Snapchat Expands Location Tracking 'Footsteps' Feature to All iOS Users
Snapchat brings its 'Footsteps' location history feature to all iOS users, allowing them to track their travels and see exploration percentages on the Snap Map.
Snapchat releases its new "Footsteps" feature to all iOS users this week after previously keeping it exclusive to Snapchat+ subscribers. The tool uses Snap Map to show users how much of the world they explore and track where they travel. When a user activates Footsteps for the first time, the app calculates initial steps based on saved Snaps in Memories, but it relies entirely on live location data for all future tracking.
The feature displays specific exploration percentages based on the areas a user visits, such as showing that a person has explored 30.4% of their city or 5% of Paris. Because these initial metrics rely heavily on saved Memories, the percentages remain most accurate for avid users who frequently save their Snaps. Footsteps functions similarly to Google Maps' Timeline tool, but it serves as a unique differentiator for Snapchat as it competes with rival platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
Privacy controls remain a central focus, as Footsteps only works when users disable Ghost Mode and all travel data stays completely private. Users maintain full control over their information and can easily disable the feature or erase their history by navigating to their Profile, accessing Settings, and selecting the Map section under Account Actions. This strategic rollout helps Snapchat strengthen its Snap Map product ahead of Instagram's upcoming Friends Map feature.