Social Media

Why Ghost Trails Feature Disappeared: Did Snapchat Remove It? Find Out!

Priyanka Tomar | Updated On September 7, 2023

Have you noticed the absence of the Ghost Trails feature on Snapchat lately and are wondering why this popular feature has gone missing? Then, you are not alone.

In this article, we will shed light on the reasons behind the disappearance of the Ghost Trail. To be precise, we’ll find out if Snapchat really removed the feature and also elucidate potential reasons for this action.

So, if you’re curious about the fate of Ghost Trails and eager to understand the changes happening within the Snapchat app, read on to uncover the truth behind its disappearance—

What Is A Ghost Trail on Snapchat? An Overview!

For those who don’t know, ‘what is ghost trail on Snapchat’ – 

It refers to a Snapchat Plus (Snapchat+) exclusive feature that allows users to view traces of their friends’ past locations on a map.

Upon its initial launch by Snapchat, Ghost Trails faced strong backlash due to widespread concerns among people over security, privacy, and oversharing on social media.

However, it continued to be accessible on Snapchat Plus.

Did Snapchat Get Rid of Ghost Trails?

On March 10th, some people noticed that the Ghost Trail feature is no longer available on the app, and the disappearance of it from Snapchat leaves people wondering:

‘Did Snapchat remove Ghost Trails?’

Well, the answer is yes; the Ghost Trails feature has been officially removed from the Snapchat app. Despite its popularity, Snapchat officially confirmed the removal of Ghost Trails.

Its removal from the app triggered massive curiosity and inquiries among users about the reason behind its removal.

Thus,

It becomes important to shed light on the factors that led to the decision to remove the Ghost Trail feature from the Snapchat platform.

So, let us delve deeper into this context to know the rationale behind this change.

Why Did Snapchat Remove Ghost Trails?

Since the introduction of Plus subscriptions, Snapchat has consistently introduced a ton of features to the app. However, the removal of the Ghost Trail feature begs the question: 

‘Why did Snapchat remove ghost trails from the platform?’

To know what the reason behind its exclusion from the platform was, continue reading.

Here’s why you can’t see Ghost Trails on Snapchat anymore:

According to the official support page of Snapchat, “Ghost Trails is no longer accessible as we introduce live location sharing to Snapchatters worldwide. You can now share your real-time location, even outside of the Snapchat application!”

This new feature is being rolled out gradually, so if it doesn’t appear in the app for you yet, rest assured that it will be available in due course.

Following this information, it is clear that Snapchat removed Ghost Trails when it introduced the live location-sharing feature within the app.

Suggested Read: Snapchat Yellow Heart: What Does Yellow Heart Emoji Mean on Snapchat?

Exploring Snapchat’s Live Location Sharing: How Does the Feature Work?

In contrast to Ghost Trails, the Live Location feature is available to all Snapchat users, regardless of whether they have a Snapchat Plus subscription or not.

The Live-Location-Sharing feature enables you to notify your loved ones about your location. Basically, it gives you the freedom to share your whereabouts with the people you trust the most.

Snapchatters can use the live location-sharing feature like a buddy system to monitor each other’s locations for safety. 

However:

Snapchat’s current functionality allows viewing of a user’s recent location, with the stipulation that it only updates your approximate location when you open the app.

Once activated, this feature broadcasts continuous updates of the user’s position on a map that their selected contacts can view for a specified period of time.

Furthermore:

For your privacy and control over location sharing, Snapchat lets you manage its live location feature. This empowers you to decide how often friends and family can monitor you.

You can stop sharing your current location with friends without alerting them. This ensures that only selected friends who are fellow app users and have your permission can track your movements.

But:

If, even after reading this, you are still uncertain about the feature, then:

Let’s walk you through the process step by step on how to use Snapchat’s live location feature to share, update, and stop your live location sharing—

How to Share Live Locations with Your Friends on Snapchat?

To get started with Live Location Sharing, follow these steps:

• Open Snapchat and go to the ‘Chat section.’
• Then, tap on a friend’s/ family member’s ‘Bitmoji avatar’ to navigate to their profile.
• On reaching the profile page of your friend or family member, tap on ‘Share My Live Location’ under the ‘Snap Map’ section.

  

• After that, choose how long you want to share your Live Location with that friend or family member. You have options such as;
• ‘Always’ 
• ‘8 hours’ or
• ‘1 hour’

  

However, while doing so, keep in mind that when you enable the Live Location option, your device will collect data even if Snapchat is not on. 

This measure is taken to ensure the accurate sharing of your exact location with the recipient.

How to Update Your Snapchat Live Location?

Snapchat makes it easy to change your location and update your live location. Follow these steps to update your live location on Snapchat–

• Open the ‘Snapchat app’ on your device and ‘log in’ to your Snapchat account.
• Then, you’ve to tap your ‘Bitmoji or profile icon’ in the top left corner of the ‘Camera screen.’

  

• After that, scroll down and tap your ‘Bitmoji avatar’ on the map to open the ‘Snap Map view.’

  

• Now, your Bitmoji or avatar should appear on the Snap Map based on your current location but to change your location, you can either:

• Change your ‘Physical Location’: Your Bitmoji will automatically update if you move to a new location.
• Tap the ‘Update Live Location’ button at the bottom of the screen: This will refresh and update your Snap Map location without you having to physically move it.

• When you update your location, also choose the ‘duration’ for how long you want to share your live location.
• Next, tap ‘Continue’ or ‘Confirm’ to finally update your live-location.
• Lastly, set ‘who can see your location’ or ‘skip’ if not prompted.

Once all this is done, you’ll be able to see your Bitmoji’s updated location on your friends’ Snap Maps.

How to Stop Sharing Your Location on Snapchat?

The sharing of your location can be turned off by following the given steps:

• Go to the ‘Profile of the friend’ that you want to stop sharing your Live Location with.
• Tap on ‘Stop’ under the ‘Snap Map’ section.

  

Bottom Line

That is all! While Ghost Trails on Snapchat was previously a well-loved feature that added a distinctive trail or shadow to a user’s movement within a Snap, it’s no longer available.

However, Snapchat has continued to develop, introduce changes, and provide updates to its features, like the Snapchat Group, over the years to engage its user base.

So, it replaces the Ghost Trials on Snapchat with a Live-Location-Sharing feature that enables users to share their real-time geolocation with selected friends.

Read Next: Snapchat’s Hourglass Timer: How Long Does the Hourglass Last on Snapchat?

FAQs

Sources: