Snap Map is the map screen inside Snapchat: from the Camera, swipe right twice and it opens. It shows friends who share their location with you, Snaps from around the world, Places such as shops and restaurants, and layers like your Memories, and Snapchat says you can only view it in the mobile app, not in a web browser.
Most people think of Snap Map as the screen where you check where your friends are. That's one part of it. Snapchat has piled a lot more onto the same map: public collections of Snaps, location pages for real businesses, travel callouts, and a set of records that only you can see. Here's what each part does and who can see it, as of Nov 2026.
What you see when the map opens
Friends who share their location with you appear as their Bitmoji. Snapchat says you can tap a friend to start a Chat, press and hold to view their profile, or tap Search at the top of the Map to find someone. Tapping a friend's Bitmoji doesn't notify them.
Your Bitmoji can also change pose on its own. Snapchat calls this Actionmoji: it shows what your Bitmoji is doing based on context signals like your general area, the time of day or movement. You can choose your own pose in My Pose, and it lasts four hours. Anyone you share your location with can see your Bitmoji, and without one you appear as a blank outline, so it's worth taking five minutes to make a Bitmoji that looks like you before you share anything.
Then there are Snaps from people you don't know. Snapchat describes these as collections of Snaps submitted by many Snapchatters, collected and sorted to show a place, an event or a topic from different points of view. They can show up in Stories, and even on third-party platforms such as a stadium screen.
You can drop pins as well. Press and hold any point on the Map to create one, then tap Send to share it with friends. Snapchat adds that the Map may temporarily show pins and addresses recently shared in Chat for up to 24 hours. To remove a pin, tap it, then the three-dot icon, then Delete Pin and Confirm.
Who can see each part of Snap Map
This is the table I wish Snapchat published itself. Every line comes from its own help pages.
| Part of the Map | What it shows | Who sees it | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friends' Bitmoji | Friends who share their location, plus their Actionmoji pose | Only people they share their location with | Snapchat Help, Bitmoji on Snap Map |
| Explore layer | Snaps submitted by Snapchatters around the world (tap the globe icon) | Anyone using Snap Map | Snapchat Help, Layers on Snap Map |
| Memories layer | Your saved Memories pegged to the places you took them, with My Eyes Only content hidden | Only you | Snapchat Help, Layers on Snap Map |
| Places | Pages for restaurants, shops and landmarks with reviews, hours and directions | Anyone using Snap Map | Snapchat Help, Places on Snap Map |
| Visited, My Top Places and Footsteps | Places you've tagged or visited, and a record of where you've been | Only you | Snapchat Help, Places you've visited and Footsteps |
| Pins | A spot you pressed and held, then sent | The friends you send it to | Snapchat Help, Drop a pin |
The last rows are the bit people miss. Snapchat says My Top Places, Visited and Footsteps are private to you, and the Memories layer stays private too. A Place Visit is logged when you tag a Place on a Snap, and if you share your location, Snapchat also adds visits from your location data. Those visits are kept for the life of the account unless you remove them or clear your location history, which as of Nov 2026 sits under Settings, then Clear Data, then Clear Location History.
Places, and the only business route Snapchat offers
Places are location pages for real-world spots like restaurants, shops and landmarks. Swipe up on one and Snapchat shows reviews, directions, opening hours, phone numbers, ride-share, restaurant reservations, a website link and more Snaps from around that area. Tap the Places icon at the top of the Map to search or see personalised recommendations, and save a Place with the bookmark icon so it lands in your Saved filter.
So can you put your business on it yourself? Snapchat's answer for business owners is short. It says to reach out to your sales point of contact for information about promoting your business on Snap Map, and it points to Place Listings. There are no self-serve steps in its help pages as of Nov 2026. If what you're after is paid reach rather than a listing, that's a different tool, and my guide to Snapchat Ads Manager covers it.
For a local shop or restaurant, that Place page matters more than the map itself, because it's what someone sees when they tap your spot. Snapchat's help pages don't give you a way to edit it, so the route is a conversation with Snapchat sales about Place Listings.
Layers, travel callouts and the Snapchat+ extras
Snapchat lists three layers. Memories pegs your saved Snaps to the places you took them. Explore shows Snaps from around the world. Hot Spots is a heatmap of activity, and Snapchat suggests turning it off if you want a simpler view.
Travel Notifications are newer. Friend in Town sends a push notification when a friend you share locations with arrives in your town. Recent Moves puts a callout such as Flew from, followed by a city, above your Bitmoji for up to 24 hours, though it won't show if you were in Ghost Mode in the city you left. As of Nov 2026 you turn these off under My Account, the Settings gear, Privacy Controls, Map, then Travel Notifications.
Two features are Snapchat+ only. Footsteps is a private record of where you've been on the Map when you're not in Ghost Mode, and 3D Homes turns your home icon into a 3D one. Setting a plain home icon works with or without Snapchat+, and Snapchat says home locations are self-selected and not verified, so a friend's home icon tells you where they say they live, nothing more.
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Ghost Mode, and the catch it doesn't cover
Location sharing on Snap Map is off by default. When it's on there are two types: Only while using, which expires from the map after 24 hours, and Always, which stays until you turn it off or it expires. Snapchat recommends sharing only with trusted friends and family. The setup steps live in my walkthrough on sharing your location on Snapchat, and getting on Snap Map in the first place has its own guide too.
Snapchat also says you can't disable Snap Map altogether once it's set up. What you can do is hide. Here's the quick check I'd run:
- Swipe right twice from the Camera to open the Map.
- Tap the Map Settings gear.
- Check whether you're sharing your location, and with whom.
- Turn on Ghost Mode and pick a timer: 3 hours, 24 hours or Until Turned Off.
- Look at your Bitmoji: it holds a blue ghost sign while Ghost Mode is on, unless you're sharing live location.
Now the catch Snapchat spells out. Ghost Mode hides your location from everyone else on the Map, but your location is still shared with Snap, and Snaps you submit to Snap Map can still show on the Map whatever your location setting. If you're over 18, your username appears on Map posts by default; under 18s can't post with a username attached. You can change that under Settings, Privacy Controls, Map, Display My Username. Snapchat also says automated systems check every submission, so selfies, user mentions, and anything from your camera roll or Memories won't make it onto the Map, and Snaps sent only to the Map may also turn up in Spotlight, Discover and Search.
Is Snap Map worth your time as a business?
I'd treat Snap Map as two different things. For you personally, it's a privacy setting to check: decide who sees your location, and remember that anything you submit to the Map is public whatever Ghost Mode says. For your business, it's a Place page and a sales conversation, not something you can set up in an afternoon.
I'd start by searching for your business in Places and seeing what people get when they tap it. Skip posting Snaps to the Map as a marketing plan unless your content is about a place or an event, because Snapchat's own filters keep out selfies and camera roll uploads anyway.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I see Snap Map on my computer?
Not as of Nov 2026. Snapchat says Snap Map can only be viewed in the Snapchat mobile app, not in a web browser, though it says it keeps adding features to Snapchat for Web.
Does Ghost Mode hide everything on Snap Map?
No. Snapchat says Ghost Mode hides your location from other people on the Map, but Snaps you submit to Snap Map can still show up whatever your location setting.
Can my friends see the places I've visited?
No. Snapchat says My Top Places, Visited and Footsteps are private to you, and the Memories layer stays private too.
How do I get my business on Snap Map?
Snapchat says to reach out to your sales point of contact and points to Place Listings. Its help pages don't give self-serve steps.
Can I turn Snap Map off completely?
Snapchat says you can't disable Snap Map altogether once it's set up, but you can hide your location with Ghost Mode.
