3 things you need to know now
Snapchat added text messaging. Swipe right from the camera screen to access it.
Messages disappear when both users leave that screen. But, you can tap them to save a screenshot.
Video chat is also here. From the text messaging screen, go read someone's messages. If that person is also there, tap and hold the blue button to start a chat.
Snapchat has announced two hugely important features, transforming the photo sharing app into a far more versatile affair: Video chat and instant messaging.
To access the new features, swipe the screen to the right from the camera screen and you'll get a list of your friends, with whom you can start a video chat, or send them a message.
Text messaging is pretty straightforward. In the vein of Snapchat's ever-disappearing content, when you leave the chat screen, the messages viewed by both you and your friend will be cleared. Still, you can save a screenshot at any time by simply tapping on the screen.
The video chat works as follows: Snapchat will alert you when your friends are online and actively reading your chat messages. You can then press and hold the blue alert button in the lower right corner to start a live video chat.
It's interesting because it can be a one-way or a two-way chat: you can send a video stream of info to a person without them returning the favor, and vice versa, but you can also both join in. And you don't have to flip the phone around to show off that beautiful meal you just prepared: Both sides of the conversation use a gesture (upward finger drag) to flip between the front and the rear camera. Finally, when you want to end a chat, simply lift your finger from the screen, and it's done.
We'll need to live with the new features for a while for a full evaluation, but at a glance it seems that Snapchat has managed to add some tremendously important functionality without completely changing the app's main purpose. It'll be interesting to see how the users react to the changes.
Ok snapchat, you've been promoted to the front screen of my phone. Don't. Mess. This. Up. #snapchatchat @Snapchat— Tom Knight (@t0mknight) May 1, 2014
If it was snapchat before it had chat, is it Snapchatchat now?— Colin (@Juicy_Trace) May 1, 2014
So Snapchat have a chat option. Great, because I was running out of ways to communicate with people.— Divya (@divyapopat) May 1, 2014