Snapchat is about to introduce many new creative and collaborative features, aiming to enhance users' connections within the app. While these updates might not represent a groundbreaking shift in how we engage with Snap, they certainly bring some intriguing tools for your future in-app adventures.
Dive into creativity with AI-powered lenses
First and foremost, Snapchat is unveiling new AI-powered lenses designed to amplify your ability to edit and customise visuals. Imagine transforming your images based on various themes with just a few taps. Snapchat says, “Lenses have been a staple in our daily camera adventures, and the new AI lenses are opening up a world of endless possibilities. We're excited to introduce an advanced AI-powered lens that effortlessly immerses you into a festive theme, with more themes and styles on the horizon.”
This innovation mirrors the concept behind Snapchat's “Dreams” AI feature, which lets you reimagine your pictures as fantastical landscapes. However, these AI lenses are woven more seamlessly into the everyday Snapchat experience. Considering that around 300 million Snapchatters interact with augmented reality daily, these AI enhancements promise to add a fresh, engaging layer to the creative canvas of the app.
Enhancements to video sharing and memories
In addition to AI lenses, Snapchat is rolling out “Templates” to simplify the creation of highlight videos from your shared Memories. This feature compiles snapshots of your memories, setting them to music for a new spin on revisiting cherished moments.
Moreover, Snapchat is expanding its video length boundaries significantly. Users can now craft videos up to three minutes long and upload clips as long as five minutes to Chats, Stories, and Spotlight. This update marks a substantial departure from the previous 60-second limit for Spotlight and general uploads, paving the way for more extensive video content within the app.
Exclusive features for Snapchat+ subscribers
Snapchat is also revamping its user interface to make the Snap camera more accessible. For those with a Snapchat+ subscription, there are additional treats in store. Subscribers can now showcase combined avatar displays in Friendship Profiles and enjoy more lifelike Bitmoji representations of their pets. Upload a photo of your pet through Snap Map, and Snapchat's AI will generate a unique avatar to accompany you.
While many of these updates may seem incremental, they collectively enhance Snapchat's creative potential. The extension of video length limits, in particular, could notably impact user behaviour. However, whether longer videos will become a staple in the Snapchat community is yet to be seen.
