In 2011, a mobile photo messaging app surfaced and users began taking pictures, sending them to friends and watching as the picture would disappear forever. You may have heard of it before – it’s called Snapchat, and it’s growing.
Throughout the past few days, many of the app’s 35,000,000+ users have updated their software to include two new major features that have reshaped the social media world: text and video messaging.
Now, texting is nothing new, but how Snapchat does it is. When in a conversation, a user sends a text and it is delivered. When he or she backs out of the screen, the messages disappear. Unless you or your friend taps the message to save it, it’s gone forever. The neat part is, when the message has been selected for keeping, it lets both parties know with a colored line next to the words. When both parties have selected the message, the line becomes bold.
The video feature may seem similar to something like Skype or Facetime, but the spontaneous nature of Snapchat is embedded into the functionality. In a situation where you and a friend are firing snaps and videos back and forth at a rapid
pace, you can sneak in a quick video call.
A yellow box in the bottom right hand corner, above the QWERTY keypad, lets a user know his or her friend is not available or watching. But when they are looking at the conversation at the same time as you, the box will turn blue and shake. When the now-blue button is held down, a small bubble from your front-facing camera will show and your face will then be on your friend’s phone. Your friend will then press the blue button and you’ll be video chatting in seconds – no calling, no interrupting, just adding something else to the chat.
To switch between front-facing and the outward-facing camera, simply slide your finger above the middle of the screen. Backing out of video is as easy as letting your finger up off your screen.
Another key, yet subtle, change is the way the app manages conversations. Instead of seeing a stream of each and every open and sent snap, you see the names of your friends, one at a time. Slide right on any name to begin or continue the conversation.
Within the past year, the app added a “My Story” function in which users could post pictures and videos to their 24-hour “story” and their friends could look at it whenever they wanted. The user could then look to see who specifically viewed the story.
Instagram-style filters were also added. When a user swipes right or left, various shadings or text will be placed over the screen – varying from black and white, pastel and vintage filters to a temperature gauge and how fast you’re currently traveling using the phone’s built in GPS technology. (Snapchat issued a warning against snapping and driving.)
These features have all been parts of different apps in the past, but the random and impulsive nature of Snapchat is what keeps it unique.
Who knows what they’ll think of next.
