Snapchat adds location-sharing to its Family Centre, boosting privacy and brand engagement

The 13th annual update focuses on increasing transparency and control for families, giving parents more insight into their teens’ location-sharing preferences. For marketers, these updates create new opportunities for location-based advertising, real-time engagement, and campaigns built around family-friendly messaging — all while maintaining the trust of a privacy-aware demographic.

Ben Au, public policy Lead for Australia and New Zealand at Snap Inc., said: "Snapchat is designed differently from more traditional social media - it’s a place for real-life friendships. We’ve always had extra protections for teens, but there is no finish line when it comes to safety.

"We’re committed to making Snapchat an even more fun and safe place for people to connect, and we’re pleased to introduce these new features to our Family Centre parental tools to help our community do just that."

The new Family Centre features announced today include:

Snapchat’s new location-sharing tools within Family Centre now allow parents to request their teen’s live location. This opt-in feature fosters transparency and builds trust, allowing families to stay connected while giving teens the autonomy they value. Parents can also share their location back, creating an open exchange that aligns with Snapchat’s commitment to fostering real-life friendships.

Privacy and safety at the core: A key appeal for marketers

For marketers, the new location-sharing transparency provides valuable insights into how teens engage with Snapchat. Parents will soon be able to view which friends their teens share their location with on Snap Map, facilitating informed conversations around privacy settings. This gives brands a unique opportunity to tailor location-based content and campaigns to fit within users' preferences while reinforcing privacy-first messaging.

The new travel notifications feature also offers families added peace of mind. Parents can select key locations, such as home, school, or extracurricular activities, and receive notifications when their teen arrives or departs. This real-time information provides both families and marketers with new opportunities for timely, context-driven engagement, potentially allowing brands to connect with users based on their specific locations and schedules.

Au highlighted the importance of these features for building a safe, supportive platform for young users. "We know that safety is paramount, especially for families. With these new features, Snapchat is not only enhancing the way families stay connected, but we’re also giving parents more visibility into their teens’ experiences. Our focus remains on offering privacy-first tools that let teens and families make their own decisions about how they engage with the platform."

Location-based opportunities for brands and advertisers

The new features provide marketers with an exciting opportunity to create hyper-local, contextually relevant campaigns. With the ability to track specific locations, brands can deliver targeted offers or messages when users arrive or depart from key places. Whether it's a special promotion at a nearby store or a location-based event invitation, these tools allow for smarter, more timely advertising.

Snapchat's focus on privacy and safety reinforces trust with brands and teens

For executives focused on Gen Z and teen engagement, Snapchat’s commitment to privacy-first design positions it as a trusted space for digital interaction. The platform continues to lead the way in offering opt-in location sharing, ensuring that users control their own information. This approach builds brand loyalty by making privacy a priority, an increasingly important consideration for both users and advertisers.

Au summed up the platform's approach. "There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to safety, which is why we are constantly innovating. These new features are just one example of how we are listening to our community and adapting to the changing needs of parents and teens. Our goal is to keep Snapchat fun, engaging, and above all, safe for the next generation of digital users."