Snapchat adds 'My Places' feature to start showing local recommendations to users

Snapchat is one of the most popular social media applications in the world. The app allows users to share and receive photos and videos from their connections, and send them the same. There are several features that are unique to the app, including the in-app map that allows Snapchat users to see where their friends are. In a recent update, the Snapchat map will now recommend places for a user to visit, such as restaurants and bars. Keep reading to learn more about the new feature in the Snap Map. 

Snapchat Map's 'My Places' feature to help users discover popular places 

Snap Map will recommend places to visit in the 'Popular' tab

Snapchat allows users to view the location of their friends (if shared), telling them about their hangout preferences. On July 29, 2021, Snapchat has added a new feature to its interface, which will recommend a user the popular places to visit. Additionally, Snap Map will also show a list of places that have either been tagged in the past by the user or added to the favourite list. The recommendations for a user will be shown in the 'Popular' tab located at the centre of the Snap Map. It will recommend locations based on three factors:

• Current location of the user
• Friend activity and location on the map 
• Type of places a user has saved as favourites

Reviews and other details about a place are also mentioned

With the new feature, Snapchat also displays reviews and other details about a place. For instance, a restaurant might show up with ratings from the people who have been there before, and they show up in the form of circles right beneath the name of the place. Other than that, the address of the place, a listed contact number and a correlated website are also mentioned. Then there are three options to either mark the location as a favourite, get directions for the location or send the location to a friend on Snapchat.  

The feature aims at offering a unique and customized experience to the user 

With the new feature called My Places, Snapchat Map aims to offer a customized experience to the user, providing a unique yet fun way to discover the world. However, for those who are willing to share their location on the application, the information might be used for targeted advertising to drive location-based traffic to a place. The feature which shows friends on a map alongside information about the location they have been to is not yet copied by other popular social media platforms.