You’ve probably been waiting for it for a long time… After more than 10 years as a mobile-only app, Snapchat is finally coming to your PC!
Remember this name: Snapchat for Web (literally Snapchat for the Web)
It’s the new PC version of Snapchat, a remarkable development for parent company Snap, which grew up targeting younger users with a viral photo-sharing service for their phones.
Users will be able to send messages and make video calls to their contacts from their computer. But still a little patience, because this new version of Snapchat will only be available for New Zealand and Australian users, but also for Snapchat+ subscribers in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.
After this first launch, the company plans to roll out Snapchat for Web to Snapchat+ subscribers in France, Germany, but also in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia before making it available to all users around the world. Additionally, it’s only available through Chrome at the moment, but Snap is looking to add more web browsers, which will eventually facilitate an expanded opportunity to chat with friends through Snap.
Remember that Snapchat+ is the premium version of the application to offer exclusive features to all its users. Launched a few weeks ago and available for $3.99/month, the subscription offers, for example, changing the application icon and seeing which people have reviewed your stories.
Along with custom app icons and number of story rewatches, Snapchat+ unlocks a special badge, the ability to pin a friend as your #1 friend, and the ability to see where friends have been recently.
This new web offering will thus be a more streamlined version of the mobile app, focusing primarily on the app’s messaging feature as opposed to its Stories feature.
Once subscribed, you can access Snapchat for Web on your desktop Chrome browser via web.snapchat.com. Then simply log in to your account. Like on the mobile app, messages will disappear after 24 hours.
Just like WhatsApp Web and Instagram Web, you will be able to perform the same operations as on your phone on its desktop version. For example, you can send instant messages, or even make video calls. Snapchat for Web also provides access to messaging features available on mobile devices, including chat reactions.
An interesting and engaging way to expand the use of Snapchat?
The launch of this new version along with the launch of Snapchat+ comes as the platform seeks to better compete with TikTok and Instagram, both of which are accessible via the web and offer subscriptions to some extent.
It would indeed seem that Snapchat wants to gain new users even if it is already experiencing unexpected progress among several age groups. According to data published by Médiamétrie, based on a survey carried out in January 2022, the audience has remained very active on the platform in France for a decade.
17.9 million people per day, a little more than one in three daily Internet users, consults Snapchat. Since 2020, approximately 5 million additional users have joined this heavyweight in mobile Internet consumption. After Facebook, Google and WhatsApp, the application is thus placed in 4e position among the most used applications.
And compared to its rival TikTok, it saves on its own 12.9 million unique daily visitors in the 15-49 age group, against 5.7 million fans, and 10.8 million for Instagram.
Snapchat for Web could therefore be an interesting and engaging way to extend the use of Snap, although it is only available in a limited form at the moment.