Snapchat Web brings chat and video call features to desktop users after over a decade of being an exclusive smartphone app.
But the new Snapchat for Web would initially be available only to the subscribers of its all-new paid tier, Snapchat Plus.
Snapchat Web Brings Chat, Video Calls to Desktop
Essentially, the arrival of Snapchat on the web allows desktop users to log in to their accounts through a browser and enjoy similar features as its smartphone app.
A news story by The Verge reports that the new Snapchat for Web enables folks on a desktop to send chats with their friends and make a video or regular calls on the social media platform.
And what's more, the desktop app allows users to send snaps much like its smartphone version. It has chat reaction options as well.
On top of these features, Snap also assures its users that messages are also disappearing after 24 hours.
Meanwhile, if you want to take a screenshot of your conversation on Snapchat Web, the social media giant says it prevents its users from doing so.
However, it is worth noting that there are a bunch of loopholes to taking screenshots on a desktop, including screen recording, which Snapchat could no longer deal with.
The head of messaging product of Snapchat, Nathan Boyd, shares that most of its users are frequenting desktops more and more these days.
"We are always looking for ways to meet our community where they are," says the Snapchat head of messaging products. Boyd also notes that "it just felt like something that was an unmet opportunity."
So it turns out that the expansion of Snapchat to desktop is a result of the feedback of its users.
Besides the current offerings of Snapchat Web, the instant messaging platform is looking to bring its AR Lenses to desktop users in the future. Something that they could look forward to.
Is Snapchat Web Available in My Country?
According to a recent report by Tech Crunch, Snapchat Web is initially available to its paying subscribers in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
But moving forward, its desktop app should also reach other territories, such as Saudi Arabia, Germany, United Arab Emirates, and France, among other nations.
Snapchat Web: Is it a New Zoom Rival?
The new desktop app of Snap also tightens its competition with existing rivals on mobile.
The Verge notes that this heats its rivalry with WhatsApp and Discord, both of which have been on a desktop for quite a while.
On the other hand, the video calling functions of Snapchat might as well be another giant rival for the video telephony service, Zoom.
