Snapchat Takes On Messaging

Snapchat has become popular in large part because of its massive teen population base. Now, as teens as a demographic continue to shift towards third party messaging apps, Snapchat is expanding its platform to keep up. Snapchat today announced a new live video option that allows users to communicate as long as they are holding down the button to do so. Unlike Google Hangouts, the video is active as long as the button is held down. As well, this live video function will be part of text conversations as a whole – but the texts share the same ephemerality that made the app popular, as they too disappear once a user leaves the conversation. It’s the immediacy of the app that truly sets it apart – merely sending pictures and text that disappear doesn’t set it too far apart from its rivals – and now that Snapchat is venturing into third party messaging, the space feels likely to continue to heat up.