The parent company of Snapchat, Snap, Inc., has received $3.4 billion in its initial public offering, or IPO. This is a momentous jump for the company and has caught the interest of multiple investors.
The trendy app has been popular among teenagers and young adults since its debut about six years ago.
But the app can be a little confusing with all the features added over time. Here are a few key points about Snapchat that people should know.
1 “Snaps,” lenses and geographical features
The app attracted users with its ‘snaps,’ which are simply videos or photos that disappear completely after being viewed by recipients. Snapchat also added “geofilters,” which are ‘graphical overlays’ when the user is in a geographical area like a city. Lenses are another key aspect where the app uses face detection allowing users to choose animated graphics for their faces.
2 Snapchat ‘stories’ and more
Alongside the basic snaps, a ‘Snapchat story’ allows users to put images and videos on their profile. Followers can then see what you posted to the profile for up to 24 hours, instead of a mere 10 seconds.
“Discover” contains content from major channels such as BuzzFeed, ESPN, Cosmopolitan, etc.
Another feature added recently called “Memories,” allows users to save their snaps and stories to their electronic device to see later on in the future at any time.
3 What can really happen to snaps?
Although snaps do disappear after 10 seconds, there are ways those receiving the snaps can actually save them. Users can take a screenshot of the snap, but the sender is notified. SaveSnap and Casper are a few ‘unauthorized apps’ that have the ability to save snaps.
4 Snapchat Controversies
In 2016, the company was called out for two of its “Lenses.” One was of Bob Marley which turned users’ faces black and gave them dreadlocks. This was labeled as “racially insensitive.” Not long after that incident, an anime lens slanted people’s eyes which also received criticism.
5 Smartglasses and Drones
Snapchat “Spectacles” are smartglasses that allow people to capture videos up to 10 seconds in length from a first-person perspective. The video is synched via Bluetooth with any smartphone to share on Snapchat. The smartglasses, available in three colors, cost $129.99 and come with charging cables and a case.
The company is also allegedly working on a drone which will be able to take pictures and videos.
Snapchat continues to unfold new features and innovations and more is sure to come.
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