Everything You Need to Know About Snapchat

Many Singaporeans appreciate interactive communication these days. Sending text messages are kind of boring now with the coming of different chat platforms that make emoticons more alive and fun. Gone are the days that we are satisfied with text messages and immovable emoticons. It is now the time of Snapchat.

What is Snapchat? Not all people know this application but to those that know it, Snapchat has become a part of their life and relationships. Snapchat is an image messaging app created and designed by Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy. It was first launched on September 2011. The prototype was called “Picaboo” and later on changed to “Snapchat” by the developers. Today, Snapchat’s Chief Executive Officer is Evan Spiegel.

What are the features of Snapchat? Here are some features that you need to know about:

• Core functionality: The core functionality of Snapchat is creating multimedia messages and sending it to the intended recipient. These messages are called “Snaps”. Snaps can either be a brief video, photo and drawings with effects and filters. There is also another function that enticed many followers. It is called “Selfie lens”. The lens permits users to include real-time effects in their snaps. There are ten free lenses steered every day. The snaps can either be publicize, which is referred as “Story” or it can be private. The messages can be viewed for ten seconds then it vanishes. However, screenshots can be taken.

• Messaging: According to the CEO, what makes Snapchat special is its conversational function rather than being transactional. In the case of the latest version, Chat 2.0, designers added more messaging functionality by increasing stickers, easing of access to video and audio conferencing as well as the function to leave video or audio notes.

• Stories and Discover: If you post stories, it can be viewed by others in chronological order. The contents can only be viewed for twenty four hours. The “Stories” function is considered the most widely used. In fact, it surpassed its private snaps. As for the “Discover” functionality, it shows channels of major publishers like People, CNN, BuzzFeed and many others.

Most of the users of Snapchat are between thirteen to twenty three years old. The number if individual users ages forty and above are also increasing by the minute. About 80% of Snapchat’s users are from the United States.

Snapchat is utilized by people for creative purposes although others use it for sending sensitive contents due to its transient nature. Regardless of how you utilize Snapchat, the important thing is you get the message across and it is understood.