Apps Like Snap Map On Snapchat You Should Check Out ASAP

Allow me to interrupt your regularly scheduled Snap Map stalking with a timely update about the wild, wonderful world of geolocation map apps. Thanks to Snapchat’s recent addition of the Snap Map, geolocation apps are officially all the rage once again. By now, you’ve probably spent the better part of your weekend scouting out the whereabouts of your squad on Snap Map. The app’s new feature is great for keeping tabs on what your friends are doing (and where they’re doing it), and even better for scoping out the vibe of a place before joining in on the fun in real life. And while not everyone may want to share their location on Snap Map in real time (that's what Ghost Mode is for, luckily), for most, Snap Map has already caught on like wildfire. But did you know that there’s actually a long list of other apps out there like it? If you really want to take your geo-location game to the next level, check out these apps like Snap Map on Snapchat.

While Snapchat is mostly used for sharing photos and video, the apps on this list run the gamut. As it turns out, there’s a geolocation app out there for pretty much everything. From dining to dog walking, even public safety — if there’s something you need to know in real-time, odds are, someone else needed it first. The next time you want to entertain yourself by scouting out a friend’s location, give these apps a shot.

1. Zenly

As the Parisian model of Snapchat’s new Snap Map function, Zenly lets users overseas join in on the friend-finding fun. The French version of the product was around before Snap Map ever was, but now that Snapchat has purchased the French app, you can expect to see its offerings become even vaster.

2. Glympse

Glympse lets users share their location with friends without requiring the receiver to have the Glympse app. With Glympse, locations are sent via weblink and are updated in real time. It wins in the simplicity department, and is great for tracking ETA when you’re en route to something.

3. Find My Friends

Though it’s nothing new in the iOS world, Find My Friends is still old reliable when it comes to keeping tabs on your people. For parents who want to keep an eye on kiddos, or friends who’ve been separated from the rest of their group at events, Find My Friends is a godsend.

4. Banjo

Banjo clusters the social media content of the world around live clusters all over the globe. Unlike Snap Map, which shows users’ Bitmojis, Banjo populates its map with social media posts happening in real time. Like Snap Map, this app is great for seeing what’s happening around an event or venue, and lets you gauge whether or not you need to check it out. It also offers a solid user generated content visualization for breaking news and events.

5. Cloak

Cloak is an isolationist’s dream, and guarantees that you’ll never run into friends, family, or frenemies when you don’t want to. Cloak combs through your social channels (Instagram, Foursquare, Facebook, and Twitter), and updates your contacts' locations on your map so you can avoid bumping into them at inopportune times. It's pretty nice for those days when you just don’t feel like being around your buds and need some quality alone time. Though, it’s worth noting that Cloak doesn’t actually conceal your location, so play at your own risk …

6. SeeClickFix

SeeClickFix is geolocation mapping with a public safety edge. SeeClickFix lets you snap photos of public property that needs tending to and funnel it directly to the organizations responsible for the upkeep. The next time you see a stop sign down or a street light out in your neighborhood, use the app to submit the outage and get it fixed ASAP.

7. Field Trip

Field Trip is like having your own personal tour guide in your back pocket. The app alerts you of notable landmarks and buildings worth a closer look when you’re exploring a city, and provides you fun walking tours and quick, digestible content about the sites you most want to see.

8. Bumble BFF

The just friends version of the notorious dating app where women make the first move, Bumble BFF lets you connect with potential pals based on location. It’s perfect for finding new buds in your area, and even alerts you if you two have friends in common.

9. Instagram Location Hashtag Stories

You can also join in on the fun of location-based stories and content on Instagram. The next time you add content to your story, tag it with the location sticker for your area and it’ll be added to the larger story. You can then browse the content other from your neighborhood, town, or state have added, and see what’s happening in a given area.

10. Swarm

As an offshoot of Foursquare, Swarm uses gamification to encourage check-ins at new places. New check-ins earn you points, which you collect to compete against friends who are also nearby and on the app. Swarm also has an in-app messaging component which lets you set up get-togethers with nearby friends based on their location, too.

11. X Note

Although it’s not exactly designed for finding friends, you can track down something way more interesting with X Note: hidden treasure. Built for virtual geocaching, X Note lets you design a map leading to geo-caching objects and share it with friends. You can then send your personalized treasure maps to anyone with a smartphone. And heck, why not make yourself the treasure?

12. Life360

Life360 takes the fun of Snap Map and Find My Friends and combines it into an interface perfect for keeping tabs on family members. The app offers the added benefit of a grouping function, where you can sort friends into subcategories for easier supervision. It also offers built-in checkins and push notifications whenever someone in a group moves outside approved boundaries (like teen drivers on the road for the first time). Best of all is perhaps the driving tab function, which offers crash detection, driver support, and speed analysis.

13. BandsinTown

Want to see live music in your area? BandsinTown alerts you when bands you love (based on iTunes and Spotify usage) are coming through your area. Once you set your location, you can adjust the radius to reflect the distance you're willing to drive for concerts. The app will automatically populate with shows in your area, organized by date. Click into a show to buy tickets, see who else is going, and get info about the venue.

14. Trulia Nightlife

The "Nightlife" function in the Trulia app lets you browse hot spots in neighborhoods you're scoping out, and search for new bars, restaurants, shops, and cafes. Once you've downloaded the app, toggle into the "Local Info" function to see locals-only hotspots and places recommended by other residents in the area.