You could argue that Snapchat has had one of the biggest comebacks in the social platform category in recent years, and now it’s trying to capitalize on that with an excellent choice…but there’s a huge problem that I discovered after signing up for Snapchat Plus.
Before Instagram Stories was a thing that allowed you to quickly snap a photo or video and only lasted 24 hours, Snapchat was on top. However, in 2016, the once hated app was redesigned so much that it caused a group of users to switch to Instagram.
However, it has undergone an impressive transformation since then, attracting teens with unique filters and partnerships with influencers, and is one of the leading social platforms once again.
but with snapchat plus (Opens in a new tab)which gives you exclusive features for $3.99 / £3.99 / AU$4.89 per month on iPhone and Android, one called “Ghost Trail” left me uncomfortable after signing up, and eventually led me to cancel my subscription.
A potentially dangerous feature for some people
Snap has been trying to expand the app in recent years, with Spectacles giving you the ability to let you post shots through wearable glasses, for example.
snapchat plus (Opens in a new tab) It follows the Twitter Blue subscription model to offer exclusive features for a price. Once registered, you can use the following:
- Pin a contact as a best friend
- It gives you an indication of how many times someone has viewed your story
- Custom App Icons/Themes on iOS, Coming Soon on Android
- Snapchat Plus Badge
- Friend Solar System – Gives you a chat about your closest friends
- Ghost Tracks on Snap . Map
Both of these features are fun enough – I changed the app icon to a pride variant for example, while having a badge and “pinning” my wife as best friend helps us when we send snaps to each other.
But soon after, a feature made me cancel my subscription to the service.
For those not in the know, Snap Map lets you open a map and look at stories from anywhere in the world. If there is a heat map, that means there are a bunch of stories to watch. It can be useful for looking up places you’re about to visit for a vacation for example, or to find out where some friends are if you’re on a trip with them.
However, Ghost Trails goes a step further with this, as it makes a yellow line appear by your friends, showing where they’ve been in the past 24 hours.
This immediately made me uncomfortable. In fact, you can see where your friends or partners are, depending on their settings, and it seems like a bad move in all respects.
Given that Apple is introducing features in iOS 16 to make it easier to restrict your information and location to others, this seems like a big step back from Snap.
Hopefully the company will get rid of this feature and come back with privacy in mind, but for now, if you’re a big Snapchat user, go to your profile, and turn on ‘Ghost Mode’. This way, no one will be able to see where you are and your current location on the map.
