Facebook to Make 'Safety Check' a Permanent Feature on its Mobile App

[MacRumors]

Facebook's Safety Check service is set to become a permanent feature of the social media network on both mobile and web, with the next update of the iOS app.

The Safety Check feature first appeared in 2014 to help users let loved ones know they are safe if they are close to a crisis. Facebook announced on its Disaster Response page that the service will roll out to become a permanent feature over the next few weeks.

Safety Check helps our community let loved ones know they are safe during a crisis, find and give help, as well as learn more about a crisis. There's now a single place to go to see where Safety Check has recently been activated, get the information you need and potentially be able to help affected areas. We will gradually roll this out in the upcoming weeks starting today.

Facebook's example images show the service being accessed on Android, but the Safety Check feature should make its way onto iOS with the next update to the app, as an additional option in the Explore tab, which can be displayed by tapping the hamburger button in the lower right corner of the interface.

Facebook recently made several changes to the News Feed to make it easier to read and navigate, with tweaks to the design and the use of chat bubbles to display comments. Facebook is a free download for iPhone and iPad available on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Facebook to Make 'Safety Check' a Permanent Feature on its Mobile App

 

[Zxxv]

We track you here. We track you there. We keep track off you everywhere. We call it Safety Check. Love Your Friendly Neighbourhood Facebook Team

 

[Avieshek]

We track you here. We track you there. We keep track off you everywhere. We call it Safety Check. Love Your Friendly Neighbourhood Facebook Team

Now also owns Instagram, WhatsApp..

 

[PabloGS]

I think this check could provide useful after an Earthquake or if a region was affected by a large scale disaster.
But from what I've seen so far, it causes more panic and fear amongst people.

Why? Because it is enabled most times in the case there has been some sort of attack.
And those are usually limited to a small area, not a whole city and not a whole county.

It made no sense to enable the safety check for Barcelona last week.
It simply blows such an event out of proportion and create fear and panic, exactly what attackers want.
A few hundred were maybe directly affected and then there are millions in comparision, who can report they are safe.

Enabling the feature to offer help or seek help in that case made sense.

At least that's my opinion.

 

[Zxxv]

Now also owns Instagram, WhatsApp..

Thyve owned Instagram for ages but recently started to mess it up. Ads and putting posts in order they think you should see. Worlds gone crazy. Same as youtube and netflix. You never see anything new just stuff in a bubble they created for you. Locked up and isolated.

 

[0098386]

Oooo what a neat idea! Though I always find it weird when people who were never near an incident mark themselves as safe. Yes Simon in central Africa that has never travelled outside his hometown, you weren't crushed by a landslide in Antarctica.

 

[2268473]

Perhaps necessary, sadly.

 

[applepuree]

It would be far more useful if it didn't broadcast the fact your safe, but lets concerned friends just ping it for an ok or no status reply.

So I would say "Hey F I'm safe" with a flag (or I'm not safe), FB knows that then Fred Blogs could ask "Is ApplePuree safe?" FB replies with Yes, No or don't know. FB could even reply with "Not in danger area" automatically at it tracks you all the time anyway.