Why do people still use Snapchat?

With so many messaging and photo-sharing apps out there, it’s no wonder why people may find themselves wondering why people still use Snapchat. To many, it can be confusing trying to understand why Snapchat remains popular, so in this article we’ll take a look at some of the unique features of the app and why it still maintains its reign decades after its launch.

What is Snapchat?  

Before diving into why people still use Snapchat, it’s important to break down what exactly the app is. Launched in 2011 and founded by Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown, Snapchat is a multimedia messaging app. It allows its users to take photos, record videos, add text and drawings, and share them with other Snapchat users. The most interesting and unique feature of Snapchat is that all of the content shared is only available for a short period (up to 24 hours, depending on the user’s settings) before it expires.

Unique Benefits of Snapchat  

Now that we have a better idea of what Snapchat is, let’s look at some of its unique benefits and features that make it stand out among all other messaging and photo-sharing apps, and why it continues to be so popular.

Instant Sharing:
One of the main factors that established Snapchat’s popularity is its user’s ability to send instant snap messages. The app is designed to be as user-friendly and seamless as possible for its users. The app autofill’s the user’s contacts based on their phone’s existing contact list, as well as suggest friends from their Facebook/Instagram connections. This allows its users to send snaps easily to friends and family within a few clicks.

Temporary Content:
The best part about Snapchat is that all of the content shared is temporary. Due to this feature, users have the ability to send whatever they want, without worrying about it resurfacing years into the future. This encourages creativity and enables lighthearted conversations, which is something that makes Snapchat so appealing.

Ephemeral Content:
The “ephemeral content” feature is a feature that Snapchat users love. This feature is specific to Snapchat stories, which are short collections of photos and/or videos. Unlike regular snaps, stories don’t disappear after just a few seconds of viewing. The “ephemeral content” feature distorts the content viewers see after 24 hours, thus avoiding the possibility of any shared content being used down the road without the user’s visibility or knowledge.

Ability to Preview Others’ Snaps:
Perhaps one of the best features that Snapchat offers is the ability to preview other users’ snaps. With Instagram or other photo-sharing apps, you’d have to click on a photo or video in order to view it. With Snapchat, users have the ability to view snaps directly from their feed. This allows people to see what their friends are posting in real time and saves them from having to open each individual snap.

Fun Filters and Lenses:
Another unique feature that makes Snapchat so popular is its fun filters and lenses. To keep up with the ever-changing trends, Snapchat frequently introduces new filters, lenses, and post-processing effects. These enable their users to edit and customize their photos and videos for a more personal touch.

Snapchat News Feeds:
The last factor that keeps Snapchat ahead of the game is its news feed. Not only does Snapchat allow its users to follow their friends, but it also allows them to follow different magazines, newspapers, and TV networks. This keeps users updated on the latest news, allowing them to stay in the know and be the first to know what’s going on.

Why Snapchat Still Remains Popular  

After looking at all of Snapchat’s unique benefits, we can conclude that Snapchat still remains popular due to the following:

• Instant sharing— allowing users to quickly and easily share photos, videos, and text messages
• Temporary content— giving users the option to share content without worrying about it resurfacing months or years later
• Ephemeral content—distorting the content viewers see, so that it cannot be used without the user’s visibility or knowledge
• Ability to preview other users’ snaps—allowing people to easily and quickly view what their friends are posting in real time
• Fun filters and lenses—enabling users to customize their photos and videos for a more personal touch
• Snapchat news feeds—keeping users up to date on the latest news and trends

With Snapchat’s unique features and benefits, it’s no wonder why the app remains one of the most popular photo and video sharing apps in the world. Despite having to compete with others like Instagram, Snapchat has held its ground for over a decade and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

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