Snapchat Launches Memories And Explore Layers On Snap Map

Snapchat launches Memories and Explore Layers on Snap Map Amanda Silberling 6:52 AM PST · November 17, 2021

Snapchat announced earlier this year that it would add Layers to Snap Map, making the social product more interactive. Today, the app is launching its first two layers: Memories and Explore.

The Snap Map has been used to show people where their friends are currently located (if they opt-in to location sharing), interesting places to visit and which areas are most popular among Snapchatters. Memories will show you old Snapchats that you sent from particular places — so, if you browse your map and zoom in on Central Park, you might find a picture you took last year of a cute dog in the park. Memories are private and only available to the individual user — you can’t see friends’ memories.

Explore reimagines the heat map, which shows activity by relative volume on the Snap Map. You can tap on highlighted regions to see public photos and videos submitted by Snapchat users around the world.

These layers are designed to make it easier for users to find what they’re looking for, rather than crowding a ton of information into one map. Snap’s partners like Ticketmaster and The Infatuation are also developing layers, which would show users where nearby events are happening, or which restaurants are most popular among Snapchatters. The app also added a My Places feature this summer, which recommended to users places to visit based on where they’ve been, where their friends have been and which places other Snapchat users visit most.

To access Layers, users can navigate to the Snap Map and tap the button for a Layers menu in the upper-right corner of the map. Then, they can toggle between various layers to access what they’re looking for.

These features are available now for Snapchat users on iOS and Android.

Topics

Android, computing, Instant Messaging, Media & Entertainment, mobile applications, snap inc, Snapchat, Software, technology, TicketMaster, Vertical Video Amanda Silberling

Senior Writer

Amanda Silberling is a senior writer at TechCrunch covering the intersection of technology and culture. She has also written for publications like Polygon, MTV, the Kenyon Review, NPR, and Business Insider. She is the co-host of Wow If True, a podcast about internet culture, with science fiction author Isabel J. Kim. Prior to joining TechCrunch, she worked as a grassroots organizer, museum educator, and film festival coordinator. She holds a B.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania and served as a Princeton in Asia Fellow in Laos.

You can contact or verify outreach from Amanda by emailing [email protected] or via encrypted message at @amanda.100 on Signal.

View Bio October 13-15 San Francisco, CA

Tickets are live at the lowest rates of the year. Save up to $680 on your pass now.Meet investors. Discover your next portfolio company. Hear from 250+ tech leaders, dive into 200+ sessions, and explore 300+ startups building what’s next. Don’t miss these one-time savings.

REGISTER NOW

Most Popular

• From Svedka to Anthropic, brands make bold plays with AI in Super Bowl ads

  • Lauren Forristal

• Senator, who has repeatedly warned about secret US government surveillance, sounds new alarm over ‘CIA activities’

  • Zack Whittaker

• The backlash over OpenAI’s decision to retire GPT-4o shows how dangerous AI companions can be

  • Amanda Silberling

• OpenAI launches new agentic coding model only minutes after Anthropic drops its own

  • Lucas Ropek
  Techcrunch event

  TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026: Tickets Live

  On June 23 in Boston, more than 1,100 founders come together at TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 for a full day focused on growth, execution, and real-world scaling. Learn from founders and investors who have shaped the industry. Connect with peers navigating similar growth stages. Walk away with tactics you can apply immediatelySave up to $300 on your pass or save up to 30% with group tickets for teams of four or more.

  TechCrunch Founder Summit: Tickets Live

  On June 23 in Boston, more than 1,100 founders come together at TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 for a full day focused on growth, execution, and real-world scaling. Learn from founders and investors who have shaped the industry. Connect with peers navigating similar growth stages. Walk away with tactics you can apply immediatelySave up to $300 on your pass or save up to 30% with group tickets for teams of four or more.

  Boston, MA | June 23, 2026 REGISTER NOW

• Anthropic releases Opus 4.6 with new ‘agent teams’

  • Lucas Ropek

• Sam Altman got exceptionally testy over Claude Super Bowl ads

  • Julie Bort

• Homeland Security is trying to force tech companies to hand over data about Trump critics

  • Zack Whittaker

Loading the next article Error loading the next article