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

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]