Snapchat has introduced a new feature that allows parents to receive alerts when their teen leaves or arrives at specific locations, such as school, through the app’s Family Center. This feature makes it easier for parents to keep track of their child’s whereabouts without having to manually check the Snap Map or their profile. Parents can set up to three locations for notifications, such as school, extracurricular activities, and home.
The addition of this feature seems to be Snapchat’s way of competing with popular services like Life360, which also allows families to track each other’s locations. By providing travel notifications, Snapchat aims to give parents peace of mind by keeping them informed about their teen’s whereabouts throughout the day.
In addition to location alerts, parents will soon have the ability to see who their teen is sharing their location with on Snapchat. The app will also prompt users who share their location with all friends to review their settings. With over 350 million people using Snap Map monthly, these new features aim to help families stay connected even when they are apart.
The new features are set to roll out in the coming weeks, following the initial launch of Family Center in 2022. This hub was created in response to calls for social media platforms to enhance protections for young users. Despite the ongoing updates to Family Center, many parents may not be aware of its existence. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel revealed that only around 200,000 parents are currently utilizing the supervision controls within Family Center, despite 20 million teenagers in the US using Snapchat.
Overall, the new parental alert feature on Snapchat provides an additional layer of security and peace of mind for parents, allowing them to stay informed about their teen’s whereabouts throughout the day. By expanding the capabilities of the Family Center hub, Snapchat continues to demonstrate its commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of its younger users.
