The goal is to give users the freedom to switch between their phones and computers, all the while continuing their conversations on the platform. But the new desktop option could also help Snapchat (SNAP) face an amazing rival: Zoom.
While Snapchat is known to allow users to send chats and photos that disappear, called snapshots, video calls have become a popular feature of the app, according to the company. Snapchat said its app hosts more than 100 million video calls each month with up to 15 participants each. Now, expect the service to be easier and more enjoyable to use when people join these calls from a desktop.
The idea is similar to video calling services like Zoom (ZM), which rose in popularity during the pandemic, but with some Snapchat-exclusive outlets. According to the company, users will be able to initiate calls more quickly and easily because they are already connected with friends and can see when others are connected. Snapchat’s signature photo lenses, which can make users look like they have dog ears, freckles or other features, will also be available for video calls on the web version.
As with the app, the web version of Snapchat opens directly to the camera to encourage users to send photos to friends. In a sidebar, users will see a list of their recent friend conversations, where they can open snapshots or start a chat. The web version will not include all the features of the mobile app, such as the “Snap Map” where users can track their friends or the discovery section, at least for starters, according to the company.
“With so many in our community spending more time online, whether it’s for remote learning or working, streaming or just browsing, we saw a great opportunity to make it easier for our community to stay connected throughout the day, “said a spokesman for Snap, the app’s parent company, said in a statement.
To protect the security and privacy of users, Snapchat for the web prohibits users from taking screenshots of chats or snapshots (the app alerts users if someone takes screenshots of their chat or photo). The company also created a “privacy screen” to hide the Snapchat window if users click out.
The launch comes when Snapchat, the parent company of Snapchat, has been hit on Wall Street after posting a larger-than-expected loss in its most recent earnings report and then warning investors that it had lowered its next forecast quarterly due to a worsening economy. Shares of Snap, which are expected to present second-quarter earnings later this week, have fallen 70% since the beginning of this year. Last month, Snap introduced a new paid subscription service called Snapchat + with the potential to increase its revenue. The web version can be a raffle for the new $ 3.99 per month subscription option. At launch, the web version of Snapchat will be available to all users in Australia and New Zealand and to Snapchat + users in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. The service will soon be rolled out to Snapchat + subscribers in France, Germany, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.