental tools, making it easier for families to take advantage of our Snap Map to stay connected. With Home Safe alerts, we’re excited to offer Snapchatters another way to stay in touch with loved ones while they’re on the go.