Facebook Rolls Out 'Safety Check' Feature to Connect Loved Ones in Times of Crises The new tool allows users in disaster zones to check in with friends and family.

By Ben Kabin

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Facebook is unveiling a new feature for users affected by a disaster or crisis to quickly let friends and family know they're safe.

The tool, called "Safety Check," asks users who appear to be near an affected area to check in to let others know they're safe or aren't in the disaster zone. Once users reply, their friends will see them marked as safe.

Related: Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg Donates $25 Million to Fight Ebola

The tool can also show users how many of their friends are in the affected area, the number that have checked in and those who haven't yet in real time.

To provide this information, Safety Check uses all of your Facebook location-based information including the city listed in your profile, your last location, the "Nearby Friends" feature (if you've opted in) and the city where you're using the Internet.

In a statement Facebook said the idea for Safety Check, originated after the 2011 tsunami and earthquake in Japan that impacted more than 12.5 million people. Many of those people used Facebook and other social media to stay in touch and inspired the social network's engineers in Japan to begin working on a tool known as "Disaster Message Board" to make it simpler for users to connect with one another in times of crisis and confusion. The engineers said the response to this tool was overwhelming, prompting them to evolve the feature into being the more dynamic Safety Check.

The new feature will soon be available to users worldwide for iOS, Android, desktop browsers and feature phones.

Related: What Every Entrepreneur Should Know About Worker Safety

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Innovation

4 Ways Market Leaders Use Innovation to Foster Business Growth

Forward-thinkers constantly strive to diversify and streamline their products and services, turning novelties into commodities desired by many.

Business News

JPMorgan Shuts Down Internal Message Board Comments After Employees React to Return-to-Office Mandate

Employees were given the option to leave comments about the RTO mandate with their first and last names on display — and they did not hold back.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Leadership

From Elite Athletes to Tech Titans — Discover the Surprising $100-Million Habit That Leads to Extraordinary Success

Success comes from mastering focus, eliminating distractions and prioritizing what truly matters.

Business News

'I Want the Best People on Our Teams': Meta Is Laying Off More Than 3,000, CEO Mark Zuckerberg Calls for 'Extensive Performance-Based Cuts' — Read the Memo

In an internal memo shared on Tuesday, Zuckerberg said it's "going to be an intense year" at the company.

Business Culture

What Every Business Leader Can Learn From Dutch Bros' People-First Culture

The coffee chain is turning employees into owners of the customer experience.