In times of crisis or disaster, social media can be a powerful tool to let loved ones know you are okay. Facebook’s “Marked Safe” feature allows users to easily notify their friends list that they are out of harm’s way after a major event like a shooting, hurricane, or other emergency situation. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use Facebook’s Marked Safe feature.
What is a Marked Safe Post?
A Marked Safe post is a way to broadcast to your Facebook friends list that you are safe and not affected by an emergency or crisis event. When there is a major disaster, shooting, or other dangerous scenario, Facebook activates the Marked Safe tool to allow people to notify their friends and family that they are unharmed. Your Marked Safe status will appear at the top of your friends’ News Feeds along with any other posts you’ve shared related to the event.
When Should You Use Marked Safe?
Facebook will activate the Marked Safe feature after events that affect public safety like natural disasters, mass shootings, explosions, and severe weather events. You’ll know the tool is available if you see a banner at the top of your Facebook News Feed asking if you are safe or in the affected area. This banner will only appear for users located near the event based on location services data from your mobile device or computer. The banner will also appear if lots of your friends have marked themselves safe, indicating you may have been in the impacted zone.
You should use the Marked Safe tool any time you are confirmed to be out of physical danger following an emergency situation in your area. Marking yourself safe is especially important if your location suggests you may have been in harm’s way based on Facebook’s geolocation data.
How to Mark Yourself Safe on Facebook
Marking yourself safe is a very simple process on Facebook:
- Open the Facebook app on your smartphone or go to www.facebook.com on your computer.
- If a safety check banner appears at the top of your News Feed, click on the “Mark Yourself Safe” button.
- If you do not see the banner, go to the “More” tab and select “Safety Check.”
- Click the button that says “Mark Yourself Safe.”
- Select “Yes” to confirm you are safe.
Once you complete the steps above, your profile picture and name will appear in the “Marked Safe” section at the top of the Safety Check page. A notification will also post automatically to your Timeline letting friends know you are not in danger.
How to Share a Marked Safe Post
After marking yourself safe, you may want to share additional status updates, photos, or information about your experience related to the crisis event. To share a post connected to your safe status:
- From your News Feed, click on “Safety Check” in the “More” menu.
- Click on the box that says “Share an Update.”
- Type your status update, add photos or videos, or share your location.
- Click “Share Now” to post the update.
This will share a post on your Timeline confirming you are safe and including any other details you added. Your update may help inform and reassure more of your network.
How to Mark Friends Safe
If you see friends or family have not yet marked themselves safe, you can proactively add them to Safety Check:
- Go to the Safety Check page.
- Click “Mark Friends Safe.”
- Type the name of the person you want to check on and select their name when it pops up.
- Confirm they are safe.
This will notify that friend that you marked them safe. They will then have the option to confirm if they are indeed out of harm’s way. Marking others safe should only be done if you have definitive knowledge they are not impacted by the crisis event.
Who Can See Your Marked Safe Post?
When you mark yourself safe or share a safety status update, it will be visible to all of your Facebook friends by default. However, you can control the audience like any other post:
- Public – Anyone on or off Facebook can see your Marked Safe post.
- Friends – Your friends list can see the post.
- Friends except… – Block specific friends from seeing it.
- Specific friends – Only people you select can access the post.
- Only me – No one else can see your Marked Safe confirmation.
Think carefully about who you want to be able to view your safety status. In many cases, allowing the widest audience can help spread the word you’re safe.
How Long Does the Marked Safe Status Last?
Your Marked Safe status remains at the top of your profile until the Safety Check event expires. This is usually 24 hours after Facebook activates the tool for a specific crisis. You can still edit the audience or delete a Marked Safe update after the fact like a normal Facebook post.
The Safety Check page and your friends’ ability to search for your safe status remains for several days after the event ends. So people can still go look up your safety status for a limited time. After that, the Marked Safe notification is removed entirely from Facebook.
Can You Remove a Marked Safe Post?
If you change your mind and want to revoke your safe status, you can delete it:
- Go to your Marked Safe notification in the Safety Check tool or on your Timeline.
- Click on the three dots in the top right corner.
- Select “Delete.”
- Confirm you want to permanently delete your Marked Safe status.
Once deleted, it will be permanently removed from Facebook and your friends will no longer see that you marked yourself safe.
Important Considerations for Marked Safe Posts
Here are some important things to keep in mind when using Facebook’s Safety Check tool:
- Only mark yourself safe if you have direct knowledge that you are out of physical danger.
- Be thoughtful about who can view your Marked Safe status.
- Consider sharing additional safety updates to inform more contacts.
- Remember Safety Check expires 24 hours after an event starts.
- You can always delete your Marked Safe notification.
Conclusion
Facebook’s Marked Safe feature allows you to quickly notify your friends list that you are unharmed after a major disaster, accident, shooting, or other crisis. By marking yourself safe and sharing status updates, you can bring peace of mind to your social network during stressful events. Use the Safety Check tool responsibly by only marking confirmed safe people and being thoughtful about your audience. In times of need, this simple Facebook function can go a long way in spreading news of your safety.