How to use Snapchat
Whether you're an addict or a newbie, our detailed Snapchat guide will help you to become a pro in no time. From how to send the most unique snap, to discovering different stories from around the world, we show you everything there is to know about the photo-messaging app.
Snapchat’s new lenses for dogs will make your mutt the star of Christmas
Snapchat has launched lenses for dogs, making it easier than ever to make your dog look silly. Overlay a pair of glasses, have a blue butterfly fluttering on its nose, or transform it into a cute reindeer. The rollout of lenses for dogs comes just a couple of months after Snapchat launched the same feature for cats.
Lip-sync or create trick snaps with friends using Snapchat’s new challenges
Snapchat's latest feature is a new type of Lens that invited users to join in a challenge. From lip-synching to making an object disappear using augmented reality, the new Challenges are designed to increase engagement. Challenges can be shared publicly or privately among friends.
Snapchat facial recognition could soon power a new portrait mode, code suggests
Digging into Snapchat's code suggests a handful of upcoming camera features, including a portrait mode. The feature appears to use facial recognition A.I. to blur the background. The code also suggests a camera interface with a burst mode and compositional grid, if the features see a public launch.
Snapchat’s PR firm is suing an influencer for failing to influence
Snapchat's PR company is suing a social media influencer for his alleged failure to promote the latest version of Spectacles on Instagram. Actor Luka Sabbat was paid $45,000 upfront to post a certain number of posts, but the lawsuit claims he fell well short of the terms of the deal.
Snapchat finally comes to Windows 10 and MacOS, but it’s not what you think
Snapchat has announced that it is bringing a Snap Camera app to Windows 10 and MacOS. Not at all similar to its iOS and Android counterpart, the new app is all about integrating custom lenses with other video conferencing and social apps like Twitch, YouTube, Skype, and Zoom.
Photography News: A ‘bombproof’ camera bag, Nikon D850 gets firmware fix
Mountainsmith calls its latest photography backpack designed with photographer Chris Burkard "bombproof." Nikon has launched a new firmware update for the D850 that fixes a rare bug. Snapchat's camera can now recognize cats. The news and more in this week's Photography News.
Snapchat is using VR to let you step inside its new original shows
Tuning in to your favorite shows not enough? Snap Originals will allow viewers to set into a virtual set. The new exclusive shows debut today with three different shows. Snap Originals are vertical, short, and exclusive to the platform. Oh, and they can come with their own Lenses, too.
Snap, then shop? Snapchat’s camera will soon buy stuff from Amazon
Want to Snap that item and buy it for yourself? Snapchat is testing an option to shop on Amazon using the camera. The tool works similar to Shazaming a song inside Snapchat; users tap and hold on the screen inside the camera mode. The app then sends a pop-up of the closest match on Amazon.
How to turn off Snapchat’s location-based Snap Map
Snap Map is an opt-in feature for Snapchat, one that allows users to access public posts uploaded to Our Story. But did you know that by enabling it, Snapchat may be sharing your location with others whenever you open the app? Here's how to turn it off, whether you opted in by mistake or not.
What do emojis mean in Snapchat? Here is a guide to what’s what
What do emojis mean in Snapchat? Each has a specific meaning that is based on your messaging habits. Here's what to know.
Snapchat update adds a color-changing brush, lets you record longer videos
Snapchat added multi-snap recording and the Tint Brush allowing users to record more content and edit snap videos afterwards.
Snap tries again — Snapchat Spectacles 2 have a new look
Snapchat has launched a new version of its Spectacles camera-equipped sunglasses -- and now the same tech comes in different styles. Spectacles 2 are water resistant, come in different colors, and are thinner and sleeker than their predecessor. They'll set you back $150-$200 if you're interested.
Three million people quit Snapchat after the redesign
After a million users signed petitions to get the old Snapchat back, the network's user count is finally showing the early results of the changes with a three million drop in daily active users. Monthly users, however, haven't declined and the company's revenue is growing.
Could Snap save the internet from fake news? Here’s the company’s secret weapon
Snapchat recently leant its support to work by the University of California, Riverside, who have developed an algorithm that can root out fake news online. In doing so, the disappearing messages company is doing its bit to fight one of the biggest tech problems of our time.
Snapchat now uses speech recognition to animate your face
Get your tongue back in your mouth -- Snapchat's latest Lenses react instead to a specific keyword. The new Lenses animate after hearing a specific keyword, which Snapchat displays on the screen. The new Lenses join AR filters that react to the volume of any audio in the room and animations triggered by facial recognition.
Tinder testing Bitmoji feature using Snap Kit
With Snap Kit, developers can now integrate Snapchat features into their own apps -- giving users the ability to also add stickers and links from the brands into their own snaps. Tinder has officially started testing its Bitmoji feature in Mexico and Canada using the new platform.
You hardly knew Snapcash, Snapchat’s payment service, and now it’s saying goodbye
Snapchat's woes show no sign of ending, and the latest casualty in the company is Snapcash, the peer-to-peer payment service. It's likely that you've never heard of -- much less used -- the service, which makes its shuttering less of a surprise. That's because Snapcash wasn't always used innocently.
Snapchat’s visual search tool could take you shopping, but not on Amazon
Shopping and Snapchat could soon be synonymous. As originally reported by TechCrunch, the popular social media platform is experimenting with a new visual search feature called "Eagle." App researcher Ishan Agarwal was the first to notice the Snapchat code in the Android version of the app.
Tired of the same Snapchat lenses? Lens Explorer simplifies finding new lenses
Lens Studio resulted in hundreds of thousands of new Snapchat lenses -- but how do you access them? With the new Snapchat Lens Explorer, finding a new lens is as simple as a few taps or a swipe up from inside a Story. The feature is accessible right from the Snapchat camera.
No mo’ FOMO — Here’s how to delete your Snapchat account
Tired of dog filters and a ceaseless deluge of Stories? Or maybe just need some time to turn off the screens and stay away from social media? Here's how to delete your Snapchat account using the platform's web interface.
A doctor donned Snapchat’s Spectacles to record a surgical procedure
A gadget-loving surgeon in London has just recorded one of his operations using Snapchat's camera-equipped Spectacles. Shafi Ahmed said he sees great value in streaming his work, with hundreds of medical students able to learn a lot from what they see.
Ready to make some noise? New Snapchat augmented reality mask responds to sounds
Snapchat has quietly added a new AR mask to its rotating carousel -- and it responds not to visuals but to voice. The new mask is an animal with neon-colored ears that pulse and shine based on the volume of the music. But that's not all -- Snapchat has more in store, the company says.
Snapchat has undone its controversial redesign for a majority of iOS users
Snapchat is listening to users and making changes in response to complaints on the new design. Snapchat was previously testing moving friends' Stories into the Discover tab, but still separated from subscriptions and suggested Stories. Now, that test has become more permanent for a majority of iOS users.
Snapchatters, how do you like the sound of unskippable video ads?
Snapchat has started testing unskippable six-second video ads, beginning with slots for movies, tech gadgets, and drinks. Current data shows that most users skip through the app's video ads, which is bad news for brands as well as Snapchat, as it's still looking for ways to turn a profit.
Snapchat redesign slows user growth, confirming predictions
Snap Inc. CEO Evan Speigel said the redesign would temporarily disrupt the company -- and that disruption is here with a slowed user growth and a dip in revenue. The company is working to continue optimizing the design, including moving Stories and rebuilding the Android app from the ground up.
Snapchat’s new Snappables Lenses are AR games you play with your face
Ready for Snap's take on games? Snappables are new Snapchat games that use facial expressions, motion, and touch to control the game. The games can be sent as Snaps to challenge friends, or to invite friends to a virtual dance party. The augmented reality games are located inside the app's camera.
You AR what you eat — augmented reality menus are coming to Snapchat
Have your food and eat it too? New augmented reality menus will allow diners to preview a dish using a Snapchat AR Lens before ordering, putting a lifelike model of the food right on the table.
Want more AR masks? Snap’s Lens Studio now supports custom face filters
Snapchat now allows creatives to build their own augmented reality face masks using Lens Studio after they have added new face-based templates. The update also brings Giphy integration and a new program that is designed to reward top Lens designers as the program grows beyond 30,000 custom lenses.
Looking to spice up your Facebook Stories? Try 3D drawing, a new AR effect
It's not just Instagram that's competing against Snapchat -- now parent company Facebook is getting into the action as well. You'll soon be able to take a photo of your surroundings, annotate them using AR technology, and turn them into Instagram Boomerang GIFs using your Facebook Camera.
Spectacle speculation? Snap FCC filing points to ‘Model 002’ for camera glasses
Newly published FCC paperwork suggests Snap Inc. is working on a "Model 002" of the Spectacles camera glasses. The paperwork builds on earlier reports that the company would be releasing two new versions later this year.
Instagram is working on another Snapchat copycat: Nametags
Even though it seems as though the Facebook-owned platform takes many of its cues from Snapchat, Instagram continues to pull out in front. The latest example of a copycat move comes in the form of Nametags, which looks a whole lot like Snapchat's QR Codes, or Snapcodes.
Snapchat brings back its popular reverse chronological order for Stories
Snapchat is rolling back its redesign and instead showing Snapchat Stories in reverse chronological order once again.
Snapchat now uses the iPhone X’s TrueDepth Camera to make better filters
Snapchat's AR-powered Lenses now look even better on the iPhone X, thanks to the new implementation of Apple's TrueDepth tech.
Snapchat hides a million Easter eggs on the Snap Map in a geocaching game
What are you waiting for? Snapchat wants users to compete with friends in a virtual Easter egg hunt on the Snap Map.
Social Feed: Snapchat tests tags, bots want your data, Facebook patents a robot
In this week's Social Feed, Snapchat's latest test could add a long-ignored feature while Facebook is patenting a self-balancing robot.
2 weeks after Kylie Jenner disses Snapchat, Snap lays off 120 engineers
It's been only two weeks since Kylie Jenner sent the tweet heard around the Snapchat world, and now, Snap is laying off around 120 employees.
Making a Spectacle: Snap may release two new versions of its smartglasses
Snap was left with hundreds of thousands of unsold Spectacles last year. Despite this, the company is reportedly releasing two new versions of the smart eyewear.