Facebook’s Safety Check feature allows you to let your friends and family know you are safe during a crisis event or natural disaster. When a major event occurs, Facebook will send a notification to users in the affected area asking if they are safe. Marking yourself safe on Facebook is easy to do right from the Facebook app on your mobile device. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to mark yourself safe on the Facebook app during a crisis event.
When Can I Mark Myself Safe?
Facebook activates the Safety Check feature when a major crisis event occurs, such as:
- Natural disasters – hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, wildfires, etc.
- Terrorist attacks
- Public health emergencies
- Mass shootings
When one of these events takes place, Facebook will send a notification to users located in the affected area asking if they are safe. The notification will appear at the top of your News Feed. If you receive this notification, you can mark yourself safe to let your Facebook connections know you are OK.
How Facebook Determines My Location
When a crisis event occurs, Facebook determines who should receive the Safety Check notification based on:
- Your current city listed on your profile
- Recent location information if you have the Facebook app installed on your phone and have location services enabled
- Where you most recently logged in and used Facebook
- Information that you have shared about being in the affected area
- Whether you are directly affected by the crisis based on confirmation from family and friends
So Facebook looks at both your profile location information as well as your recent activity on Facebook and location data from your mobile device to determine if you are likely to be impacted by a crisis event.
Step 1: Receive the Safety Check Notification
If Facebook determines you may be affected by a crisis event based on the factors mentioned above, you will receive a notification at the top of your News Feed asking if you are safe.
The notification will say something like “There is a crisis event near you. Mark yourself safe.”
Step 2: Tap the Notification
When you receive this notification, tap on it to open the Safety Check screen. This will allow you to mark yourself safe.
Step 3: Mark Yourself Safe
On the Safety Check screen, tap the button that says “I’m Safe.”
Step 4: Share a Status Update (Optional)
You will then have the option to share a status update that says you are safe and includes your current location. This helps provide an update to your friends and family.
Sharing a status update is optional, but recommended so your loved ones know you are OK.
To share a status update:
- Tap the “Share an update” box
- Add any details you want to share in the status box
- Tap “Share Now” or “Share to Timeline” to post the update publicly
That’s it! After marking yourself safe and optionally sharing an update, your Facebook friends and family will be notified that you are safe.
Who Can See That I Marked Myself Safe?
When you mark yourself safe on Facebook, it shares an update on your Timeline that is visible to all of your Facebook friends.
It will say “[Your Name] marked themselves safe during [Crisis Event].”
The update is public so that all of your connections are informed that you are OK.
How Do I See Who Else Has Marked Themselves Safe?
After marking yourself safe, you can see which of your Facebook friends have also marked themselves safe:
- Tap “See All” at the bottom of the Safety Check screen
- Here you will see a list of friends who have marked themselves safe
This allows you to quickly check on your close connections during a crisis.
Can I Mark Myself Safe If I Don’t Get a Notification?
If a major crisis event occurs but you don’t get a notification from Facebook to mark yourself safe, you can still let your friends and family know you are OK using Safety Check.
To manually mark yourself safe:
- Tap the ≡ menu icon at the top right of Facebook
- Select “Safety Check”
- Follow steps 3 and 4 above to mark yourself safe and share a status update
So even if Facebook’s location technology doesn’t recognize that you are impacted by a crisis, you can still access Safety Check and mark yourself safe.
How Long Will the Safety Check Notice Last?
The Safety Check notification remains active as long as the crisis event is considered ongoing and a threat. This is usually 24-48 hours but can last longer depending on the nature of the event.
Even after the initial Safety Check notification goes away, you can still manually access the Safety Check screen and mark yourself safe for several days via the steps above.
Can I Change My Safety Status Later?
Yes, you can change your safety status after originally marking yourself safe if your situation changes:
- Go back to the Safety Check screen
- Tap the ≡ menu icon next to your name
- Select “Mark as not safe” to update your status
It’s important to update your safety status if you are no longer safe so your Facebook friends have accurate information.
What If I Marked Myself Safe by Mistake?
Don’t worry if you accidentally marked yourself safe when you didn’t mean to. You can undo this:
- Go back to the Safety Check screen
- Tap the ≡ menu icon next to your name
- Choose “Undo” to remove your safe status
This will delete the Timeline update indicating you are safe.
Can I Opt Out of Safety Check Notifications?
If you do not want to receive Safety Check notifications from Facebook when crisis events happen near you, you can opt out:
- Go to the Settings & Privacy menu
- Tap “Settings”
- Select “Safety Check”
- Toggle off “Get Notified”
With notifications disabled, Facebook will not ask if you are safe when a crisis occurs. However, you can still manually access Safety Check to share your status.
Safety Check on Facebook Website
Safety Check is available not just on the Facebook mobile app, but also on the desktop website:
- Log into Facebook on a computer
- Click the ≡ menu at top right
- Select “Safety Check”
- Follow prompts to mark yourself safe
So if you are accessing Facebook on your laptop or desktop when a crisis happens, you can still let your friends and family know you are okay.
Conclusion
Facebook’s Safety Check feature provides an easy way to notify all your Facebook connections when you are safe during a major crisis event. By marking yourself safe on the Facebook app as soon as you receive the notification, you can give your friends and family peace of mind. Be sure to provide any additional updates by sharing a status.
Safety Check helps spread the word quickly during disasters and emergencies when communication lines may be impacted. Keep the feature enabled so Facebook can alert you when nearby crises happen. With these tips, you can rest assured your loved ones will know you are safe even in the midst of an emergency.