Snapchat has started testing a new Foursquare like feature called Status in Snap Maps which allows you to check into places, and allows your friends to see what you’re up to.
Snapchat, which has been struggling to keep up with intense competition from Instagram, is turning to location features as a way to differentiate itself. Snapchat has been trying a number of methods to one-up Instagram, but its latest is decidedly old-school.
Snapchat launched its Snap Map feature several years ago, but it never offered precise information about what someone was doing at a specific location. Snapchat Status, however, will purportedly let people “convey their activities and intention” at a location.
This feature would check you in Foursquare-style (or Swarm, rather) on the Snap Map to not only show where you are but to signal your intent through Bitmoji characters. One could also indicate that you’re nearby but hanging out with family, for instance, or far away but up for a text chat.
Jane Manchun Wong says, “Share the Moment with Status,” the introduction to the feature explains. “You can now share where you are or what you’re up to. Your Status will only be visible to friends you share your location with.” To see your status, you choose from reams of poses for your Bitmoji ranging from them reading a book to holding a sign saying “text me?”
Meanwhile, “Passport is Just For You: Passport helps you keep track of the Places you’ve been. Places you set your Status at will be added to your Passport along with who you were there with. Only you can see your Passport, and you can delete a Place from your history at any time.” Your Status only lasts until you leave a place, but it’s tallied along with the number of countries and cities you’ve checked into on your Passport.