If you use Snapchat every day, there’s a decent chance you have at least one or two people that you snap regularly, maybe even every day. People who snap each other every day can rack up a Snapstreak; a little number with a flame next to it that tracks how long you’ve been snapping each other. Some people (see: Teens) get super-invested in that number, going to intense lengths to keep the streak alive.
Last week, Apple rolled back one of the key FaceTime features that was supposed to drop with iOS 12 and macOS Mojave this spring: group video chat. The feature, which would let you and up to 31 friends not-quite-make-eye-contact through their phones and laptops, was removed from the beta versions of each OS last week, and will now reportedly launch at a later date.
Android Snapchat users have been waiting for a faster, more stable version of the popular social media app since the company first teased a big update back in 2017. The new build is finally nearing a full release, and some Android users can check out an Alpha version of the new Snapchat right now.
If you’re curious about what this new, speedier version of Snapchat is like — and don’t feel like waiting — here’s how to get it on your phone.
Impulse buying is a thing, and we’re all guilty of it from time to time. Sometimes, if you’re feeling a little down, it feels good to place an order for that little thing you’ve been meaning to buy, but never quite got around to picking up. Or maybe you see a deal for something you’ve been eyeing and figure, “Eh, now’s as good a time as any.”
Android/iOS: Snapchat announced a new feature yesterday that allows any user to delete any messages they send in individual or group conversations. In other words, if you Snapchat message your mum "nice bod", but meant to send that to your favourite friend instead, you can now use Snapchat's "Clear Chats" feature to prevent all the awkwardness ever.
Earlier this year, Snapchat rolled out a drastic redesign meant to make the confusing social network a little easier for newcomers to understand. But the new layout flopped and now Snapchat is admitting defeat with a second redesign that undoes almost all of those changes.
It's easy to identify unknown numbers as the spam they probably are, but receiving a text message from what appears to be an actual person - one who isn't in your phone contacts - can turn your lunch break into an episode of Sherlock.
It isn't quite #deleteFacebook, but there's also a growing movement to wipe Snapchat from smartphones. The company's poorly-received redesign, combined with an offensive ad that recently appeared in the app, have pushed more people to abandon Snapchat entirely - including your favourite celebrities.
Snapchat is rolling out a brand-new update that makes it even easier for your friends to find you on its "Snap Map". Even though you have to opt in for your Bitmoji to appear on the map, this is a great time to review your Snapchat privacy settings (and wave goodbye to the Snap Map, if you aren't interested).
To the dismay of screenshot enthusiasts everywhere, Instagram is rolling out a new feature that alerts creators when someone decides to immortalise their temporary Instagram Stories using a screenshot. (A similar feature already exists to alert users to screenshots taken on Snapchat.) There are a few workarounds you can try to avoid alerting people that you're snapping pics of their stories to send to friends and make fun of, though if you want to be completely safe you should probably just stop screencapping (or using Instagram) in general instead of looking for ways to be a recordkeeper of temporary content. Why give anyone the chance to call you a creeper?
Snapchat recently released a redesign that hasn't exactly been a hit with its most loyal users. With most apps, if you opt for the upgrade you're stuck with the new version until the developer puts out something new.
Snapchat is in the process of rolling out its biggest redesign ever, but last week the company announced another big update that could change the way people use its app. You can now share certain Stories (what Snapchat calls its disappearing videos and pictures) outside of Snapchat.
Near the end of 2017, something weird started to happen. Snapchat's iPhone app kept logging me out of my account. The first few times, I promptly logged back in, but after the fourth or fifth time I didn't bother. I was already getting bored with Snapchat and I soon found that Instagram's copycat Stories feature was just as good -- if not better.
WhatsApp announced on Wednesday that it's adding live location sharing, making it easier to find your friends in real life with the Facebook-owned messaging app. It's also great for sharing your commute so people know when you'll arrive and that you're safe.
Big fans of the cloud as we are, there's no doubt relying solely on keeping your stuff stored remotely is a risky strategy. Accounts get hacked. Companies fold. And if you don't have backups of your most precious Snapchats and Gmails, then they can disappear in a puff of data center smoke. Here's how to make sure you've got local copies of everything.
Letting your teenage children use social media can feel as though you've suddenly let them loose inside a scene from Trainspotting -- there's so much that could happen, and that's scary, no question. The latest source of panic among parents is Snapchat's new Snap Map, a map that lets users see where their friends are in real time, and find out what they're doing. So Jonah can see that Hank and Mia are at a spin class nearby, and decide to meet up with them IRL. The feature, according to Snapchat, helps people get "inspired to go on an adventure".
In the digital age of smartphones and instant messaging, it has never been easier to record and send videos and conversations involving other people. App features such as Instastory and Snapchat’s instantaneous video messaging abilities allow users to share real-time events and conversations to their friends and the public.
In many cases these secret videos spark significant public interest by providing a fly-on-the-wall perspective to an unusual event or crime. But is any of this legal? Let's find out.
One of the better features in Snapchat is the often goofy geofilters that pop up when you're making a snap from a specific location. Today, Snapchat's making it easy to make your own filters for special events. Provided you don't mind shelling out a few bucks, that is.
Snapchat may not be as good at keeping your secrets as it wants you to think, but it's getting better at being a messaging platform. Snapchat's new Chat 2.0 brings a ton of new features that make it comparable to other chat apps.
