Why Do People Disappear on Snap Map and Then Reappear?

Do you like to keep tabs on where your best friend is currently located? If yes, Snap Map messing up with that information can easily get on your nerves. Snapchat launched Snap Map in 2017, allowing users to connect with their friend’s locations in real-time. As the years passed, Snapchat continued adding unique features that were unavailable on other social media platforms. That’s why users see Snapchat as a mix of Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp. If you want to text your friends, Snapchat has a text feature.

If you want to send a quick picture to a friend, Snapchat has a handful of filters. If you want to share a location, hey, you have Snap Map. So, it’s pretty much an all-in-one application.

Even with all these bundled features, Snapchat users often face issues like people disappearing on Snap Map or not being able to view Snap users’ bitmoji on Snap Map. So, we’ll be addressing this pressing issue in today’s blog.

Why Do People Disappear on Snap Map and Then Reappear?

Are your friend’s bitmoji disappearing and reappearing from time to time? If yes, know that it’s not just happening to you. Many Snapchat users have reported the same issue, and the trigger for that has almost always been a glitch or privacy settings.

However, there are different reasons why you’re facing this issue. After all, not everyone’s situation is the same. Hence, we have covered every single possible reason that influences Snap Map glitches like this. Here are the top reasons why your Snapchat friends’ bitmoji appear and disappear from Snapchat occasionally.

Privacy setting

Snapchat introduces questionable unique features but also gates the feature with customizable privacy settings. For instance, information about a person’s location can invade their privacy and trigger unwanted issues. Hence, all Snapchat users can control who can view their location on Snap Map.

So, basically, if you couldn’t see a person’s bitmoji on Snap Map, it’s because of their privacy settings. Snapchat calls this feature Ghost mode. If a user turns on ghost mode, their location can disappear from Snapchat until they decide to turn it back on. Alternatively, if a person decides not to share where they’re headed for a while, the ghost mode can be set according to their time preference.

Unavailable for a long time

Snapchat is a time-sensitive application. If you stop sending snaps consistently, you’ll lose the streaks. Likewise, if you stop opening Snapchat for more than 8 hours, your bitmoji will disappear from your Snap Map.

If you haven’t received any stories or snaps from a person for a while now, it could indicate that they are inactive.

This is a generic rule that determines how Snapchat operates. Hence, if your friend has been inactive on Snapchat for more than 8 hours, you won’t be able to see their location. You need to wait until they resume their activity again to see their location.

Visibility control

As much as Snapchat loves you to stay connected with your friends in real-time, they also respect each user’s privacy. If a Snapchat user decides to control who has access to their sensitive information, like location, they can restrict a few of their Snapchat friends. A dedicated customization option lets Snapchat users control who can see their location on Snap Map.

If your friend has enabled that customization feature and hasn’t included you in the “People who can view my location” list, you won’t have access to their location details. Until they decide to lift that privacy shield, you won’t be able to view their bitmoji on Snap Map.

Poor internet connection

The internet fuels Snapchat’s operations. Without a proper internet connection, you can’t possibly connect with your friends on a real-time basis. If your friend doesn’t have a proper network or is in an area with a poor internet connection, they won’t be able to share their location.

Even if their location settings are set to public, without an uninterrupted network, their location might not be visible on their friend’s Snap Map. Not only location but accessing Snap filters, sending snaps, and adding stories will also be challenging.

Inactivity

If a Snapchat user has decided not to visit Snapchat more often daily, it may affect their visibility on Snap Map. So, if your friend’s bitmoji has disappeared and you can’t see it again as frequently as before, this could be a possible reason.

In that case, it’s better to reach out to your friend directly. You can even use other social media platforms to see if they are active there to make sure if they’re inactive by choice or situation.

Device settings

Usually, whenever we sign up for an application, we are asked to provide location permission. Snapchat does the same. If a person does not provide location access to Snapchat, that could be one of the reasons why you cannot see their location on Snap Map.

If you could see their location active before and this issue has occurred out of the blue, it’s likely because they might have decided to change their location access from device settings.

Technical issues

An ever-classic technical issue can be a potential reason behind this problem. If Snapchat has been facing any glitches or bugs, that could trigger this unusual location issue.

A go-to way to solve this error is by reaching out to Snapchat support. However, you need to wait at least 24 hours for Snapchat support to get back to you.

Alternatively, check with your friend to see if this is a common issue before reaching out. Team Snapchat would have probably started working to resolve this issue if everyone were facing it.

Third-party apps

If a person has installed a third-party application to enhance their Snapchat experience or any other social media experience, their account may have been compromised.

The unknown new user might have changed the privacy features to avoid close friends noticing the sudden location change. In this case, it’s best to check with your friend directly or via phone.

Deactivating the account

When a person deletes their account, Snapchat doesn’t notify anyone, even close friends. So, if your friend or connection has deleted their account, you can’t see their bitmoji in the Snap Map. You can double-check this by searching for their account name in the search tab to confirm if this is the underlying issue.

These are the typical reasons why a person’s location appears and disappears from Snapchat occasionally. Analyze your situation based on these reasons to find the root cause. If you can’t pinpoint one reason, it’s better to contact the person directly and resolve the question.

In the end

Issues like this often occur on Snapchat, and users have reported that this is quite common. This issue can be resolved by the Snapchat team, or there can be a logical reason, like privacy issues.

If it’s the latter, there isn’t much left for you to control. If it’s the former, remember that social media is prone to glitches and bugs, so try to be patient if you face one. In case you have any questions about social media, please drop a line below or check out our blog section.

Also Read:

Why Do People Disappear on Snap Map and Then Reappear?