How UAE residents can keep their Snapchat accounts safe

Snapchat's new Maps feature, which was introduced last month, was either a boon or bane for users depending on which side you're from (is your partner cheating on you?).

But, as with all things related to privacy, it's more of the latter. The update was met with scepticism and apprehension, for the one obvious reason that you can be tracked down wherever you are. Even the UAE's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority issued a warning about it.

If you're a Snapchat user and you're not exactly fine with its Maps, here's how you can go about without worrying that you're being virtually stalked on.

. Don't opt in. Here's the best news about Maps: you have to opt in to use it. To opt in, you have to pinch (put two fingers on the screen and bring them closer together) on the main screen and you'll be presented with this:

Once you tap on Allow, you'll get this next:

As you can see, there's a bit of good news in there: you can select Ghost Mode so that no one else but you can see yourself on the map (pretty straightforward, huh?).

Now if you decide to go ahead and let others see you, we're ready for the next step of our how-to.

. Turn it off. Period. If you've opted to use Maps, you can, at any time, select who can see you - including nobody. See that cog icon on the upper-right-hand area? Go ahead; tap it and you'll have a fairly good idea of what to do next. (Gentle reminder: to access Maps, you need to pinch on Snapchat's home screen.)

Great; I just gave away my location (as if anyone would care).

And you'll be greeted with this:

Select Ghost Mode and you'll be off the grid, and even your last known location will be purged - but Snapchat will still be able to detect where you are. To let your worries go, you can go your phone's Settings app and turn off location services for Snapchat:

Yes, I'm still playing Pokemon GO.

And if you completely want to be off of Maps, apparently the only way is to uninstall and reinstall Snapchat. Here's to hoping they'd roll out an update in which you won't have to do that; that it'll be easy to opt out Maps just as you would toggle Ghost Mode.

Source: Khaleej Times