Snapchat makes custom geofilters easier with new templates
Snapchat wants to make your party planning easier.
The mobile storytelling app has released customizable templates for geofilters, the in-app illustrations that are seen more than 1 billion times every day.
Now, Snapchat users can go to the on-demand geofilter page on desktop to access a set of tools for designing their own. Users choose a theme -- birthdays, celebrations and weddings -- and select from several designs. They then add their own text and colors.
These geofilters can be made in minutes and no longer require people to use Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator or another third-party software to create one. The designs still take at least one business day to be approved by Snapchat.
Pricing is staying the same. On-demand geofilters starts at $5 for 30 minutes and 20,000 square feet but can go into the thousands depending on time and size. Geofilters can be set for up to 30 days and at a 5-mile radius.
Interestingly, the update comes shortly after the release of Confetti, an iPhone app that also offers custom templates for Snapchat geofilters. Using Confetti costs between $9.99 or $14.99 per design depending if you want the app to take care of the submission process.
Snapchat taking control of the process makes it much simpler for any user to hand over money to one of the world's most valuable startups. Geofilters for weddings and events are some of the most popular on the app, Snapchat told The Guardian in May.
On-demand filters is one of several ways Snapchat generates revenue. Brands can pay for a sponsored geofilter, a lens or a video ad within Snapchat Discover or Snapchat Stories.
Geofilters are one way Snapchat is still distinguished from Instagram, which earlier this month launched its own version of Stories, a 24-hour feed of users' photos and videos. Instagram could soon introduce its own version of filters as well as integrate Facebook's MSQRD.
Snapchat is continuing to expand its own features. As of an app update Tuesday, Snapchat users can now access italics, bold and underline styles for text in captions. These captions can also be animated in video snaps, similar to what is available for stickers, by being placed on moving objects.
Beyond filters, Snapchat lenses are also now easier to use. Instead of having to press and hold on a face, Snapchat users can simply tap once to apply them.
The app is also making it easier to see content from people you do not follow. Snapchat users can search for an account and view their public snaps on the Stories page without having to add them as a friend.
Still, users' hopes of Snapchat adding friend groups has yet to be realized.
Topics Snapchat
Kerry Flynn is a business reporter for Mashable covering the tech industry. She previously reported on social media companies, mobile apps and startups for International Business Times. She has also written for The Huffington Post, Forbes and Money magazine. Kerry studied environmental science and economics at Harvard College, where she led The Harvard Crimson's metro news and design teams and played mellophone in the Band. When not listening to startup pitches, she runs half-marathons, plays with puppies and pretends to like craft beer.
